A Traffic Congestion Study of Unsignalized Intersections

Journal of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies, Vol.11, 2015

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A Traffic Congestion Study of Unsignalized Intersections along Yacapin-

Capt. Vicente Roa, Yacapin-Osmena, J.R. Borja-Capt. Vicente Roa and

J.R. Borja-Osmeña Streets in Cagayan de Oro City

Jude Albert U. AÑANAa, Kevin A. CALMAb, Carlo M. FLORESc, Dennis D. TANTOYd,

Anabel A. ABUZOe Jefferson Jr. VALLENTEf

a,b,c,d,e,f Civil Engineering Department, Xavier Univerity – Ateneo De Cagayan, Cagayan De

Oro City, 9000, Philippines a E-mail: [email protected] b E-mail: [email protected] c E-mail: [email protected] d E-mail: [email protected] e E-mail: [email protected] f E-mail:[email protected]

Abstract: Today, traffic congestion is one of the most challenging and complicated problem

in Cagayan de Oro City thus, this study aims to evaluate the congestion issue in Cogon

Market, particularly, the traffic performance along the unsignalized intersections that include

the roads of Yacapin, Capt. Vicente Roa, Osmeña and J.R. Borja streets. The methodology

involves data collection of three variables: vehicle traffic flow (i.e Level of Service),

pedestrian (i.e. walkability), and parking (i.e. parking demand & supply). Preliminary results

revealed that traffic congestion were primarily due to: absence of traffic signals (i.e., vehicle

and pedestrian), poor condition of pavement markings (i.e. parking and crosswalk),

inadequate parking facilities, obstruction of vendors along the sidewalk, inadequate

pedestrian facilities, and poor traffic enforcement. Moreover, Level of Service (LOS) of

roads along these intersections ranges between LOS E (i.e., unstable flow) and LOS F (i.e.,

forced/breakdown flow). Thus, a traffic management scheme is highly recommended.

Keywords: Traffic Congestion, Level of Service, Unsignalized Intersections

1. INTRODUCTION

Cagayan de Oro City, a highly urbanized and capital city of the province Misamis Oriental, it

also serves as the regional trade center of the entire Northern Mindanao region. The city (Fig.

1.1) covers 488.86 sq. km. or 13.9 percent of whole province and is bordered by the

municipality of Tagoloan to the east, the municipality of Opol to the west, and the provinces

of Bukidnon and Lanao del Norte to the south. Recently in 2014, the National

Competitiveness Council (NCC) considered Cagayan de Oro as one of the most competitive

city in the Philippines It ranked second in infrastructure, fifth in government efficiency, and

ninth in economic dynamism. These facts signify that the city is in the state of economic

progress and will be more developed in the upcoming years.

Due to increasing population, the demand of motorization also increases which further

results to traffic congestion. Congestion in traffic is a state wherein the road networks are

characterized by slower speeds, longer trips, and an increase of vehicular queuing, which will

affects both accessibility and mobility of people and goods. Moreover, the increasing

economy boosts the need for mobility and thus increased the need for vehicle ownership. The


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Land Transportation Office (LTO) reported this increase of vehicular registrations in the city.

The city experiences traffic congestion in almost every main street intersection during peak

hour periods usually from 10:30AM to 11:30AM, and 4:30PM to 5:30PM.

One of the primary concerns of the city’s congestion problem is evident at commercial

infrastructures such as in Cogon Market which is the largest commercial hub of the city.

Cogon Market is an old main-street center of trading and transfer of goods in the city. The

area is bounded by the surrounding streets- and intersections- of Yacapin - Capt. Vicente Roa,

Yacapin - Osmeña, JR Borja - Osmeña, and J.R. Borja - Capt. Vicente Roa. The main market

contains a central building that houses a mixture of goods from a large wet market, a

shopping mall, and a number of stores. Its auxiliary market is the perimeter streets that

contain the flea market, vendors, and establishments. Currently, the situation of the area is

congested due several factors such as inappropriate (i.e. pedestrians and/or vendor) use of

sidewalks and crosswalks, insufficient parking facility (i.e. establishments), and unregulated

vehicle traffic (i.e. intersections) on streets.

Figure 1.1 Cagayan de Oro land boundary and location map (Source: wikimapia.org)

2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

2.1 City Profile of Cagayan de Oro

Cagayan de Oro, which is the largest city in Northern Mindanao, has an area of 56,966.8435

hectares. Its territorial size is 3.4% of the region; and 15.96% of Misamis Oriental (3,570.10

sq.km.). It is politically subdivided into 80 barangays. These barangays are grouped into two

(2) congressional districts by the Republic Act No. 9371, with 24 barangays in the 1st District

(West) and 56 barangays in the 2nd District (East). Spanning a 187-kilometer strip and

covering about 3,100 square kilometers, the Cagayan-Iligan Corridor (CIC) area has about

1.06 million residents and is endowed with rich agricultural and natural resources. Of the

city’s total land area, 35.70% are used for agricultural purposes. About 12.35% t of the total

land area of the city is used for residential purposes. Based from the 2000 census of


1901

population and housing, it had a total population of 461,877 with 93,525 households with an

average household size of 4.91. By 2007,the city’s population grew by 19.9% placing its

population at 553,966 as shown by the results of the 2007 Population Census. Among the 80

barangays, Barangay Carmen is the biggest barangay with a population of 52,633, which

constitutes 9% of the total population of Cagayan de Oro (National Statistical Coordination

Board, 2007).

