<p>  </p> <p>The research described in this dissertation began in response to frequent questions from users of several crosswalks near a university campus. At each crosswalk was a sign indicating that motorists should yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk. That this message was not being interpreted uniformly was a concern at locations where heterogeneous road users (pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists) were interacting. Instead of trying to impose a single interpretation on users of each crosswalk, it was decided to observe and analyze interactions between users of the crosswalk. </p> <p>Several hours of video were recorded of pedestrians and motorists “negotiating” the right of way at the crosswalk. Because these crossing locations were marked but not signalized, they were called “semi-controlled crosswalks”. The negotiations took place during what were called pedestrian-motorist interactions (PMIs). The PMIs observed on video can be characterized as a “zebra-crossing” game, as described in Chapter 4 of this dissertation. </p> <p>Recently, computer vision (CV) algorithms have been extensively used in road users’ detection and tracking at an unparalleled spatial-temporal scale. In this study, CV algorithms have been applied to convert the video recordings into a large-scale spatial-temporal trajectory dataset including 800 pedestrians and cyclists interacting with more than 500 vehicles. Utilizing the trajectory dataset, a spatial-temporal graph convolutional network-based sequence to sequence (ST-GCN-Seq2Seq) algorithm has been developed to reasonably forecast heterogeneous road users’ trajectories and behavior in real time. Combining CV and ST-GCN-Seq2Seq algorithms can help both design an intelligent tracking system and achieve a form of “smart” interaction at semi-controlled crosswalks for heterogeneous road users.</p> <p>Based on road users’ arrival patterns detected from CV algorithms, it is likely that a "smart" control strategy can minimize the delay of pedestrians and motorists at crosswalks.  Therefore, another branch of this study is to investigate the “smart” control strategies at crosswalks using traffic signal controllers. A reinforcement learning framework was proposed as the “smart” control strategy, and several experiments were conducted using microsimulation. The proposed reinforcement learning framework is able to reduce traffic delay (efficiency), considering real-time pedestrian flow rates and vehicle flow rates with appropriate sensors.</p>

Urban traffic congestion is recognised as a major problem by most people in world cities. However, the implementation of congestion reducing measures on a wide scale eludes most world cities suffering from traffic congestion, as many oppose the notion of road pricing and despite economists and transportation professionals having advocated its benefits for a number of decades. The effects of road pricing have attracted considerable attention from researchers examining its effects, as it is thought to hold the key in understanding and overcoming some inherent obstacles to implementation. Unfortunately, many of the attempts consider the effects in isolation and with hypothetical, idealised and analytical tools, sometimes loosing sight of the complexities of the problem. This research empirically investigates the effects of road pricing in London, and identifies factors, which may prove to sustain it as a traffic reduction instrument. The results indicate that an integrated approach has to be developed and implemented, based upon the recognition of local perceptions, concerns, aspirations and locally acceptable solutions, if the acceptance of road pricing is to be improved. The key to dealing with the effects of road pricing, is to encourage a concerted effort by various stakeholders developing strategies considering a range of differing initiatives, coordinating and managing them in the realm of the political-economic context in which they exist. / Thesis (M.Art. et Scien. (Town and Regional Planning))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Urban traffic congestion is recognised as a major problem by most people in world cities. However, the implementation of congestion reducing measures on a wide scale eludes most world cities suffering from traffic congestion, as many oppose the notion of road pricing and despite economists and transportation professionals having advocated its benefits for a number of decades. The effects of road pricing have attracted considerable attention from researchers examining its effects, as it is thought to hold the key in understanding and overcoming some inherent obstacles to implementation. Unfortunately, many of the attempts consider the effects in isolation and with hypothetical, idealised and analytical tools, sometimes loosing sight of the complexities of the problem. This research empirically investigates the effects of road pricing in London, and identifies factors, which may prove to sustain it as a traffic reduction instrument. The results indicate that an integrated approach has to be developed and implemented, based upon the recognition of local perceptions, concerns, aspirations and locally acceptable solutions, if the acceptance of road pricing is to be improved. The key to dealing with the effects of road pricing, is to encourage a concerted effort by various stakeholders developing strategies considering a range of differing initiatives, coordinating and managing them in the realm of the political-economic context in which they exist. / Thesis (M.Art. et Scien. (Town and Regional Planning))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.