Study on Effect of DSRC Utilizing Traffic Simulation

(VISSIM)

Byung-in Lim
Senior Engineer, Cheil Engineering
319-6 Yangjae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea
+82-2-3498-2713, +82-2-574-0325, hohuho99@hanmail.net
Ji-ho Kim
Managing Director, Cheil Engineering
319-6 Yangjae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea
+82-2-3498-2701, +82-2-574-0325, tra2000@cheileng.com
Myoung-jae Sung
Director, Cheil Engineering
319-6 Yangjae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea
+82-2-3498-2712, +82-2-574-0325, zenoeng@hanmail.net
Han-Geom Ko
Senior Engineer, Cheil Engineering
319-6 Yangjae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea
+82-2-3498-2711, +82-2-574-0325, hankommi@empal.com

ABSTRACT
Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) provide a proven set of strategies for addressing the
challenges of assuring safety and reducing congestion, while accommodating the growth in
transit ridership and freight movement.
The purpose of this study is to develop the ITS(Intelligent Transportation System) evaluation
using the transportation simulator.

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 TECHNICAL PAPERS
INTRODUCTION
1. Background and Objective of the Study
Rapid increase in travel time and travel cost due to frequent occurrence of traffic congestion
and traffic accident caused by development of economic society and continuous increase in
the number of cars supplied is becoming a main social problem. Also, measures to reduce
carbon dioxide in the field of transportation sector are more urgently required than ever
because of the pending issues such as weather change and greenhouse gas problem caused by
global warming.

In order to alleviate increase of travel time and travel cost due to traffic congestion and reduce
huge distribution cost, ITS (Intelligent Transportation System) began. FTMS (Freeway Traffic
Management System) has been introduced in 1993 for the first time in Korea and VMS
(Variable Message Sign), CCTV (Closed Circuit TeleVision) and VDS (Vehicle Detecting
System) have been built and being operated up to now. Among components of ITS, through
VDS and CCTV, traffic information such as traffic density and speed is collected and, through
VMS, traffic flow and accidental situation information are provided to drivers.

Korea Expressway Corporation has installed DSRCi which is a new ITS equipment and is
utilizing it for ETCS (Electronic Toll Collection System). It currently is taking the roles of
ETCS and information collection but is expected to expand its role to provision of real-time
traffic information to drivers.

DSRC traffic information provision system can provide diverse information such as traffic
information, accidental situation information and repair work section information to the users
of on-board terminals and, especially in respect of traffic demand management, can also
manage traffic demand in real-time in accordance with traffic density through active detour
route guidance and entrance/exit control. The effect of providing information through DSRC
when an accident occurs on a highway for which entrance/exit is controlled is judged to be
bigger than that on a general section. Based on the same, in this study, we aim to present
validity of introducing the DSRC service by quantitatively evaluating the effect of DSRC
introduction on improvement of travel speed and travel time.

2. Scope and Method of the Study

In this study, effect of DSRC introduction on improvement of travel speed and travel time by
traffic situation is evaluated. For this reason, as to spacial scope, a virtual network composed
of a general highway section between two ICs and a general road which can be used as a
detour route is organized so that the effect of DSRC can be apparently shown, and a scenario

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is set up for each situation to perform analysis in order to present quantitative effect by traffic
situation.

Also, the effect is analyzed using VISSIM, a microscopic simulation, so that actual traffic
situation can be reflected to the maximum.

MAIN SUBJECT
1. Outline of Analysis
In this study, we are going to analyze effect of DSRC when an incident such as traffic
accident, car trouble or dropping, etc. occurs. Various accidental situations such as traffic
accident and car trouble take place on a road and the time required to manage such situations
may differ.

Also, as entrance to and exit from a highway is only possible through ICs, when an accident
occurs, the method to cope with it is limited. Currently, information is provided to drivers on
a highway mainly through VMSs. However, as a VMS is normally installed at 3 Km before an
IC, it is impossible to provide information to a car which has passed this point. Also, the
information provided by a VMS is of a low reliability as it is not real-time information but
information of the past provided after lapse of time required for collection and process.

Information provided by DSRC is highly reliable as it is provided in real-time. Also, as

information can be provided through an OBU at all times, there does not exist any shadow
area where information provision is impossible.