2.2 Traffic Congestion

In the recent years, the country experienced rapid urbanization and industrialization along

with rapid population growth that resulted to a sudden increase of the number of vehicles.

Simultaneously, the present roads and traffic systems were ineffective for such a heavy

vehicular load, leading to heavy traffic congestion at busy intersections in some areas of the

city (Neha et. al., 2011).Traffic congestion occurs when a city’s road network is unable to

accommodate the volume of traffic that uses it (Ogunbodede, 2007). Moreover, congestion

can vary since demand and capacity are changing. Demand includes day of week, time of day,

season, recreational, special events, evacuations, special events while capacity includes

incidents, work zones and weather (Bertini, 2005).

With an increasing number of vehicles seeking to use the limited road space on which

to park there are increasing demands for some form of regulation to ensure the most efficient

use of the available road space. There are also safety issues involved in limiting parking to

the most appropriate places as well as the need to reduce congestion by limiting the ability to

park at will at one’s destination (Technical Committee on Transport, Action342).

Different categories of vehicles have different parking demand and supply situations.

The parking demand of each category is closely related to its fleet size. As at March 2006 of

the Legislative Council Panel on Transport, the total number of licensed vehicles in Hong

Kong was about 544 100, of which 64.9% were private cars, 20.9% were goods vehicles,

1.3% were coaches, 6.4% were motorcycles, 3.3% were taxis, 0.8% were public light buses

and the remaining 2.4% were government vehicles, special purpose vehicles and franchised

buses.

Generally, congestion means a number of things or people crowded together resulting

difficulties in movement. Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as

use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased number

of vehicles stand in line (Remi, at. el. 2009). But the main reason why traffic congestion takes

place is urbanization or the rapid growth of population that directly affect the increased

demand of cars (annually). Another reason to be considered is the increase in the number of

trucks and commercial vehicle specially when there is a massive development in

infrastructures in highly civilized cities (Litman, 2010). The roots of traffic congestion may

be traced to the trip generation characteristic of land uses, which include trip making

behavior as well as the modal choice of individual travelers. Most congestion may be

predictable with respect to time of day and we often associate morning and afternoon peak

hours with traffic jams (Regidor, 2004).

2.2.1 Level of Service

Level of service is a measure by which transportation planners determine the quality of

service on transportation devices, or transportation infrastructure (Ezat, 2008). Level of

service is defined in terms of delay and ranges from LOS A (i.e. free-flow conditions) to LOS

F (i.e. long delays). Delay represents a measure of driver discomfort, frustration, fuel


1902

consumption, and lost time. Specifically, level-of-service delay criteria are stated in terms of

average stopped delay per vehicle for a 15-minute analysis period (Dresser et al., 2010). Thus,

according to Ezat (2008) LOS is regarded a measure of traffic density or a measure of

congestion.

The Highway Capacity Manual (HCM, 2004) defines LOS as the qualitative measures

that characterize operational conditions within a traffic stream and their perception by

motorists and passengers. Typical LOS measures include the ratio of volume over capacity

(v/c), density, delay, number of stops, among others. Most responses included a time

component; travel time, speed, cycle failure and LOS are all related to the fact that users

experience additional travel time due to congestion. Some definitions of congestion rely on

point measures (e.g., volume and time mean speed) and some rely on spatial measures i.e.,

travel time, density and space mean speed (Bertini, 2006). The Philippines does not have

comprehensive LOS criteria. In most cases, only road LOS is used despite the obvious

applicability of intersection LOS for both signalized and unsignalized intersections. But even

in this case of road LOS, the use of volume to capacity ratio might not be appropriate.

(Regidor, 2004)

2.2.2 Traffic Volume

Traffic volume studies are conducted to determine the number, movements, and

classifications of roadway vehicles at a given location. These data can help identify critical

flow time periods, determine the influence of large vehicles or pedestrians on vehicular traffic

flow, or document traffic volume trends (Roess and Prasas, 2004). In the study of Donnges et.

al., (2007), two methods are available for conducting traffic volume count, namely: manual

and automatic. Manual counts are typically used to gather data for determination of vehicle

classification, turning movements, direction of travel, pedestrian movements, or vehicle

occupancy. The selection of study method should be determined using the count period.

Manual count with 15-minute intervals could be used to obtain the traffic volume data.

According to Currin, (2001), the count period should be representative of the time of

day, day of month, and month of year for the study area. For example, counts at a summer

resort would not be taken in January. The count period should avoid special event or

compromising weather conditions. Count periods may range from 15 minutes to 1 hour.

Typical count periods are 15 minutes or 2 hours for peak periods, 4 hours for morning and

afternoon periods, 6 hours for morning, midday, and afternoon peaks, and 12 hours for

daytime periods (Vasirani and Ossowski, 2004). For example, if you were conducting a 2-

hour peak period count, eight 15-minute counts would be required.

2.2.3 Passenger Car Unit

Passenger Car Unit (PCU) refers to assess traffic-flow rate on a highway (Annex D). It is

essentially the impact that a mode of transport has on traffic variables (such as headway,

speed, density) compared to a single car. The PCU value of each class of vehicle is of prime

importance in the study of mixed traffic particularly in studies concerning traffic flow

parameter, capacity, signal design, parking lots etc.

