The thesis considers the effects of vehicle type on highway traffic control. The effects of vehicle type on the capacity of traffic signal approaches are examined by the experimental determination of passenger car units at intersections in London and West Yorkshire and in addition saturation flows and lost times are examined. Vehicle type effect at roundabout entries are investigated and the results of field observations reported. Details are given of the gap acceptance of varying vehicle types, the effect of vehicle type on delay and comparisons are made with existing recommendations for the capacity design of roundabout entries. Observations of traffic flow on a rural motorway are used to demonstrate the effect of vehicle type on speed and observed values are fitted to a normal distribution. Overtaking behaviour is also examined and conclusions drawn of the relative effect on capacity of vehicle type. A review is given of the effects of vehicle type on the design and operation of the highway system in Saudi Arabia.

The Car Racing competition platform is used for evaluating different car control solutions under competitive conditions [1]. These competitions are organized as part of the IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation (CEC) and Computational Intelligence and Games Sym-posium (CIG). The goal is to learn and develop a controller for a car in the TORCS open source racing game [2]. Oussama Khatib [3] (1986) introduced Artificial potential fields (APFs) for the first time while looking for new ways to avoid obstacles for manipulators and mobile robots in real time. In car racing games a novel combination of artificial potential fields as the major control paradigm for car controls in a multi-agent system is being used to coordinate control interests in different scenarios [1]. Here we extend the work of Uusitalo and Stefan J. Johansson by introducing effective collision detection, overtaking maneuvers, run time evaluation and detailed analysis of the track using the concept of multi-agent artificial potential fields MAPFs. The results of our extended car controller in terms of lap time, number of damages and position in the race is improved. / We have concluded by implementing a controller that make use of multi agent based artificial potential field approach to achieve the tricky and complex task of collision detection and overtaking while driving in a car racing game with different other controllers as opponents. We exploited the advantages of APFs to the best of our knowledge using laws of physics and discrete mathematics in order to achieve successful overtaking behavior and overcome its drawbacks as being very complex to implement and high memory requirements for time critical applications e.g. car racing games (Section 3.1, RQ1). Dynamic objects in a fast changing environment like a car racing game are likely to collide more often with each other, thus resulting in higher number of damages. Using APFs instead of traditionally used collision avoidance techniques resulted in less number of damages during the race, thus minimizing the lap’s time which in turn contribute to better position in the race as shown in experiment 3 (Section 3.1, RQ2 and Section 6.6). Overtaking maneuvers are complex and tricky and is the major cause of collision among cars both in real life as well as in car racing games, thus the criteria to measure the performance regarding overtaking behavior of different controllers in the race is based on number of damages taken during the race. The comparison between the participating controllers in terms of damages taken during various rounds of the race is analyzed in experiment 3 (Section 3.1, RQ3 and Section 6.6). The results of the quick race along with opponents shows good results on three tracks while having bad performance on the remaining other track. Our controller got 1st position on the CG track 2 while kept 2nd position on CS Speed way 1 and Alpine 1. It had worse performance on wheel 2 which needs to be optimized in the future for better results on this track and other similar complex and tricky tracks. / +46723266771

The t h e s i s c o n s i d e r s t h e e f f e c t s of v e h i c l e type on highway t r a f f i c flow. The e f f e c t s of v e h i c l e type on t h e c a p a c i t y of t r a f f i c s i g n a l approaches are examined by t h e experimental d e t e r m i n a t i o n of passenger c a r u n i t s a t i n t e r s e c t i o n s i n London and West Yorkshire and i n a d d i t i o n s a t u r a t i o n flows and lost t i m e s a r e examined. . Vehicle type e f f e c t s a t roundabout e n t r i e s a r e i n v e s t i g a t e d and t h e r e s u l t s of f i e l d o b s e r v a t i o n s r e p o r t e d . Details a r e given of t h e gap acceptance of varying v e h i c l e t y p e s , t h e e f f e c t of v e h i c l e type on delay and comparisons a r e made with e x i s t i n g recommendat i o n s f o r t h e c a p a c i t y design of roundabout e n t r i e s . Observations of t r a f f i c flow on a r u r a l motorway a r e used to demonstrate t h e e f f e c t of v e h i c l e type on speed and observed v a l u e s a r e f i t t e d t o a normal d i s t r i b u t i o n . Overtaking behaviour is a l s o examined and conclusions drawn of t h e r e l a t i v e e f f e c t on c a p a c i t y of v e h i c l e t y p e . A review is given of t h e e f f e c t s of v e h i c l e type on t h e design and o p e r a t i o n of t h e highway system in Saudi Arabia.

