Abstract

Evaluating Effects of Power Failures on Traffic Operations in Accra
Track: Transportation
Authors: Abena Offe

Like many capital cities in the world, traffic congestion is a serious problem in the capital city of Accra in Ghana. Accra experiences severe congestion during the AM and the PM peak hours due to several reasons. The congestion situation is worsened when the intersections experience power failures which are rampant occurrences. Further to this, the bad driving habits of Ghanaians especially taxi drivers aggravate the situation. Delays, queue lengths, and accidents are excessive when traffic signals at local intersections are not functioning due to power failure. To evaluate the effect of power failure on intersection congestion, a study was conducted to measure delays and queue length during normal situation and at periods when signals were down due to power failures. Using ARCGIS, a signalized intersection map was created. Also, various GIS mapping analysis tools were used to analyze the impact of power failure on the operations of these intersections.