Two basic principles should be applied to the estimation of PCU values for any of the

roadway types identified in capacity analysis procedures. The first principle links the concept

of PCU to the level of service (LOS) concept and the second emphasizes the consideration of

all factors that contribute to the overall effect of trucks on the traffic stream performance

(Anand, et. al., 1999)


1903

2.2.4 Causes of Traffic Congestion

In developing countries, vehicle types make traffic flow rather diverse. This consists of

transport modes with varying dynamic characteristics while at the same time sharing the

same road space. Vehicles contribute to variation in speed behavior ranging from slow

vehicles to fast–moving cars. Typical for developing countries, there are also a great number

of activities (e.g., parking, vendors, and pedestrians) occurring at the edge of the road, both

on the roadway and shoulders and sidewalks. Most of these activities create numbers of

conflicts called ”side friction”. This “side friction” has great impact on capacity and

performance. Examples of “Side friction” are pedestrians, stops by transport vehicles, parking

maneuvers, motor vehicles entries and exits into and out of roadside properties and side roads,

and slow-moving vehicles. (Prasetijo, 2007).

The studies of Ogunbodede (2007) and Aworemi, et al (2009) identified causes of

congestion which are due to rapid growth in motorization, insufficient transport facilities

such as poor road condition and inadequate road infrastructures, and absence of integrated

transport system which is inadequate traffic management, planning and techniques.

Ogunbodede (2007) also identified illegal parking as one of the causes of traffic

congestion. Illegal parking leads to delay in traveling time and increases the cost of traveling

because more fuel is used up in the process of accomplishing a delayed journey. This

scenario caused to reduce the road capacity and creating congestion. Traffic accidents had

noted to be also one of the causes of traffic congestion. According to De Guzman, et al

(2009), there are cases when traffic control measures for both traffic congestion and accident

incidents will emerge. A few minutes of congestion would easily create at intersection when

traffic accident occurs.

2.3 On-street Parking

On-street parking refers to the parking space made available along the curb or shoulder of a

street or road that are designed to accommodate vehicle. If a city provides on-street parking,

particularly in commercial area, it makes conscious choices to provide better access to

adjacent land use at the expense of more efficiently moving traffic (Olorunfemi, 2013).

A small number of vehicles parking in the streets can take most of the space and cause

a great deal of trouble if: (1) they do so on streets with heavy traffic, (2) they park in ways

that are especially disruptive, and (3) if they park for a long period, such as the whole

working day (Button, 2006).

In an urban setting such as Lagos which is the fastest growing urban center in Nigeria,

and where the population is almost 15 million people, there is a need of a critical preview of

what facilities are available to the private car owners and Mini-Bus Operators which formed a

larger percentage of road users in the Central Business District (CBD); contributing traffic

congestion resulted to delay in travel time (Osoba, 2012).

2.4 Pedestrian Facility

There are three factors that affect road safety, these include: human-related (i.e. driver

and passenger), vehicle, and road. In designing a road these three factors must collaborate to

achieve an ideal or model safe road. However, Philippines have poor implementation on

traffic safety and road maintenance. Moreover, the government’s response to these issues is

not as immediate as its response to other equally imperative issues. (Vallente Jr., et. al., 2014)


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In most Asian countries, road transport has a great share than other modes in

transporting goods and passengers; it is also confronts with serious issues, most notable is-

traffic congestion which is a result of excessive utilization of the road infrastructures due to

high number of pedestrians, small road network length, a high portion of the population

engaged in informal business sector, and poor public transport supply are not based on peak

hour demand which result in long travel journey period or delay (Langen and Tembele,

2001) are the few.

3. METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research Locale

The criteria for the selection of the intersection for the study includes: heavy traffic

congestion in intersections, presence of on-street parking (legal and illegal parking), and

traffic interruptions due to traffic flow.

The researchers evaluated four (4) intersections (Fig. 3.1) along the streets of Yacapin

and Capt. Vicente Roa, Yacapin and Osmeña, J.R. Borja and Osmeña, and J.R. Borja and

Capt. Vicente Roa. The study area is a Central Business District (CBD) with four (4) lanes on

all the four (4) streets. Currently, there is an existing on-street parking facility on all of the

four (4) streets aforementioned but there has been no unified parking style for the vehicles.

Existing crosswalks are only present on the streets of J.R. Borja and Yacapin. A signal light

is present only on the J.R. Borja and Capt. Vicente Roa intersection however this is not

currently functioning.

Figure 3.1 Study Area

Table 3.1 Road Profile for Osmeña, Yacapin, Capt. Vicente Roa, and J.R. Borja Streets

Intersecti

on

Street

Osmeña - Yacapin Yacapin - Capt.

Vicente Roa

Capt. Vicente Roa -

J.R. Borja

J.R. Borja -

Osmeña

Osmeña Yacapin Yacapin Capt.

Vicente

Roa

Capt.

Vicente Roa

J.R. Borja J.R.