This thesis shows the advantages of simple models for analysis of railway operation. It presents two tools for infrastructure and timetable planning. It shows how the infrastructure can be analysed through fictive line designs, how the timetable can be treated as a variable and how delays can be used as performance measures. The thesis also gives examples of analyses of complex traffic situations through simulation experiments. Infrastructure configuration, timetable design and delays play important roles in the competitiveness of railway transportation. This is especially true on single-track lines where the run times and other timetable related parameters are severely restricted by crossings (train meetings). The first half of this thesis focuses on the crossing time, i.e. the time loss that occurs in crossing situations. A simplified analytical model, SAMFOST, has been developed to calculate the crossing time as a function of infrastructure configuration, vehicle properties, timetable and delays for two crossing trains. Three measures of timetable flexibility are proposed and they can be used to evaluate how infrastructure configuration, vehicle properties, punctuality etc affect possibilities to alter the timetable. Double-track lines operated with mixed traffic show properties similar to those of single-tracks. In this case overtakings imply scheduled delays as well as risk of delay propagation. Two different methods are applied for analysis of double-tracks: a combinatorial, mathematical model (TVEM) and simulation experiments. TVEM, Timetable Variant Evaluation Model, is a generic model that systematically generates and evaluates timetable variants. This method is especially useful for mixed traffic operation where the impact of the timetable is considerable. TVEM may also be used for evaluation of different infrastructure designs. Analyses performed in TVEM show that the impact on capacity from the infrastructure increases with speed differences and frequency of service for the passenger trains, whereas the impact of the timetable is strongest when the speed differences are low and/or the frequency of passenger services is low. Simulation experiments were performed to take delays and perturbations into account. A simulation model was set up in the micro simulation tool RailSys and calibrated against real operational data. The calibrated model was used for multi-factor analysis through experiments where infrastructure, timetable and perturbation factors were varied according to an experimental design and evaluated through response surface methods. The additional delay was used as response variable. Timetable factors, such as frequency of high-speed services and freight train speed, turned out to be of great importance for the additional delay, whereas some of the perturbation factors, i.e. entry delays, only showed a minor impact. The infrastructure factor, distance between overtaking stations, showed complex relationships with several interactions, principally with timetable factors. / QC20100622 / Framtida infrastruktur och kvalitet i tågföring

本研究主要探討中國如何介入中東地區，並且檢視其多重戰略操作現況，其中包括了安全議題、能源議題、以及經貿議題。透過中國藉由上述議題介入中東事務的發展，本研究期望能呈現中國的中東外交政策及其未來發展趨勢。本研究以中國與美國兩強是否會在中東地區發生權力轉移的可能作為研究問題，有鑑於此，本研究以AFK Organski的權力轉移理論作為全文的概念化基礎，並且重新檢視權力轉移理論在近年來的發展與實踐。就此，本研究將回應下列幾個問題:中國的中東外交政策之主要戰略目的為何?此一政策在中國全方位外交政策中的權重與定位為何?中國與中東國家的交往及雙邊關係中，所具備的優勢與劣勢為何?從結構層次來說，中國與美國在中東是否將達到權力平衡的局面?最後，中國是否滿意現階段自身在中東的地位以及中東地緣政治本身的現況?又或者中國傾向改變中東現狀，並且有意取代美國。本研究透過對上述問題的重新檢視，發現如果中國在中東所介入的勢力與議題越廣泛，並且以挑戰美國霸權為前提全力推進中國的中東介入政策，這意味著中東的現狀與規則將會被調整與改變，進而產生權力轉移的情況。不過，中國現階段並未有意、有能力挑戰美國在中東的戰略地位，因為這將使得中國與美國的結構性矛盾導向衝突。 / This study aims at examining the different aspects of China’s involvement in the Middle East: security, energy and economy, in the context of its evolving foreign policy and changing international status. The main question of the research is whether a power transition between the US and China is possible in the region of the Middle East. Hence. The power transition theory developed by AFK Organski in the 1950s is the basis of this research. The main question is answered by several secondary questions: What is China's foreign policy in the Middle East, and how does it combine into its overall foreign policy; What are the strong points as opposed to the weak points of China's relations with Middle Eastern countries; Is China on the course of achieving parity with the US in the region of Middle East? And the last one, is China satisfied with its current role in the Middle East and the regional existing order, or it would like to alter it in order for it to be able to replace the US as the hegemonic power in the area. If China is indeed becoming more powerful in the area and is challenging the American hegemony, the transformation of the current order and accepted rules of the games in the region could be changed to accommodate China’s needs, and this might lead to tension between China and the US or even conflicts.

