An Empirical Study of Work-zone Safety and Mobility Using Surveys and Anonymous User Generated Trip Information

The two primary considerations for highway work-zones are its effect on commuter mobility and worker safety which are often spoken of together. However, it must be noted that they often conflict with each other. For example, traffic control plans that reduce travel speed in work-zones improve both commuter and worker safety but adversely affect commuter mobility. Thus, transportation agencies require work-zones to be active only in times of low traffic (i.e. night time and weekends) to minimize its impact on the public’s mobility. This research aims to study this inverse relationship and develop a Decision Support System (DSS) for work-zone traffic control for state Departments of Transportation and contractors to determine the most effective traffic control and work-zone operation plans by evaluating their effects on the mobility of the traveling public. Work-zone information about safety devices (e.g., cones and barrels) from traffic control plans will be collected. Also, mobility through work-zones will be meas-ured as the difference between vehicular travel speed and posted speed limits along a work-zone route. This information will be obtained by periodic sampling of anonymized crowd-sourced data from publicly available mobile mapping services. This information will be used along with survey responses from workers and commuters to determine optimal traffic control strategies that maximize worker safety while still minimizing the adverse effects on commuter mobility. Results obtained from the perception survey data, quantitative mobility data and work-zone data were used to create the Decision Support System. It is expected that these results, along with the created DSS will provide an adequate means for construction professionals to design a work-zone layout with variables that optimize safety and mobility on job sites

Wastage amidst shortage: Strategies for the mitigation of standby electricity in residential sector in Nigeria

Abstract : Due to rising population and the increasing rate of urbanization, residential electricity usage accounts for a large chunk of Nigeria’s electricity consumption. However, little attention is paid to electricity conservation in the country. In response to this, several studies are been tailored to ensure a rapid reduction in energy consumption through various alternatives including energy efficient technologies given the current state of inadequate electricity supply in the country. On this note, this article discusses the significance of standby electricity in Nigeria. The electricity generation and consumption patterns were briefly discussed while the current electricity saving behaviour and practices among the urban dwellers were detailed with a case study analysed. Based on the case study, it was discovered that the mean standby load across the 30 households were estimated at 60 W ranging from 34-144 W. Also, standby consumption accounts for 13-44% of the annual electricity consumption across the households. Finally, the strategies for electricity saving and sustainable consumption, most especially the mitigation of standby electricity were highlighted