Borja

Osmeña


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Number of

lanes

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

Lane

width (m)

4.4m 3.0m 3.0m 3.0m 3.0m 4.4m 4.4m 4.4m

Pavement Concrete Concrete Concrete Concrete Concrete Concrete Concrete Concrete

Permitted

traffic

flow

Left and

Through

Left and

Through

Left and

Through

Left and

Through

Left,

Through and

Right

Through

and

Right

Left and

Through

Through

and

Right

Signal

light

not existing not existing existing

(not functioning)

not existing

3.2 Data Collection.

Primary data collection consists of queue length, traffic volumes at intersections, parking

demand and supply, and walkability index of pedestrian facilities. Level of Service conducted

on Monday to Saturday (six days) morning 10:30AM-11:30AM and afternoon 4:30PM-

5:30PM.For parking survey conducted on Mondays and Wednesdays for duration of 9 hours

ranging from 8:00AM-5:00PM. For walkability survey conducted on Monday, Wednesday

and Saturday morning and afternoon. The survey data will then be used to calculate Level of

Service, Parking Demand and Supply and Walkability Rating.

3.3 Method of Analysis

After the data collection, several variables were obtained. Average queue length was obtained

by counting the number of standing vehicles at 30-second intervals, which yields the total

delay in terms of vehicle-hours. To be consistent with the standards of the HCM (see Annex

C), the traffic volume approach is needed to obtain delay in terms of sec/veh. The volume

approach was obtained through video recording and evaluating the video to get the exact

number of vehicle classes entering and exiting the traffic. The average total delay (sec/veh)

becomes the basis to rank Levels of Service (LOS) at each intersection. Capacity is also

calculated through a spreadsheet calculation. Since the traffic volume approach is already

known, the volume-capacity (v/c) ratio can also be obtained. Therefore, the results show two

(2) different Levels of Service (LOS) using two (2) standards, namely: HCM (2000) and

DPWH (2003).

Also, walkability ratings and pedestrian counts were obtained to assess whether

pedestrians are able to walk on the sidewalks and on the crosswalks. Walkability ratings were

obtained by using Annex E as guide to make a walkability index. Moreover, lengths of

parking spaces and the amount of parking vehicles were also acquired. The amount of

parking vehicles at different parking conditions were obtained at 30-minute time intervals to

know the accumulation of parking demand for a certain day (8:30am-4:30pm). Results were

then summarized and graphed on a spreadsheet for analyses.

4. RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

4.1 Parking Analysis

4.1.1 Parking Demand

Cogon market’s current parking situation is a combination of parallel, diagonal and

perpendicular parking. Taxi, service vehicle, multicab, sports utility vehicle (SUV), pick-up,


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motorela, motorcycle, truck, bus, jeepney, van and car are the different vehicle types that

park in Cogon market. Appendix A shows the following parking demand: (1) Monday and

Wednesday parking demand with a 30-minute interval and (2) Monday and Wednesday

parking vehicle classification percentage and it also show that motorcycle is the highest

parked vehicle in Cogon market.

Table 4.1 Cogon Market area parking demand (in Passenger Car Unit)

Parking Demand (PCU)

Time 8:00AM 9:00AM 10:00AM 11:00AM 12:00PM 1:00PM 2:00PM 3:00PM 4:00PM

On-

ramp 139 138 142 141 124 127 122 140 128

On-

street 86 91 85 95 84 85 88 99 93

Table 4.1 shows the parking demand for on-ramp and on-street around Cogon market.

A higher demand can be seen for on-ramp parking demand compared to on-street parking

demand considering they have the same length for parking spaces. This indicates that

vehicles that park around Cogon market are combination of different vehicle types and the

parking spaces are not fully utilized.

4.1.2 Supply

Table 4.2 shows the parking supply for on-ramp and on-street parking given a specific

parking condition. The table also shows that perpendicular parking can accommodate 179

passenger car units (which is the highest supply) wherein it exceeded the highest demand

from Table 4.1 which is 142 passenger car units. This proves that the parking facility is not

fully utilized since there is a gap between demand and supply.

Table 4.2 Parking Supply (in Passenger Car Unit)

Parking Supply (PCU)

Area Designation Length (in m) Parallel Parking 45° Parking 30° Parking Perpendicular Parking

On-ramp 448 81 115 162 179

On-street 448 81 115 162 179

4.1.3 Supply and Demand Summary

A small number of vehicles parking in the streets can take most of the space and cause a great

deal of trouble if: (1) they do so on streets with heavy traffic, (2) they park in ways that are

especially disruptive, and (3) if they park for a long period, such as the whole working day.

For this study, Monday and Wednesday parking demand were expected to be high.

Figure 4.1 shows the parking demand for the whole study area on a Monday and

Wednesday. The parking demand is expressed in terms of passenger car unit (PCU). The

table is graphed together with the parking supply with different parking conditions (i.e.

parallel, perpendicular, diagonal 30°, and diagonal 45°) of the parking spaces available in the

study area. The result shows that parking supply was met by parking demand on Monday

from 3:00PM to 04:30PM in the afternoon. Parking demand result on Monday at 04:30PM

has increased abruptly due to illegal parking of the vehicles. Table 4.1 shows that as the

parking demand approaches the parking supply the harder for the drivers to find a parking

space, thus increasing its effect on the delay.