The thesis discusses the roads in lanes 2 + 1 arrangement in the country and abroad. It focuses primarily analogy of this type of arrangement in our situation, ie on stretches of roads I. classes with an increased number of lanes for slow vehicles to climb. Part of this work is to verify some of the traffic, including traffic flow characteristics compared to conventional two-lane roads, especially in terms of: sectional speed; overtaking; Accident and dependence longitudinal gradient. The work aims to evaluate the foreign experience and achievements of domestic communications options for application configuration 2 + 1 in the Czech Republic.

[ES] La presencia de ciclistas deportivos en carreteras convencionales es un fenómeno habitual en la actualidad. Los ciclistas circulan individualmente y en grupo, compartiendo la vía con los vehículos motorizados e interaccionando con ellos. Debido a las diferencias en términos de velocidad, volumen y nivel de protección entre bicicletas y vehículos motorizados, la maniobra de adelantamiento es la interacción más frecuente y de mayor riesgo. Por tanto, la presencia de ciclistas en carreteras convencionales puede afectar tanto desde el punto de vista de la seguridad vial, como desde el punto de vista de la funcionalidad del tráfico. El principal objetivo de esta investigación es la caracterización del tráfico ciclista y su interacción con los vehículos a motor, en especial en maniobras de seguimiento y adelantamiento, a partir de observaciones naturalísticas del fenómeno, mediante el uso de bicicletas instrumentadas y de observaciones puntuales en tramos de estudio previamente seleccionados. El estudio se ha realizado considerando ciclistas circulando individualmente y en grupo por tramos de carreteras convencionales con diferentes características, tanto geométricas como de tráfico. Se han analizado un total de 2,135 maniobras de adelantamiento a ciclistas. La duración del adelantamiento se ha considerado un factor clave en cuanto a su efecto en la seguridad y en la funcionalidad del tráfico. En consecuencia, esta variable se ha analizado con especial interés, desarrollando un modelo predictivo de la duración del adelantamiento considerando factores relativos a la configuración de los grupos de ciclistas, a la carretera y a la propia maniobra de adelantamiento. A partir de las observaciones realizadas, se ha adaptado, calibrado y validado un modelo de microsimulación del tráfico que incorpora el tráfico ciclista en carreteras convencionales y su interacción con los vehículos motorizados. Mediante las observaciones y el uso del modelo de microsimulación se han obtenido medidas de desempeño que permiten caracterizar la influencia de la presencia de ciclistas en la funcionalidad del tráfico, mostrando una reducción de la funcionalidad del tráfico al aumentar el tráfico ciclista. Las medidas de desempeño relacionadas con el número de adelantamientos y la demora son las más sensibles a la presencia de ciclistas, seguidas de las medidas relacionadas con el seguimiento entre usuarios. Las carreteras con secciones más estrechas son más sensibles a la presencia de ciclistas, y en ellas la configuración de los grupos en paralelo mejora ligeramente la funcionalidad del tráfico al facilitar los adelantamientos. Los resultados de esta investigación permiten una mejor comprensión del fenómeno, a la vez que se traducen en recomendaciones para la mejora del diseño y/o explotación de carreteras convencionales con presencia ciclista. Asimismo, se han desarrollado herramientas específicas como son el modelo predictivo y el modelo de microsimulación que pueden ser usadas por los gestores de la infraestructura para analizar otras carreteras y proporcionar una integración más segura y operativa de los diferentes usuarios de la misma. / [CA] La