[Figure 1] Shadow area where information provision of VMS

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As previously explained, judging that the effect of providing information through DSRC
differs by situation, we have simulated each situation to analyze it by setting up a scenario.

2. Scope Setup
For exact analysis, it is desirable to perform analysis by inputting the actual network and
various actual data after selecting an adequate object section. However, as it is difficult in
selecting an adequate object area and as, in this study, analysis is performed by preparing a
predicted scenario of a case where information can be provided through DSRC in the future, it
is inefficient to utilize the actual network and data. Accordingly, in this study, a virtual
network composed of a highway and a general road which can be used as a detour route is
established.

The highway is organized to have 3 lanes of main line each way, one lane connection road
each for entrance and exit and 100 km/h design speed. The general road is organized to be of
two lanes each way and to have 80 km/h design speed.

3. Scenario Setup
As the factor which has the biggest influence on traffic situation is traffic density, the scenario
is set up considering the same first of all. As judgment is made that, in accidents occurred
during fully saturated situation and during unsaturated situation, the influence on travel speed
and travel time may differ, traffic density is classified to perform analysis.

Secondly, a scenario for detour rate is set up. General detour will occur through information
provided by the existing VMSs installed. However, there exist shadow areas for provision of
VMS information and there is no way to provide information again to a car which has passed
without the driver seeing the information on a VMS installed before an IC. When the distance
between two ICs is basically assumed to be 10 Km, it means that there is a shadow area of 3
Km and we can judge that the detour rate is higher than the existing detour rate at least by 30
% . Also, as the reliability of information is high because it is provided in real-time, there will
be difference in detour rate when an accident occurs. As judgment is made by putting above
together that the detour rate when information is provided through DSRC is higher than the
existing detour rate at least by 5 %, analysis is performed based on this.

Thirdly, a scenario is set up for incident handling time. Various incidents such as car trouble,
dropping, etc. may occur and the handling time for each incident may differ. In case of a
simple accident or car trouble, the time required to take care of it will be short and, in case of
a severe accident or repair work, the time required to take care of the unexpected incident will

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be long. Accordingly, the scenario is set up classifying the time from 20 minutes to 40
minutes, based on which analysis is performed.

[Figure 2] Scenario Setup

4. Result of Simulation Analysis

As explained previously, total 54 scenarios are set up classifying traffic density, detour rate
and the time required to take care of the unexpected incident and the same have been
materialized through VISSIM. Also, the travel speeds of the main line and the detour route are
compared in accordance with the detour traffic density by comparing the travel speeds of the
main line and the detour route.

Detour Incident
[Figure 3] Simulation
It was shown that, generally, the denser the traffic is, the bigger the increase in the travel
speed is and it is analyzed to also have bigger influence on the difference of time required to
the take care of the unexpected incident and on the detour rate. When the case of 30 % detour
rate as a result of introduction of DSRC is compared with the case of 25 % detour rate, it
showed that the travel speed has rather been reduced. It is judged to be because the queue
generated by congested traffic at the exit ramp has reduced the travel speed of the main line
traffic flow.

In case V/C (Volume/Capacity) = 0.6, the travel speed in the DSRC installed main line
showed a high value of 99.4~102.3 km/h which is close to the design speed, and it showed
that the difference of increase rate is not big as the traffic density is low. It also showed that its

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influence on the travel speed in the detour route is also insignificant. Also, it was analyzed
that it shows a little difference in speed not only due to change in the detour rate but also in
the time the accident occurs. Like this, as V/C=0.6 is a situation where traffic flow is smooth,
it was analyzed that the influence of the system introduction is not big.

In case V/C = 0.8, it showed that the increase rate of the travel speed in the main line after
installation of DSRC is -9.85 ~ 3.15 % and the increase in the detour rate is -2.04 ~ 1.27 %.
When compared with the case of V/C = 0.6, we can see that the travel speed of the total
network is seriously reduced due to increase in the traffic density and analysis is made that the
increase rate also has grown.

In case V/C=1.0, which is a fully saturated situation, an outcome similar to that of the case of
V/C=0.8 was deduced and the increase rate in the travel speed shown was -8.04 ~ 8.24 % and
increase rate in detour rate was -2.37 ~ 0.88 %. Among those, it was analyzed that the
increase rate in the travel speed when detour rate is 10 % after introduction of DSRC was the
biggest showing 8.42 %.

