Investigation of Traffic Efficiency on Karbala Roads

In this article, we analyze the operation of the road network of the city of Karbala in Iraq, which is characterized by its religious and tourist character, and evaluate the effectiveness of the urban street network in it in order to identify the main steps that need to be taken to take measures to improve traffic efficiency and reduce delays. The scientific novelty of this work lies in the fact that it is the first of its kind, as far as we know, which addresses the problem of traffic efficiency in the city of Karbala as a whole, since the traffic density on the main transport axes in this city varies greatly during normal times and peak hours (morning and evening). The results of the analysis showed that some sectors operate in conditions of congested (stable) traffic (LOS F) in the morning and evening hours, and such sectors require immediate traffic management strategies. While the rest of the sectors are operating at or close to the same capacity (LOSE).

Purpose - Analyzed the operation of the Karbala city road network in Iraq and evaluate its effectiveness to identify the main steps that need to be taken to improve traffic efficiency and reduce delays.

Methodology. In this work, an experimental analytical methodology was used, in which data were collected, analyzed and compared with relevant information sources.

Results. The categories of urban roads were determined based on the speed of free movement (FFS), and the level of service (LOS) is calculated for selected urban streets taking into account the average speed of traffic (ATS). Measurements of speed and travel time showed that traffic jams occurred on Fatima Al-Zahra Street, the second part of Ramadan Street and some sections of Al-Abbas Street in the morning. These areas require immediate traffic management strategies. In the evening, traffic jams were also observed on sections of Fatima Al-Zahra Street, part 2 of Al-Iskan Street and the first section of Ramadan Street. The decrease in traffic speed led to traffic jams on Al-Abbas, Al-Iskan Streets and some sections of Fatima Al-Zahra Street. Low FPS values indicate that the average speed of movement in these areas is low even with a small flow.

Practical implications. It is recommended to apply the results obtained to the Traffic Management Department of the city of Karbala.