1907

Figure 4.1 Parking demand and supply summary

4.2 Pedestrian Analysis

4.2.1 Pedestrian Sidewalk

Sidewalks are for the use of pedestrians. Sidewalks should have sufficient capacity to

accommodate the pedestrians and allow them to move easily, comfortably and safely by

separating their movement from vehicles. This study has found that the width of on-street

sidewalk ranges from 2.70m – 2.80m, which is substantially higher than the minimum width

of 2.40m. On the other hand, it was found that the width of on-ramp sidewalk is 2.20m,

slightly less than the minimum width of 2.40m. Furthermore, sidewalks should also be kept

free from any obstructions for the pedestrians. However, the presence of sidewalk vendors

obstructs pedestrians to walk on the sidewalks easily. Legally situated vendors within the area

often extend their display of goods on the sidewalk. To add to the obstructions, illegal

vendors are often present on the pedestrian curb. These obstructions incline pedestrians to

walk on the streets rather than walking on the sidewalk.

4.2.2 Pedestrian Crosswalk

Existing crosswalks are only available on the streets of J.R. Borja and Yacapin. Each

existing crosswalk is 8.0m wide, which is obviously wider than the minimum width of mid-

block crosswalks: 1.80m. Although there are existing crosswalks on these streets, pedestrians

do not fully respect and use these crosswalks. Pedestrians cross the streets randomly and

often interrupt the traffic flow for this reason.

4.2.3 Walkability Analysis

Walkability is a term used to describe and measure the connectivity and quality of walkways,

footpaths, or sidewalks in cities. It can be measured through a comprehensive assessment of

available infrastructure for pedestrians and studies linking demand and supply.

Pedestrian volume is the main parameter used in the selection of the survey areas.

Reconnaissance surveys and suggestions by the local partners implementing the survey were

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

8:0

0 A

M

8:3

0 A

M

9:0

0 A

M

9:3

0 A

M

10

:00

AM

10

:30

AM

11

:00

AM

11

:30

AM

12

:00

PM

12

:30

PM

1:0

0 P

M

1:3

0 P

M

2:0

0 P

M

2:3

0 P

M

3:0

0 P

M

3:3

0 P

M

4:0

0 P

M

4:3

0 P

M

PA

RK

ING

DEM

AN

D (

IN P

CU

)

TIMEMonday Parking Demand Wednesday Parking DemandParallel parking supply 45° parking supply30° parking supply Perpendicular parking supply


1908

used in selecting the areas to be surveyed. Complete route assessments were conducted in

these preselected areas by following the logical pedestrian routes in the specific areas.

The Asia Walkability Index suggests a rating of 60 for commercial areas. Table 4.3

shows the parameters considered in the field walkability survey.

Table 4.3 Walkability parameters and reference

Parameters References

Walking Path Modal

Conflict

The extent of conflict between pedestrians and other modes, such as bicycles,

motorcycles, and cars on the road.

Availability of

Walking Paths

This parameter is added to the original Global Walkability Index (combined with the

original parameter “Maintenance and Cleanliness”). It reflects the need for,

availability, and condition of walking paths.

Availability of

Crossings

The availability and distances between crossings to describe whether pedestrians tend

to jaywalk when there are no crossings or when the distances between crossings are

too long.

Grade Crossing

Safety

This refers to the exposure of pedestrians to other modes while crossing, the time

spent waiting and crossing the street, and the sufficiency of time given to pedestrians

to cross signalized intersections.

Motorist Behavior The behavior of motorists toward pedestrians, which may well indicate the kind of

pedestrian environment there is in that area.

Amenities

The availability of pedestrian amenities such as benches, street lights, public toilets,

and trees. These amenities greatly enhance the attractiveness and convenience of the

pedestrian environment, and in turn, the city itself.

Disability

Infrastructure The availability, positioning, and maintenance of infrastructure for the disabled.

Obstructions

The presence of permanent and temporary obstructions on the pedestrian pathways.

These ultimately affect the effective width of the pedestrian pathway and may cause

inconvenience to the pedestrians.

Security from Crime The general feeling of security from crime in the street.

Table 4.4 Summary of Walkability Index Rating

Parameter Mon

AM

Mon.

PM

Wed.

AM

Wed.

PM

Sat.

AM

Sat.

PM Average

Walking path modal conflict 40 42 50 42 50 43 44

Availability of walking paths 52 52 50 47 57 40 49

Availability of crossings 80 80 80 80 80 80 80

Grade crossing safety 50 50 50 42 50 43 48

Motorist behavior 55 55 47 42 50 43 49

Amenities 25 25 25 23 25 25 25

Disability infrastructure 30 30 30 30 30 30 30

Obstructions 30 30 43 42 40 45 38

Security from crime 40 30 43 37 43 40 39

Walkability Score 45 44 46 43 47 43 44.66

Table 4.4 shows the walkability scores in the morning and afternoon for Monday,

Wednesday, and Saturday. Results shows minimal variability with the ratings given different

times of the day since pedestrian facilities remains unchanged within the study area. It also

shows that among the nine (9) parameters considered in the walkability, only the availability


1909

of crossings received a passing rating of 80 with an average distance of controlled crossings

between 300m to 500m.; while the other eight (8) parameters received a walkability rating

below 60. The average walkability scores of these eight parameters range from 43 to 47. The

Walkability survey results showed that there is a need to improve the pedestrian

environments across the study area.