presència de ciclistes esportius en carreteres convencionals és un fenomen habitual a l'actualitat. Els ciclistes circulen individualment i en grup, compartint la via amb els vehicles motoritzats i interaccionant amb ells. A causa de les diferències en termes de velocitat, volum i nivell de protecció entre bicicletes i vehicles motoritzats, la maniobra d'avançament és la interacció més freqüent i perillosa que es produeix entre ells. Per tant, la presència de ciclistes en carreteres convencionals pot afectar tant des del punt de vista de la seguretat viària com de la funcionalitat del trànsit. El principal objectiu d'aquesta investigació és la caracterització del trànsit ciclista i la seva interacció amb els vehicles a motor, especialment en maniobres de seguiment i avançament, a partir d'observacions naturalístiques del fenomen, mitjançant l'ús de bicicletes instrumentades i d'observacions puntuals en trams d'estudi prèviament seleccionats. L'estudi s'ha realitzat considerant ciclistes circulant individualment i en grup per trams de carreteres convencionals amb diferents característiques, tant geomètriques com de trànsit. S'han analitzat en detall 2,135 maniobres d'avançament a ciclistes. La durada de l'avançament s'ha considerat un factor clau pel que fa al seu efecte en la seguretat i en la funcionalitat del trànsit. En conseqüència, aquesta variable s'ha analitzat amb especial interès, desenvolupant un model predictiu de la durada de l'avançament considerant factors relatius a la configuració dels grups de ciclistes, a la carretera i a la pròpia maniobra d'avançament. A partir de les observacions s'ha adaptat, calibrat i validat un model de microsimulació del trànsit que incorpora el trànsit ciclista en carreteres convencionals i la seva interacció amb els vehicles motoritzats. Mitjançant les observacions i l'ús de el model de microsimulació s'han obtingut mesures d'acompliment que permeten caracteritzar la influència de la presència de ciclistes en la funcionalitat del trànsit, mostrant una reducció de la funcionalitat del trànsit a l'augmentar el trànsit ciclista. Les mesures d'acompliment relacionades amb el nombre d'avançaments i la demora són les més sensibles a la presència de ciclistes, seguides de les mesures relacionades amb el seguiment entre usuaris. Les carreteres amb seccions més estretes són més sensibles a la presència de ciclistes, i en elles la configuració dels grups en paral·lel millora lleugerament la funcionalitat del trànsit al facilitar els avançaments. Els resultats d'aquesta investigació permeten una millor comprensió del fenomen alhora que es tradueixen en recomanacions per a la millora del disseny i/o l'explotació de carreteres convencionals amb presència ciclista. Així mateix, s'han desenvolupat eines específiques com el model predictiu i el model de microsimulació que poden ser utilitzats pels gestors d'infraestructures per analitzar altres carreteres i proporcionar una integració més segura i operativa dels diferents usuaris de les mateixes. / [EN] Nowadays, the presence of sport cyclists on two-lane rural roads is a common phenomenon. Cyclists ride individually and in groups, sharing the road with motorized vehicles and interacting with them. Due to the differences in speed, volume and level of protection between bicycles and motorized vehicles, the overtaking manoeuvre is the most frequent and dangerous interaction that occurs between them. Therefore, the presence of cyclists on two-lane rural roads can affect both road safety and traffic operation. The main objective of this research is the characterization of cycle traffic and its interaction with motorized vehicles, especially in follow-up and overtaking manoeuvres, based on naturalistic observations of the phenomenon, using instrumented bicycles and observations at the extremes of the study sections. The study has been carried out considering cyclists who circulate individually and in groups on sections of two-lane rural roads with different characteristics, both geometric and traffic. A total of 2,135 overtaking manoeuvres to cyclists have been analysed in detail. The duration of overtaking has been considered a key factor in terms of its effect on safety and traffic operation. Consequently, this variable has been analysed with special interest, developing a predictive model of the overtaking duration, considering