Although rainfall affects travel speed on different road classes to different degrees, few existing studies focus on the impacts of rainfall on different urban road classes. Utilising real-time weather data, floating car data-based travel speed on urban roads and traffic performance index in Beijing, this study analyses and compares the differences between travel speeds for normal versus rainfall weather under different precipitation intensities, different congestion levels and different road classes. The study demonstrates that when precipitation intensity reaches the heavy rain level, travel speeds on the expressway, major arterial and collector decrease by 7.5, 5.0 and 9.4%, respectively, at night, and decrease by 15.2, 13.4 and 12.2%, respectively, during peak hours. Further, this study derives a relationship between precipitation intensity and travel speed reduction for different congestion levels. The light-congestion is the most sensitive traffic condition to rainfall when there is moderate or heavier rain. Finally, a correction model for travel speed predictions for rainfall weather is developed and applied. It is indicated that the model can predict travel speed under rainfall weather effectively.

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Analysis of rainfall effects on road travel speed in Beijing, China

References

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