4.3 Traffic Analysis

4.3.1 Traffic Volume

Figure 4.2 show the traffic volume approach on Yacapin Street. This result reveal that the

traffic volume for each day (from Monday to Saturday) is higher in the morning period

compared with the afternoon period; with Monday morning having the highest volume and

Thursday afternoon having the lowest traffic volume.

Figure 4.2 Summary of Traffic Volume Approach on Yacapin Street

Figure 4.3 shows the traffic volume approach on Capt. Vicente Roa Street. Results

show almost the same pattern on the traffic volume, higher volume in the morning compared

in the afternoon except on a Wednesday; with Friday morning having the highest volume and

Saturday afternoon having the lowest traffic volume.

Figure 4.3 Summary of Traffic Volume Approach on Capt. Vicente Roa Street

Figure 4.4 shows the traffic volume approach on J.R. Borja Street. Results also show

the same pattern with varying traffic volume on the morning and the afternoon. The highest

volume was obtained on a Wednesday morning and the lowest volume was obtained on a

Thursday afternoon.

0

500

1000

1500

2000

am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm am pm

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Yacapin Street

0

500

1000

1500

2000



Capt. Vicente Roa Street


1910

Figure 4.4 Summary of Traffic Volume Approach on J.R. Borja Street

Figure 4.5 shows the summary of the traffic volume on Osmeña Street. This reveal

that the volume approach in the afternoon is higher compared in the morning for Thursday

and Saturday. The highest volume was obtained on a Monday morning and the lowest

volume was obtained on a Friday afternoon.

Figure 4.5 Summary of Traffic Volume Approach on Osmeña Street

4.3.2 Capacity

Capacity is the maximum number of vehicles that may pass a certain intersection under the

prevailing traffic and road conditions during a period of one hour. Table 4.5 shows you the

summary of the calculated capacity (veh/hr) for each road. The capacity of the road is

affected by the following factors: pedestrians, stops by transport vehicles and parking

maneuvers, motor vehicles entries and exits into and out of roadside properties and side roads,

and slow–moving vehicles.

Table 4.5 Summary of Capacity

Street



Yacapin 1878 1515 1327 721 1182 791 1407 755 1699 1422 1301 873

Capt.

Vicente Roa

1628 1230 1954 1015 1648 1209 1576 1138 2497 1359 1088 811

J.R. Borja 1321 930 1338 542 1320 671 1029 564 1332 916 933 555

Osmeña 2009 1426 1486 904 1660 1140 1015 1272 1861 800 1392 1221

4.3.3 Level of Service

In determining the level of service (LOS) of an unsignalized intersection, queue length and

traffic volume approach was considered. In this study, the LOS was evaluated using two (2)

standards, the HCM 2000 standard based on delay (seconds per vehicle) ranking and the

0

500

1000

1500



J.R. Borja Street

0

500

1000

1500

2000



Osmeña Street


1911

DPWH standard based on volume-capacity ratio. The Level of Service represents a

qualitative ranking of the traffic operational condition experience by users of the facility,

ranging from LOS A to LOS F, LOS A being the best and LOS F as the worst.

From the data gathered in the field survey for traffic volume count and vehicle

classification, the average volume of vehicles that enters the road of Yacapin, Osmeña, J.R.

Borja and Capt. Vicente Roa are 1138, 1446, 934, and 1236, respectively. Based from the

results of delay of each road, it showed a satisfactory outcome in the morning LOS if it is

based on the standard of HCM 2010. While comparing it in the afternoon LOS, both

standards of DPWH 2003 and HCM 2000 normally resulted to LOS E and LOS F. LOS E

means unstable flow and has intolerable delay while LOS F means forced flow and traffic

jam.

LOS rankings in the afternoon are under LOS E or LOS F, meaning the traffic

conditions contained a heavy traffic or either a stop and go. The Capt. Vicente Roa – J.R.

Borja intersection show large value of delays in the afternoon, obtaining delays between 87 –

157 sec/veh. Among the four intersections evaluated, the Capt. Vicente Roa – J.R. Borja

intersection appears to be the worst condition within the area having excessive delays from

Monday – Saturday. Results show that most of the delays are incurred in the afternoon since

there is a high level of road side activities during this time of the day. Most delays are

minimal in the morning although some intersections perform poorly in the morning.

Table 4.6 Summary of Delay and Level of Service for Osmeña St. - Yacapin St. and Yacapin St. - Capt.

Vicente Roa St.

Day Time

Osmeña – Yacapin Yacapin - Capt. Vicente Roa

Delay

(sec/veh) LOS

V/C

Ratio LOS

Delay

(sec/veh) LOS

V/C

Ratio LOS

Monday AM 17.23 C 0.919 E 12.95 B 0.849 D

PM 42.67 E 1.029 F 41.97 E 1.011 F

Tuesday AM 31.76 D 0.974 E 6.55 A 0.726 D

PM 86.36 F 1.113 F 62.03 F 1.065 F

Wednesday AM 30.68 D 0.956 E 8.90 A 0.766 D

PM 93.50 F 1.139 F 65.45 F 1.087 F

Thursday AM 30.50 D 0.973 E 10.47 B 0.796 D

PM 39.18 E 0.945 E 39.84 E 0.996 E

Friday AM 18.16 C 0.915 E 5.12 A 0.724 D

PM 51.74 F 1.055 F 59.83 F 1.077 F

Saturday AM 17.06 C 0.864 E 31.83 D 0.953 E

PM 80.29 F 1.109 F 80.87 F 1.106 F

Table 4.7 Summary of Delay and LOS for Capt. Vicente Roa - J.R. Borja and J.R. Borja – Osmeña

