This presentation summarizes a study on speed harmonization of traffic flows on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Cincinnati to reduce congestion. Data was collected on travel times along the road under existing conditions and with a theoretical harmonized speed limit of 35 mph. The analysis found that harmonizing to 35 mph could decrease average travel time by 136 seconds and increase safety based on lower accident rates on a comparable road with a higher speed limit. The presentation recommends raising the MLK speed limit to 35 mph to significantly decrease travel times without safety concerns.

1. FALL 2018 – CVE 5110C/6010C
(Instructor: Dr. Heng Wei)
1
Speed Harmonization of Interrupted Traffic Flows on
Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
UC Forward Grant “Project-Based Collaborative Coursework
for Developing Connected Transportation Network and
Accessible Multimodal Hub in Uptown”
Presenters:
David Fryxell and Zac Irons
Uptown Innovation
Transportation Corridor
Forum, Dec. 11, 2018

2. Uptown Innovation
Transportation
Corridor Forum
Dec. 11, 2018
2
Presentation Outline
• Motivation
• Study Objectives
Background
• Analysis of existing traffic conditions
• Comparison of actual travel time with theoretical
harmonized travel time
• Comparison of accident data with another actually
harmonized road
Method
• Conclusions
• RecommendationsSummary

3. Uptown Innovation
Transportation
Corridor Forum
Dec. 11, 2018
3
Motivation
• Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. is a highly
connected, interwoven network of urban
arterials. Our project investigates how
changing or varying the speed limit on Martin
Luther King Drive (Future Uptown Smart
Corridor) affects travel time.
• Outcomes of increasing or decreasing the speed
limit based on volume to reduce congestion and
number of stops, decrease que length, and facilitate
smooth traffic flow.
• Potential impact of speed harmonization from a
safety point of view

4. Uptown Innovation
Transportation
Corridor Forum
Dec. 11, 2018
4
Analysis of Existing Traffic Conditions
● Data Collection
 Traffic flow information and
delay data collected
09/19/2018
 Existing geometric and lane
conditions
 Travel times and delays for
each run
 Comparison of travel times and
accident data between actual
and harmonized runs
Run 1 East-Bound
Control Points Stops or Slows
Location Time Location SEC Delay Description
Clifton 5:35:00 PM
Wood side/Burnet Woods 5:35:38 PM
Scioto 5:35:49 PM
Jefferson W 5:36:06 PM Jefferson W 33 S
5:36:39 PM
Jefferson E 5:36:51 PM
Vine 5:36:57 PM
Eden 5:37:19 PM Eden 35 S
5:37:54 PM
Highland 5:38:26 PM
Burnet 5:38:35 PM
Vernon/Harvey 5:38:50 PM
Reading 5:39:01 PM
I-71 W 5:39:21 PM
I-71 E 5:39:43 PM I-71 E 7 S
5:39:50 PM
Gilbert 5:40:27 PM

5. Uptown Innovation
Transportation
Corridor Forum
Dec. 11, 2018
5
Actual Travel Times
● Run 1 – 692 s
● Run 2 – 650 s
● Run 3 – 593 s
● Average Travel Time – 645 s
Theoretical Harmonized Travel Times
● Run 1 – 528 s
● Run 2 – 494 s
● Run 3 – 504 s
● Average Travel Time – 509 s
Average Time Saved: 136 s
Actual Travel Time vs Harmonized Travel Time
• All actual travel times were found from a floating vehicle study we
conducted on 9/19/2018. Using the actual times and video of each run,
we were able to see what red lights could be avoided and how much
time could be saved.
• For each section of road, harmonized time was calculated using the
following equation with example.
𝑉 =
𝐷
𝑇
𝑉 =
(0.3 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑠)
38 𝑠𝑒𝑐
∗
3600 sec
1 hr
= 28.42 mph

6. Uptown Innovation
Transportation
Corridor Forum
Dec. 11, 2018
6
Accident Data Compared to Madison Road
Problem Identification
● Speed harmonization is the most useful for preventing non-
injury crashes; this is the crash data for MLK and Madison
Road respectively
 Average non-injury crash per mile per year (MLK) – 31.3
 Average non-injury crash per mile per year (Madison) - 22
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
No Injury Possible
Injury
Visible
Injury
Serious
Injury
Fatal Injury
Crashes
Type of Crash per Year (MLK)
2015
2016
2017

7. Uptown Innovation
Transportation
Corridor Forum
Dec. 11, 2018
7
Summary
Conclusions
• Speed harmonization of 35 mph on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive can theoretically decrease
travel time by minutes, which is massive for every-day commuters
• With accidents on average decreasing on a comparable road with a higher speed limit,
decreased safety does not seem to be an issue with the increased speed limit.
• This study provides real data with video footage to back up our hypotheses, and when using
more advanced modeling and field studies in the future, that opens the door for even more
accurate and up to date ideas.
Recommendations
• Raising the speed limit along MLK to 35 mph, as that seems to drastically decrease travel time
in addition to time spent at red lights along the way.
• Due to an increase in safety compared to Madison Rd, there seems to be no safety concern
stopping the feasibility of this increase in speed limit.
• An official field study of this hypothesis would be helpful before implementation, however we
think this is enough information to warrant consideration.

8. Uptown Innovation
Transportation
Corridor Forum
Dec. 11, 2018
8
Thank You!