Measuring Passenger Car Equivalents for Nonmotorized Vehicle (Rickshaws) at Mid-Block Sections

The effects of non-motorized vehicles (Rickshaws) are different at signalized intersections and mid-block sections. So, different approach should be used to estimate passenger car equivalents of rickshaws at mid-block sections. This study introduces a method for estimating passenger car equivalents (PCE) for non-motorized vehicle (Rickshaws) at mid-block sections of urban arterials based on speed reduction of passenger cars in the mixed flow due to the presence of non-motorized vehicles. In this study PCE value for rickshaws are estimated as a unit value plus the ratio of the speed difference of passenger cars in basic flow and mixed flow to the speed of passenger cars in the basic flow. Principal Component Analysis was performed to establish the relationships between PCE values and proportion of non-motorized vehicles and flow level. Average speed of passenger cars in basic flow and mixed flow are calculated from the observed data collected from two mid-block sections of Dhaka metropolis, Bangladesh. It was suggested by the study results that presence of rickshaws had a significant impact on the average speed of passenger cars in the mixed flow.