I C U SNewsletter
Volume 13

Number

4

Jan. to Mar. 2014

International Center for Urban Safety Engineering
Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo

Design and Operation of Intersections considering
Human Behavior for Safe and Sustainable Societies
By Miho IRYO
Lecturer, International Center for Urban Safety Engineering
Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo
Intersections as key totraffic performance
Traffic accidents are one of themost common risks in our daily
lives. In 2013, 4373 people were
killed and more than 770,000 people
were injured by traffic accidents inJapan.
Intersections are key points in aroad traffic network. They manage
traffic flows toward different

directions and have a high possibilityof experiencing hazardous conflicts;
half of all traffic collisions occur atintersections.
Traffic simulation for safety
evaluation
Althoughpropereffective
countermeasures are required, priorquantitative evaluation of how
much their implementation can

Snapshot of traffic simulation for safety evaluation(Collaboration with Prof. Hideki Nakamura, Nagoya University)

improve safety at intersections isdifficult. For congestion evaluation,
traffic simulation is a powerfultool and widely used in practice.
Practitioners can try different
scenarios and find the best solution
to reduce congestion. However, insafety evaluations, conventionalmodels are not sufficient to represent
hazardous maneuvers (e.g., vehicles
enter during a red light or do not give
way to pedestrians at crosswalks).

Validation of surrogate safety measure by simulation

We are currently developing asimulation tool to evaluate traffic
safety. The proposed simulation uses
stochastic user maneuver models
that are sensitive to geometry andtraffic control based on detailed user
behavior analysis from extensive
field observations. This model
represents surrogate safety measure
distributions, which are important
indices to compare the possibility
and severity of potential collisions
for different intersection layouts andsignal setting conditions.
Illegal pedestriancrossings: do they reallywant to do so?

L/V

Pedestrian phaseJapan

1 ~ 5 seconds

Associated vehicle phase

Vehicle clearance time

Successive vehicle phase

BI (min. 3seconds)
Pedestrian phase

US

Associated vehicle phase
Vehicle clearance time

Successive vehicle phase

Pedestrian phase

Germany

Associated vehicle phase
Vehicle clearance time

Successive vehicle phase:green or WALK

:flashing green

Vehicle entering time
:red or DONT WALK

:amber:flashing DONT WALK

Comparison of signal indications in Japan, USA, and Germany

green phase means that some of thepedestrians on the crosswalks should
return to their origin side, and its
duration is set based on this concept.
However, almost all pedestrians try
to complete the crossing. According
to our observation, more than 40% ofpedestrians who started crossing at
the end of the green phase remainedon the crosswalks after the signal
turned red. This is also “illegal”
behavior.
The flashing “DON’T WALK”
and red indications in the USA andGermany, respectively, provide
sufficient clearance time so thatpedestrians who start to cross at theend of the green phase can finish
crossing. This seems much morelogical, although many pedestrians
start to cross even after the green

Many remaining pedestrians after onset of vehicle green

Page 2

time

BI

L/2V

signal. As each system has its own
advantages and disadvantages,
determining the signal indications
and timings that best achievepedestrian safety is necessary.
Removal of unnecessarytraffic signals
Unsignalized intersections arebeing reexamined since signalization
may not always be the best solution for
efficiency and safety. The following
issues with signalized intersections
have been revealed: (1) unnecessary
waiting time at major arterials in
ordinary situations, (2) maintenancecosts, and (3) intersection operations
during disaster evacuations.
Excessive installation decreases
travel speeds, as shown in the figure

Average travel speed (km/h)

Pedestrian safety at intersections
is an important issue. In Japan, 36%
of fatalities in traffic accidents arepedestrians, which is comparable
to developing countries; in contrast,
10%–20% of pedestrian fatalities
occur in European countries andthe USA (National Police Agency,2013 and WHO, 2010). Althoughsignalized crosswalks prioritize thepedestrians’ right of way, 29% of
pedestrian fatalities (42% of elderly
fatalities) can be attributed to illegal
crossing behavior.
There is huge variety in pedestriansignal indications and durations indifferent countries. In Japan, theflashing green indication after the