<Table 1> Comparison of Travel Speed when V/C=0.6

V/C=0.6 DSRC VMS Increase DSRC VMS Increase DSRC VMS Increase
10% 5% Rate 20% 15% Rate 30% 25% Rete
Main 20 Minutes 100.8 100.3 0.53% 101.4 101.2 0.16% 99.6 102.3 -2.56%
Line after Accident
30 Minutes 100.6 100.2 0.42% 101.1 100.9 0.19% 99.5 101.2 -1.73%
after Accident
40 Minutes 99.7 99.6 0.15% 100.1 99.8 0.31% 99.4 100.8 -1.34%
after Accident
Detou 20 Minutes 79.6 80.1 -0.65% 73.4 74.3 -1.17% 75.6 72.2 4.72%
r Road after Accident
30 Minutes 79.4 80.0 -0.75% 73.2 73.6 -0.44% 75.5 72.1 4.60%
after Accident
40 Minutes 79.3 79.8 -0.60% 72.9 73.6 -0.93% 75.4 72.0 4.72%
after Accident

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<Table 2> Comparison of Travel Speed when V/C=0.8
V/C=0.8 DSRC VMS Increase DSRC VMS Increase DSRC VMS Increase
10% 5% Rate 20% 15% Rate 30% 25% Rete
Main 20 Minutes 86.1 84.8 1.42% 89.0 86.3 3.15% 68.1 75.5 -9.85%
Line after Accident
30 Minutes 76.3 75.8 0.57% 77.1 76.8 0.40% 66.8 73.2 -8.68%
after Accident
40 Minutes 68.8 67.3 2.25% 71.9 71.0 1.18% 65.2 71.8 -9.19%
after Accident
Detou 20 Minutes 74.8 76.2 -1.91% 72.7 73.7 -1.32% 76.4 76.0 0.54%
r Road after Accident
30 Minutes 74.2 75.7 -1.88% 72.6 73.6 -1.44% 76.1 75.7 0.56%
after Accident
40 Minutes 74.1 75.6 -2.04% 72.4 73.2 -1.16% 76.1 75.1 1.27%
after Accident

<Table 3> Comparison of Travel Speed when V/C=1.0

V/C=1.0 DSRC VMS Increase DSRC VMS Increase DSRC VMS Increase
10% 5% Rate 20% 15% Rate 30% 25% Rete
Main 20 Minutes 73.9 73.6 0.41% 77.2 75.4 2.45% 61.7 66.9 -7.87%
Line after Accident
30 Minutes 65.8 60.7 8.42% 68.4 67.5 1.33% 59.7 64.5 -7.36%
after Accident
40 Minutes 58.3 55.1 5.88% 64.0 62.3 2.72% 58.1 63.2 -8.04%
after Accident
Detou 20 Minutes 71.8 73.5 -2.37% 68.8 70.1 -1.95% 74.8 74.3 0.78%
r Road after Accident
30 Minutes 71.6 73.1 -2.03% 68.6 69.9 -1.85% 74.5 73.8 0.88%
after Accident
40 Minutes 71.0 72.5 -2.04% 67.0 68.6 -2.36% 73.3 72.7 0.83%
after Accident

In order to check under what traffic situation the effect of information provision is actually
useful, the travel speed differences in the main line and the detour road have been compared
by scenario. In the least V/C of 0.6, we can see that the travel speed in the main line is faster
than that in the detour road under all situations. It is judged to be because the effect of an
accident is insignificant and when the traffic density is low and, accordingly, it means that
using the main line will be more efficient than using the detour road. Accordingly, when the
traffic density is low, it is judged to be more effective to guide the drivers through DSRC to
pass using the main line without making a detour.

In case V/C=0.8 or 1.0, which means a high traffic density, though there may be a little
difference, it showed that the travel speed in the detour road is faster than that in the main line

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in most of the cases.

Though there may be a little difference in accordance with the travel distance, it means the
traffic flow in the detour road is passing without delay in comparison to the main line.
Accordingly, when an accident occurs in a high traffic density situation, it is judged to be
effective to provide information to drivers guiding them to make a detour.

