Analyzing the Causes of Traffic Congestion and Enact Measures to

Together with Customers
Operation of Expressways
Analyzing the Causes of Traffic Congestion
and Enact Measures to Break and Ease
Causes of Congestion
Trends and Analysis of Congestion
In 2014, a p p rox i m ate l y 76% of th e c au s e s of
congestion were concentration of traffic, of which
about 63% of the congestion occurred at uphill
slopes and “sag-sections,” which refer to between
the end of a downhill and in the beginning of an
uphill slope.
Others
6%
Accidents
14%
Road work
4%
Traffic concentration
76%
Lost time due to traffic congestion＊ decreased to
about 50% in 2008 from peak levels because of
the introduction of a variety of measures, but it has
started to increase significantly since 2009 after the
launch of the holiday special discount program.
Although lost time decreased from the previous
year in 2011 because of the completion of the
discount program (the maximum toll in local areas
is 1,000 yen), it started to increase again due to the
impact of recovery work from the damages of the
Great East Japan Earthquake, and an increase in
traffic volume. Because of various countermeasures
and a decrease in traffic, the lost time due to traffic
congestion decreased in 2014, but still remains
high.
＊Index for showing the difference between the travel time actually taken
and the travel time without any congestion.
Trends in lost time due to traffic congestion
Traffic
concentration
Lost time due to Traffic concentration
(10,000s of vehicle hours)
800
N E XCO East: Annual Rep o r t 2015
Road work
(earthquake recovery)
Accidents
Other
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
21
Road work
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Providing Congestion Forecasts
▲Near Hanawa IC, Keiyo Expressway
Traffic Jams
Measures against Traffic Congestion
Improvement of Road Structures
We increased the number of lanes and added
auxiliar y lanes at places where congestion was
becoming apparent.
In order to provide a comfor table driving
e nv i ro n m e nt by avo i d i n g traf f i c, N E XC O E a st
Group provides its congestion forecasts through
“Congestion forecast guides”
and other means. In addition
to the forecast, we also
p r o v i d e a r e a l -t i m e t r a f f i c
information via our website
“Drive Plaza” and “Drive Plaza
App,” which is an application
exclusively for smar tphone
users.
Overview of providing drive traffic information
Auxiliary lane
Auxiliary lane
▲Section between Anagawa IC and Kaizuka IC, Keiyo Expressway
Call to Recover Speed using LED Displays, etc.
In order to eliminate the congestion caused by
traffic slowdown on uphill slopes and sag-sections,
NEXCO East Group used LED displays around the
beginning of the congestion to call for recovering
speed.
① Display “congestion ends” in 300
m to 1 km before the beginning
of congestion
○○○ m先
渋滞終了
http://www.drivetraffic.jp
② Display encouraging “resume
speed” behavior near the
beginning of congestion
速度回復
願います
Beginning of congestion
Sag sections and uphill slopes
Drive Plaza app http://www.driveplaza.com/dorapura_app/
Drive Traffic Mobile http://m.drivetraffic.jp/
NE XCO E a st: A nnu a l Re por t 2015
22