End of green or WALKICUS Newsletter Vol. 13, No.4

50
40
30
20
10
0
0-1

1.1-2 2.1-3 3.1-4 4.1-5 5.1-6
Number of intersections / km

Relationship between density ofsignalized intersections and travel
speed (Hokuhara and Hasegawa, 2003)

below. Traffic lights need to be
replaced for maintenance approx.
every 20 years to maintain function,
which is a non-negligible cost. For
disaster prevention, traffic lights
are poor during blackouts. After the2011 Great East Japan Earthquake,
blackouts meant that many signalizedintersections were not able to control
traffic for effective evacuation.
Although key intersections can beequipped with non-utility generation
facilities, they cannot be installed forall 200,000 signalized intersectionsin Japan.
As traffic volume will decrease due
to population decline, more traffic
lights will become unnecessary interms of congestion management
as far as safety is guaranteed. In
December 2013, the National Police
Agency first issued a notice about
technical criteria for traffic lightremoval at signalized intersections
with low traffic demand. It
recommends that such intersections
can be switched not only to ordinary
unsignalized intersections but also toroundabouts.
Roundabouts: safer
unsignalized intersections
Roundabouts(or“modern roundabouts”)
are defined as a rotary that gives
priority to circular traffic. (Note that
not all round-shaped intersections
are roundabouts.) In the last decade,roundabouts have rapidly spread in
Europe and the USA. As entry
vehicles only need to pay attention to
the circulating vehicles in theroundabout, the conflict type is much
simpler than signalized intersections.
According to a survey in Germany,
the number of fatalities decreased bymore than 80% following the
installation of roundabouts at
signalized intersections. Although

BeforeTwo-laneentry & exit

After

One-laneentry & exit

Not aprecise
circleCurvedtraﬃc line

Straight
traﬃc line

Excessively widecirculating road
Wide circulating road makes vehicle paths
inconsistent  frequent hazardous conﬂicts
Two lanes induce parallel runs and overtaking
at intersection
Straight traﬃc line increases vehicle speed,which may cause fatal crashes

Narrower roadwidth
One-lane entry and exit and narrower
circulating road align vehicle paths
Curved traﬃc line decreases vehicle speed
Dashed lines at entry clarify priority ofcirculating roadRoundabout geometry improvement in Azuma-cho, Iida city, Nagano, Japantheir capacity is lower than that ofsignalized intersections, they can
reduce the delay to pass throughintersections. Therefore, roundabouts
are suitable for intersections withrelatively low demand.
The first modern roundabout
installed in a public road in Japan is
located in Iida city, Nagano. Prior
to this here was a rotary that did
not have proper lane marking andits circular lane was not a precise
circle. After layout improvement,
conflicts between users significantly
decreased, and the traffic conditions
were proved to be safer and more
efficient.
So far, more than seven roundabouts
have been installed in Japan(including field operational tests).
The speed of installation nationwide
will be accelerated since the new
Road Traffic Act will be enforced
this year; that is, roundabouts
will be officially considered as analternative intersection type.
Shared or Mess?
User Behavior and Traffic
Performance
Roundabouts are a good example
of autonomous traffic control using
driver judgments. In more extreme

cases, one may imagine every roaduser can spontaneously pass throughwithout specific control devices.
Shared space is a challenge toward
this direction. It is becoming popularin European countries and is defined
as “a street or place designed to
improve pedestrian movement andcomfort by reducing the dominanceof motor vehicles and enabling allusers to share the space rather thanthe clearly defined rules impliedby more conventional designs.”(Department for Transport, UK)
It is reported to improve safety but
is counterintuitive to conventionalroad design, which separates traffic
by devices to make conditions safer.
Whether or not this system increases
safety may depend on the traffic rules.
If users have sophisticated road use
discipline, like in Europe, this kindof system will work well. However,
the effect is questionable in some
Asian countries, where people tend
to have smaller safety margins.
When optimizing design andcontrol, we always need to consider
user response. General and global
understanding is important not
only for applying existing safety
countermeasures but also for
proposing better new traffic operation
systems.

ICUS Newsletter Jan. to Mar. 2014

Page 3

Role of mass media from experiences after the 2011
Great East Japan earthquake
M. Numada and K. Meguro

Page 4(2) After the hazard, it isnecessary to contribute to theeffective disaster response byintroducing the probable problems
and necessary actions along thedisaster recovery process. Also,
long-term continuous monitoringof the damaged area is important for
the evaluation of effective recovery
and reconstruction.
Just after the 2011 Great
East Japan earthquake, a lot of
information was reported by themass media. But as time passed,
reports from mass media decreased
except during the anniversary of
the event, as shown in Fig.2.

ICUS Newsletter Vol. 13, No.4

Structure1

facilities
Lifeline
Infrastructure
Others Ground[Min]
10 1001000

Housing
Apart. Build.
Building
High-rise Building
Gov. build.
Hospital
SchoolGymnasium
Factory
Ceiling
Nonstructure
Escalator
Elevator
Window
Pipe
Air Conditioning
Outer Wall
Inner Wall
Lifeline
Petroleum Comp.
Water Pipe
Infrastructure
Coastal Levee
Quay
Dam
Pond
Rivers Facility
Viaduct
Pier
BridgeGroundLiquefaction
Embankment
Gravestone
World Heritage
Traditional house

Fig. 1 Keyword list and its reported time

400

[Hour]

300
200
100
0

2011/3
2011/6
2011/92011/122012/3
2012/6
2012/92012/122013/3
2013/6
2013/92013/12
2014/3(1) The first important role ofmass media is to contribute todisaster risk reduction before adisaster happens.
In the case of a national levelcrisis, it will be difficult to
respond to the damage and to
make an effective decision for
the recovery and reconstruction.
The only way to deal with thislevel of disaster is to reduce thevulnerabilities before a hazard andreduce the potential damage sothat the hazard can be managed.

