This is a study of traffic problems and potential solutions in an urban area of Bangkok, Thailand, where a distributor road network was absent. After taking into account physical constraints discovered during a detailed ground survey, the study drew up different sets of staged measures (short, medium, and long term) to apply a distributor road concept and proper highway standards in order to complete the existing road network. Proposals were evaluated with a calibrated four-step strategic transport model to determine the traffic situation in base and future years. The model served as a means of testing the effectiveness of the proposed measures. The evaluation results revealed that the full implementation of the proposed concept and measures, especially the medium and long term schemes, would alleviate traffic congestion within the analysis area by 60 to 70 percent and yield favorable economic benefits. (a)
Abstract