Modeling Lane-Changing Behavior of Vehicles at Merge Section under Mixed Traffic Conditions

Abstract

The lane-changing behavior of different types of vehicles at the merging section of an urban road is assessed by using a new lane-changing model proposed in the current work. The lane-changing model known as MOBIL (minimizing overall braking induced by lane changes) is modified and combined with the intelligent driver model (IDM) to implement the lane-changing rules for different vehicle classes by applying the politeness and vehicle-type factors. It is noted that the heterogeneity of surrounding vehicles during lane-changing, which is common in developing countries, is not considered in most of the existing lane-changing models. The preceding problem is addressed by incorporating the vehicle-type dependent factor in the proposed lane-changing model. This new model considers the effect of motorcycle movement on the lane-changing decision and evaluates the aggressiveness of motorcyclists during lane-changing. The merging maneuver data from video recording is utilized to calibrate and validate the models. The lane changing rate is the highest for motorcycles and the least for trucks (at a given politeness factor). Motorcycles exhibit lower lane changing durations for politeness factors p=0 and p=1, showing integrated movements due to their pushy or erratic maneuverability.