The traditional roadway level of service (LOS) is based on the volume–capacity (V/C) ratio, which measures the volume of traffic. However, this approach does not follow the green transport trend, and it lacks the comprehensive concepts of time cost, environmental protection, and potential social cost of traffic safety. Given the international focus on the development of green economies and transport, this study examined freeways in Taiwan to establish three indicators: cost of travel delay, cost of incremental carbon emissions, and cost of potential accidents. Traffic data from the electronic toll collection system in Taiwan were collected and analysed according to three factors derived from different traffic volumes and travel speeds: time cost, pollution, and traffic safety. The results were integrated into a traffic green safety index to replace the overall evaluation standard for traditional freeway LOS. This index is intended for use in an online software application.

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Green safety index representing traffic levels of service for online application

References

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