<Table 4> Comparison of Travel Speed in the Main Line and Detour Road when V/C=0.6
V/C=0.6 DSRC VMS DSRC VMS DSRC VMS
10% 5% 20% 15% 30% 25%
Difference in the 20 Minutes after Accident 21.2 20.2 28.0 26.9 24.1 30.1
Travel Speed 30 Minutes after 21.2 20.2 27.9 27.4 24.0 29.1
(Main Line - Accident
Detour Road) 40 Minutes after 20.5 19.8 27.2 26.2 24.0 28.8
Accident

<Table 5> Comparison of Travel Speed in the Main Line and Detour Road when V/C=0.8
V/C=0.8 DSRC VMS DSRC VMS DSRC VMS
10% 5% 20% 15% 30% 25%
Difference in the 20 Minutes after Accident 11.3 8.6 16.3 12.6 -8.3 -0.5
Travel Speed 30 Minutes after 2.0 0.2 4.5 3.2 -9.3 -2.5
(Main Line - Accident
Detour Road) 40 Minutes after -5.2 -8.3 -0.5 -2.2 -10.9 -3.3
Accident

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<Table 6> Comparison of Travel Speed in the Main Line and Detour Road when V/C=1.0
V/C=1.0 DSRC VMS DSRC VMS DSRC VMS
10% 5% 20% 15% 30% 25%
Difference in the 20 Minutes after Accident 2.2 0.1 8.5 5.3 -13.2 -7.3
Travel Speed 30 Minutes after -5.8 -12.4 -0.2 -2.4 -14.7 -9.4
(Main Line - Accident
Detour Road) 40 Minutes after -12.7 -17.4 -3.0 -6.3 -15.2 -9.5
Accident

CONCLUSION
Effect has been analyzed classifying traffic situation into V/C=0.6, 0.8, and 1.0, the time
required to take care of the unexpected incident into 20, 30 and 40 minutes and detour rates
into that of VMS and DSRC.

As a result, we can see that, the bigger the V/C becomes due to increase in the traffic density,
the bigger the improving effect of DSRC system application on the travel speed. On the other
hand, in the situation of V/C=0.6, as the traffic flow is smooth because of the low traffic
density, it showed that the improving effect of DSRC system application on the travel speed is
insignificant. And, if the detour rate achieved through DSRC is 30 %, we could see that it
rather has a bad effect on the main line because of increase in the traffic density at the exit.
Also, when the travel speeds in the main line and in the detour road are compared by scenario,
we could see that, the longer the time required to take care of the incident becomes, the more
effective it is to make a detour.

As explained above, it is judged to be necessary to enhance the effect of DSRC system

application by providing efficient information considering various numbers of cases in
accordance with traffic situations.

Though ITS projects are actively progressing in public and civil sectors since 1990s, as many
of them are executed without analyzing the effect, there occurs difficulty in presenting the
direction of promotion when the ITS investment is expanded later. Accordingly, in this study,
we performed systematic and concrete analysis through VISSIM for objective and persuasive
evaluation of effect of DSRC which is currently in progress.

In this study, though analysis has been performed by constructing a virtual network, if an
actual object place is selected and evaluation is executed reflecting geometric structure and
traffic situation of the object place, it would be a good judgment criteria in reviewing validity
of installing a system.

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REFERENCES
1. Benefit, Costs, and Lessons Learned, Federal Highway Administration, 2005.05
2. The feasibility study of ITS and study on the method associating information in
construction and transportation integrated information center, Korea Institutes of Construction
Technology, 2003.01
3. Study on the modification ･ supplementation of standard guideline for preliminary
feasibility investigation of the road ･ railroad section projects (the 5th edition), Korea
Development Institute, 2008.12
4. Study on the modification ･ supplementation of standard guideline for preliminary
feasibility investigation of the road ･ railroad section projects (the 4th edition), Korea
Development Institute, 2004.09
5. Guideline to evaluate the investment on transport facilities, Ministry of Land, Transport and
Maritime Affairs, 2009.12
6. Developing strategy for next generation traffic management system and the service to
establish the master plan, Korea Expressway Corporation, 2008.12
7. Research service to analyze the effects of intelligent traffic system on Seoul-Yongin
Expressway, Gyeongsu Highway Co., Ltd., 2009.08

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i
DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication) is a short range communication technology using a
dedicated frequency band of 5.8GHz and is a system to bi-directionally receive and transmit desired information
through high speed packet wireless data communication between OBU (On Board Unit) and RSU (Road Side Unit).