factors related to the configuration of groups of cyclists, the road and the overtaking manoeuvre itself. Based on the observations, a traffic microsimulation model that incorporates cycle traffic on two-lane rural roads and its interaction with motorized vehicles has been adapted, calibrated and validated. Through observations and the use of the microsimulation model, performance measures have been obtained that allow characterizing the influence of the presence of cyclists on traffic operation, showing a reduction in traffic operation as cycle traffic increases. Performance measures related to the number of overtaking manoeuvres and delay are the most sensitive to the presence of cyclists, followed by measures related to users platooning. Roads with narrow cross-sections are more sensitive to the presence of cyclists, and on them the two-abreast configuration of groups of cyclists slightly improves traffic operation by facilitating overtaking. The results of this research allow a better understanding of the phenomenon as well as being translated into recommendations for improving the design and/or operation of two-lane rural roads with a cyclist presence. In addition, specific tools have been developed such as the predictive model and the microsimulation model which can be used by infrastructure managers to analyse other rural roads and provide a safer and more operational integration of the different road users. / Esta Tesis Doctoral forma parte del proyecto de investigación Bike2lane “Mejora de la seguridad y operación de carreteras convencionales con ciclistas”, con referencia TRA 2016-8089-R, subvencionado por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. En el desarrollo de esta tesis también se han utilizado datos de parte del proyecto de investigación Safe4Bikes “Medidas para la Mejora de la Seguridad Vial en Carreteras Convencionales con Bicicletas Circulando en Grupo”, con referencia SPIP2017-022880, subvencionado por la Dirección General de Tráfico. Esta investigación ha sido realizada gracias a la Agencia Estatal de Investigación “Ayudas para contratos predoctorales para la formación de doctores 2017”, con referencia BES-2017-080474, de la que la doctoranda es beneficiaria. / Moll Montaner, S. (2021). Análisis de la funcionalidad del tráfico en carreteras convencionales con presencia de ciclistas [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/179701

Das Ziel dieser Dissertation ist die systematische Entwicklung eines weiterführenden Konzeptes zur Fahrer-Fahrzeug Kooperation, dessen Tauglichkeit anhand empirischer Daten evaluiert und im Hinblick auf sein belegbares Potential in Bezug auf bestehende Ansätze bewertet werden soll.Da Annahmen und Prämissen der Mensch-Maschine-Interaktion den Ausgangspunkt bilden, beginnt die dezidierte Auseinandersetzung und begriffliche Differenzierung von Kooperation in eben diesem Kontext und führt folgerichtig zu einer definitorischen Abgrenzung gegenüber existierenden Ansätzen, der Forderung eines spezifischen Rollenverständnisses zur Interaktion sowie der Ableitung konzeptueller Grundbedingungen. Anschließend werden die strukturellen und prozeduralen Merkmale dieser spezifischen Interaktion herausgearbeitet und dazu benutzt, die generellen Attribute von Kooperation zwischen Fahrer und Fahrzeug zu identifizieren. Dafür wurden nachfolgend solche Indikatoren abgeleitet, vermittels derer der unterstellte Gewinn infolge der Kooperation von Fahrer und Fahrzeug kontrolliert und bewertet werden kann.Im Rahmen mehrerer Voruntersuchungen wurden Fahrsituationen identifiziert, die am meisten von einer kooperativen Interaktion zwischen Fahrer und Fahrzeug profitieren würden. Im Ergebnis wurden für die zwei Hauptuntersuchungen das „Überholen auf der Autobahn“ und das „Linksabbiegen auf innerstädtischen Straßen und Landstraßen mit Gegenverkehr“ als Fahrszenarien ausgewählt, die in jeweils einem eigenständigen Experiment mit alternativen Systemvarianten verglichen worden sind. Die Prüfung spezifischer Hypothesen wurde dabei in die prototypische Umgebung eines Fahrsimulators eingebettet. Abschließend werden in dieser Arbeit die Möglichkeiten zur Etablierung und Einbettung dieses Interaktionskonzeptes in den übergreifenden sozio-technischen Kontext aufgezeigt und zukünftige Perspektiven diskutiert. / The aim of this dissertation is to systematically develop a continuative