Day Time

Capt. Vicente Roa - J.R. Borja J.R. Borja - Osmeña

Delay

(sec/veh

)

LOS V/C

Ratio LOS

Delay

(sec/veh) LOS

V/C

Ratio LOS

Monday AM 21.05 C 0.906 E 15.69 C 0.913 E

PM 87.61 F 1.134 F 72.70 F 1.116 F


1912

Tuesday AM 20.08 C 0.899 E 29.83 D 0.975 E

PM 157.30 F 1.278 F 106.65 F 1.182 F

Wednesday AM 30.96 D 0.969 E 14.82 B 0.878 E

PM 93.00 F 1.126 F 59.92 F 1.067 F

Thursday AM 28.12 D 0.923 E 30.27 D 0.935 E

PM 108.39 F 1.154 F 54.25 F 1.056 F

Friday AM 15.83 C 0.853 D 18.72 C 0.930 E

PM 94.30 F 1.151 F 122.76 F 1.217 F

Saturday AM 42.90 E 0.989 E 31.74 D 0.978 E

PM 154.34 F 1.273 F 85.74 F 1.143 F

Table 4.7 Level of Service (LOS) standards of the Highway Capacity Manual and Department of

Public Works and Highways

Level of Service Reference HCM (sec/veh) DPWH

LOS A Free flow < 10 LOS < 0.20

LOS B Reasonable free flow 10.1 – 15 0.21 – 0.50

LOS C Stable flow 15.1 – 25 0.51 – 0.70

LOS D Approaching unstable flow 25.1 – 35 0.71 – 0.85

LOS E Unstable flow 35.1 – 50 0.86 – 1.00

LOS F Force or breakdown flow LOS > 50 LOS > 1.00

Source: (HCM, 2000; DPWH, 2003)

Table 4.8 Level of Service (LOS) at the intersections around Cogon Market area

Table 4.7 shows the standards of the LOS of the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM, 2000)

and Department of Public Works and Highways DPWH, 2003) with reference condition.

Table 4.8 shows the comparison between the two standards (HCM and DPWH) for the four

intersections along the streets of Osmeña and Yacapin, Yacapin and Capt. Vicente Roa, Capt.

Vicente Roa and J.R. Borja and J.R. Borja and Osmeña. This indicates that there is either

forced flow or unstable flow of traffic in Cogon market area.

4.4 Summary of Traffic Engineering and Management Scheme

Based on findings and results of this research, there is a need of action for the transport

planners to focused on congestion reduction strategies for the unsignalized intersections

along the streets of Yacapin- Capt. Vicente Roa, Yacapin- Osmeña, J.R. Borja- Capt. Vicente

Roa, and J.R. Borja-Osmeña. The researchers proposed a management scheme, categorized in

three separate framework of duration and application, namely: short term (i.e. usually under 1

year), medium-term (i.e. usually ranging from 1 to 3 years), and long term (i.e. above 3 years).

Intersections HCM DPWH Reference

Osmeña St. and Yacapin St. LOS E –

LOS F

LOS E –

LOS F

Unstable flow

to forced flow

Yacapin St. and Capt. Vicente Roa St. LOS E –

LOS F

LOS E –

LOS F

Unstable flow

to forced flow

Capt. Vicente Roa St. and J.R. Borja St. F F Forced flow

J.R. Borja St. and Osmeña St. F F Forced flow


1913

It was further divided into two management schemes, namely: (1) engineering

strategies and (2) management strategies. The Engineering strategies involve improvement of

road markings particularly in re-painting the pedestrian lanes, parking lanes, and loading and

unloading zones; utilizing the supply provided by implementing uniform 45-degree parking

(left side) and placing the loading-unloading zones (right side); rerouting the jeepneys during

afternoon peak hours; clearing the obstruction especially on sidewalks; installing automated

signalization system for drivers and pedestrians. In management, with the aid of the

Administration, involves proper enforcement by implementing strict enforcement for both

pedestrians and drivers, re-orientating the pedestrians in using sidewalks and crosswalks and

encouraging pedestrians to walk or to cycle as an alternative mode of transport, strict lane

implementation which means if one goes right turn should go to right lane and the ones who

goes left turn should go to left lane, and the proper maintenance and cleanliness in the area

specially on pedestrians facilities to make pedestrians use the sidewalks instead of roadway.

Table 4.7 Summary of Traffic Engineering and Management Scheme

STRATEGIES CITATIONS REMARKS DETAILS

ST

MT

LT

ENGINEERING

Road markings Re-painting of pedestrian

lanes, re-painting of

loading and unloading

box, re-painting of

parking lanes

✓

Vehicle parking No illegal or double

parking, implementation

of the 45-degree parking

(left side), placement of

loading – unloading areas

(right side)

✓

Rerouting of public

transport

Sigua, R., and

Lirios, H.F.D.C.,

(2003)

“There

should be a

rerouting of

public utility

vehicles,

wherein

jeepneys

coming from

the

southwester

n part of

Davao City

should be

made to

enter the

study area at

San

Pedro St.

from

Quimpo

Blvd.”

