International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue VII, July 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186
Analysis of Traffic Flow Study in Akure Urban Centre
Enyinda, C. Albert.
Department of Logistics and Transport Technology
Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria
Abstract: With increase in urban mobility and motorization of movement in Akure, traffic congestion has become a major issue in the development planning of the metropolis. The knowledge of the stream speed of traffic corridors of the metropolis as well as the rate of capacity utilization of the road network as well as the externality cost of the various traffic stream becomes a vital asset for road and urban transportation planning. These issues were what this study tackled. To this end, traffic surveys were done along selected traffic corridors to determine the stream speed by multiplying the vehicular concentration (vehicles per unit distance of roadway) with speed (distance per unit time), then the rate of capacity utilization was gotten using the determined capacity stream speed (traffic flow) as a ratio of the installed stream speed. The study showed that traffic speed varies from time to time and for different days too. These variations were noticed to be tangible for direction of traffic at any point time. For those, travelling towards the central business district during the mornings traffic streams are higher and at reduced speed. The study showed that certain roads require capacity expansion as capacities were over utilized. These expansions, if must be done, must be weighed carefully using social cost benefit analysis to ascertain true cost and benefits (socially and economically) to the society.
Keywords: traffic flow; stream speed; concentration; flow directions; and capacity utilization.
I.INTRODUCTION
Traffic congestion has become a serious problem in many cities of developing countries as most of their Central Business Districts (CBD) has lost their original land use plan and orientation as well as being overwhelmed with ever-increasing population that arrives in thousands from the adjourning rural areas to these urban centres (Chauhan et al., 2017; Kumar and Sivanandan, 2017). Traffic congestion is defined as a situation when vehicles are slowed down below reasonable speed permitted for particular roads at specific times due to may be the number of vehicles on a road per unit area of the road or per unit time in space exceeds the capacity of the road network or a portion of it (Enyinda & Stephens, 2016). In recent time, traffic congestion problem has become one of the most costly problems in many cities all over the world
Traffic congestion has, in recent years, escalated in severity, posing a significant problem in transportation networks in cities especially during peak hours. The issue has become even worse in large metropolitan areas, predominantly within the central business district (CBD). The consequence of traffic congestion, especially for commuters and motorists, is prolonged travel times and delays, more emissions and higher fuel consumption (Fatima, 2015).
In Akure like other Urban Centres, traffic congestion results from many factors, not the least of which is the substantial number of people commuting regularly to and from work or tertiary institutions by public or private vehicles during the same time intervals. Another contributing factor is the increase in population within and around urban areas and the number of private car owners. With the increasing traffic congestion in Akure Urban Centre, traffic behaviour on urban road networks