concept of driver-automobile cooperation, to evaluate its suitability on the basis of empirical data, and to value its provable potential in relation to existing approaches.Assumptions and premises regarding the human-machine interaction constitute the starting point of this work. The decisive altercation and notional differentiation of cooperation are explained in just this context, leading logically to a definitional demarcation of existing approaches, the demand of a specific role understanding of the interaction as well as the derivation of conceptual basic conditions. The structural and procedural characteristics of this specific interaction are then elaborated upon and used to identify the general attributes of cooperation between driver and automobile. In the following, such indicators are derived by which the implied profit as a result of cooperation between driver and automobile can be controlled and valued. Within the framework of several preliminary investigations, those driving situations were identified that would profit most from a cooperative interaction between driver and automobile. As a result, the two driving scenarios "Overtaking on Highways" and "Turning Left on Urban and Country Roads with Oncoming Traffic" were utilized in the experiments. Both single scenarios have been compared in independent experiments with regard to alternative system variants. The prove of specific hypotheses was embedded in the prototypical surroundings of a driving simulator. Finally, the possibility of establishing and embedding this interaction concept into the overall socio-technical context will be presented, and future perspectives will be discussed.

A part of the road I/43 in the section between Černá Hora and Sebranice is the subject of diploma thesis. The output of thesis is to identify problematic parts of the safety and fluency of traffic and to propose appropriate measures. The road I/43 is very problematic and discussed of these aspects. Becouse of the character and the results of traffic accidents is called Highway of death. The thesis contains proposals of structural modification in selected problematic sections. These structural modifications are intended to increase the safety of traffic, but in order to limit of flow of traffic. Depending on the long-delayed contruction of expressway R43 is in order to make quick and effective increase the safety and the fluency of traffic counting with traffic intensity in the full range.

The dissertation thesis deals mainly with determining of the duration that driver needs to assess the situation behind his vehicle at manoeuvers of turning and overtaking, based on the measurements made in real road traffic. These are common and frequent driving manoeuvers, which the driver performs while driving the vehicle in regular road traffic. For their safe execution the driver needs to have sufficient amount of information about the situation around the vehicle and especially behind the vehicle. This information can driver usually gain from devices for indirect vision, most often rear view mirrors. The time thus defined, suitable e.g for the needs of forensic engineering applications for the analysis of road accidents, has not been studied in detail yet. For the purpose of its determination, therefore, an extensive analysis of the current state of problematics related to the indirect vision from the vehicle was carried out. There were formulated influences on the time duration and with this related characteristics of humans as a part of the driver-vehicle-environment system in the thesis. The characteristics of human perception were investigated and the problematics of reaction time was discussed. Existing research focused on the duration of rear view mirrors glances was analyzed and possible methods of its measurement in detail were presented by author. Based on this, an experiment was designed and realized, the time necessary for rear view mirror glances was defined by the author. The results enable to quantify the time that the driver needs for assessing the situation behind the vehicle in connection of turning, overtaking and other driving manoeuvers when the driver needs to change the driving direction. The conclusions showed that the time needed to evaluate the situation behind the vehicle by means of the rear-view mirrors does not normally exceed duration 1 second.