Rerouting or new routing

scheme of PUJ during

afternoon peak hours

✓

Improve pedestrian

facilities

Anowar, S.,

Yasmin, S., and

Tay, R., (2014).

“The

intersections

should be

well lit and

more

conspicuous

Clearing of obstructions

in path ways ✓


1914

and

reflective

signs should

be

appropriatel

y placed to

warn drivers

in advance.”

Install traffic signals Anowar, S.,

Yasmin, S., and

Tay, R., (2014).

“installing

pedestrian

signals

where car

volume is

high”

Installation of an

automated signalization

system which is a

modernized system

having a function of

automatic changing of

signal timing for lanes

with heavy traffic and a

computer-based data for

traffic volumes in an

intersection.

✓

MANAGEMENT

Proper enforcement Anowar, S.,

Yasmin, S., and

Tay, R., (2014).

“Proper

enforcement

measures

should be

adopted to

ensure that

the

segregated

roadway is

only used by

the non –

motorized

and their

rights are

not

violated.”

Increased traffic

enforcers, strict

enforcement for drivers

and pedestrians, priority

of right-turns at

intersections

✓

Re-orient and

encourage pedestrians

Suzuki, K.,

Tsuchizaki, N.,

Kanda, Y., and

Doi, K., (2014).

“Network

development

plans are

currently

being

considered

and the

development

of bicycle-

friendly

environment

s is being

carried out

in many

cities across

Japan for the

purpose of

ensuring

safety.”

Encourage walking and

cycling as an alternative

mode, re-orient the

pedestrian to use

crosswalks and sidewalks

✓ ✓

Strict lane management Meng, Q., and Shi,

J., (2013).

“Considerin

g the ever –

increasing

car traffic

if one goes right turn

should go to right lane

and the ones who goes

left turn should go to left

✓


1915

flow, it is

becoming

more and

more

important to

introduce

bus

exclusive

and priority

lanes and

effectively

operate them

under

various

traffic

conditions.”

lane

Cleanliness and

maintenance of

pedestrian facilities

Garbages should be

properly disposed, there

must be street sweepers

assigned in sidewalks

✓

5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Conclusion

To assess morning and afternoon Level of Service (LOS)

From the data gathered in the field survey for traffic volume count and vehicle classification,

the average volume of vehicles that enters the road of Yacapin, Osmeña, J.R. Borja and Capt.

Vicente Roa are 1138, 1446, 934, and 1236, respectively. Based from the results of delay of

each road, it showed a satisfactory outcome in the morning LOS if it is based on the standard

of HCM 2010. While comparing it in the afternoon LOS, both standards of DPWH 2003 and

HCM 2000 normally resulted to LOS E and LOS F. LOS E means unstable flow and has

intolerable delay while LOS F means forced flow and traffic jam. It is therefore concluded

that long delays are present in each road because of its insufficient capacity and the road uses

were not completely utilized.

To assess the demand and supply of on-street parking

The result of the parking supply and demand revealed that 07:00AM to 04:00PM, the total

demand of parking space is ranging from 200 to 230 parking spaces while the available

supply is 250 parking spaces. Although the parking demand does not exceed the parking

supply, but in the perception of the drivers, it is fully occupied since parking spaces are not

utilized well. But as it approaches to 5:00 PM, there is a rapid increased of parking demand

due to illegal parking which decreases the capacity of the road resulting to heavy traffic flow

and traffic congestion. Therefore, the available parking space should be utilized well and

meet the parking demand. Furthermore, strict implementation of parking rules and

regulations is a must to avoid illegal parking.

To assess the walkability of pedestrian facilities

From the data gathered in the walkability survey the average walkability score is 44.66 for

Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. This indicates that pedestrian facilities within the study


1916

area are inadequate due to, the following: (1) obstructions along the pathways, (2) presence of

sidewalk vendors, and (3) unmaintained sidewalks. All these factors will make pedestrians

forced to walk on the roadway rather than walking on sidewalk. This increases the impact of

pedestrians (i.e. walking and crossing) that will decrease of capacity and traffic performance

of the road. Thus, pedestrian facilities are in need of improvement and proper maintenance to

make use of the available crosswalks and sideways provided in the area.

To formulate traffic management scheme

Research found that there is a need for the transport planners to focus on congestion

reduction strategies for the roads of Yacapin, Osmeña, J.R. Borja and Capt. Vicente Roa.

Since the roads experienced an intolerable delay, improvements in planning are of in great

need in the transport system of the city especially that it is expected to have an increase

number of vehicles in the years to come. The management scheme was classified as

engineering and purely management. Engineering are of design and facilities (i.e. parking and

pedestrian) while management are of rules and regulations mandated by the ordinance.

5.2 Recommendations

The study highly recommends that traffic management scheme be considered in the solving

the traffic congestion issue in Cogon Market area of Cagayan de Oro.

As this study already presented the initial evaluation of the traffic engineering an in-

depth evaluation of the study area should also be pursued in line with transportation

engineering (i.e., transportation modes, vehicle routing, trip generation, etc.) consideration; to

better the assimilate both traffic and transportation engineering solutions to address traffic

congestion in Cogon Market.

6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would like to express our gratitude to Xavier University-Kinaadman Research Center

(XU-KRC) for funding this research and their support in this project.

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Documents

A Traffic Congestion Study of Unsignalized Intersections