Spatial-temporal varying coefficient model for lane-changing behavior in work zone merging areas

Abstract

This study investigates the lane-changing behavior in work zone merging areas during the period from the time of starting a lane-changing maneuver to that of completing the lane-changing maneuver. With vehicle trajectory data from short-term work zone sites, we establish a spatial-temporal varying coefficient model considering possible spatial-varying and time-varying effects. Model results show that four factors including the longitudinal gap between the lane-changing vehicle and lead vehicle, lane-changing vehicle speed, through lane lag vehicle type and crash severity between the lane-changing vehicle and the through lane lag vehicle exhibit spatial-varying effects on the drivers’ lane-changing behavior, while time-varying effects are found from the lead vehicle speed in the merge lane, crash severities of the lane-changing vehicle with regard to the lead vehicle and the through lane lead vehicle. Time-varying and spatial-varying effects from vehicle crash severities between the lane-changing vehicle and through lane vehicles suggest that lane-changing vehicles tend to take a risky merge as the elapsed time increases or when they are closer to the work zone.

Keywords:

• lane-changing behavior
• logistic regression
• spatial-varying effect
• time-varying effect
• work zone

Additional information

Funding

This study is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 71871137), also sponsored by Shanghai Education Development Foundation and Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (Grant No. 16SG41).