There are mainly two approaches
to reduce vulnerabilities, namely
the retrofitting of structures andeffective land use management.
The mass media can play animportant role to inform pastdisaster knowledge and lessons
learnt through experiences to thenext possible disaster area andpeople to reduce vulnerabilities.
Fig. 1 shows the list of extracted
keywords related to the earthquake
resistance of structures from thereports after the earthquake byNHK, which is the national TV
broadcast and its reported time(minutes) from March 11, 2011 toMarch 31, 2014.
For example, “housing” meansthat the problems about retrofittingof housing were reported morethan 100 minutes after theearthquake. “Apartment”, Building”,“School”, “Ceiling” “Escalator”,“Infrastructure”, and “Ground” areindicated frequently.

Non
struc
ture

Three years have passed since the2011 Great East Japan earthquake.
The impact of this earthquake
disaster caused long-term problems
during recovery and reconstruction
not only in damaged areas but also
all over Japan. People, governments
and researchers have been trying tosolve these problems.
Following the earthquake, mass
media (news media) reported theconditions of the damaged areas.
Even with the development of social
network technology, information
disseminated by mass media is still
considered as major information
source to understand the damage,social trend and the activities inaffected areas.
However one of the major
problems of mass media during
disaster situations is the focus onparticular areas with easy access orwith shocking events. Therefore, it
is difficult to understand the total
picture of the disaster.
The important roles of mass
media are mainly two functions interms of before and after the hazard
attacks.

Fig. 2 Time history of reported hours byNHK

To consider the impact ofmass media, it is important tocontinuously report the progressof the damaged area with totalframework of disaster management.
By doing so, it can be contribute to
the mitigation of vulnerabilities.
The authors acknowledge complete
cooperation from JCC Corp.

The 28th ICUS Open Lecture on “Methods for Community-based Disaster
Mitigation Machizukuri Practices Accommodating for Societal Trends–accommodating for community diversity and universalization –”On 3rd of February, the 28th ICUS
Open Lecture was held. The focus
this time was on “neighborhood
collaboration” in disaster scenarios.
To be prepared for the next largescale disaster, it is essential tounderstand disasters and continue
to put in steady efforts towards
the development of a communitybased disaster-mitigation planningand activity system. This lectureused different pioneering cases ofcommunity initiatives on disastermitigation planning and activity
from different regions as the basis
on which to build the vision of thecoming decade’s disaster-mitigation
planning and methods to dispersetheappropriate
Machizukuri
practices across communities, whileconsidering the future societal trends.
The discussion was particularly
focused on the how to establish
a culture of disaster-mitigation

Machizukuri within the community,
while at the same time taking into
consideration the diversity of thedifferent regions. The venue wasnearly full, with about 200 people
attending, one-third of which werepersonnel of national or municipal
government.
First, Mr. Fujiyama in chargeof the Cabinet Office’s Disaster
Mitigation Department explained therecently released report on “Damage
Estimation Report Assumed Innerplate Earthquake in the Tokyo
Metropolitan region” on December,2013. Following this, Associate
Professor Takaaki Kato, explained
the necessary stance to follow
through with disaster-mitigationin the future with consideration of
the periodic societal trends as thebasis of which the following panel
discussion developed. Mr. Onogi,
Director of Chigasaki City, Mr.

Seino, Chief of Katsushika-ward,
and Mrs. Watanabe, Director of
NPO Ah! Safety and Amenity
Machizukuri
participatedasrepresentatives from the communities
undertaking
disaster-mitigationoriented Machizukuri initiatives. It
was an enthusiasm-filled discussion
throughout.
ICUS plans to continue to carryout similar activities as part of thisseries of endeavors to establish aplatform that connects the leadingedge technology and specialist
know-how to society, and in turn
receives feedback from society. Thissymposium was also broadcasted
by NHK. (Author: ICUS Associate
Professor Takaaki Kato)

Organized 10th Asia Pacific seminar in Yangon
By A. Kawasaki

10th Asia-Pacific Seminar, titled“Further Development of Friendship
and Cooperative Relationshipbetween Japan and Myanmar;
International Contribution in AsiaPacific” was jointly organized by
Yangon Technological University(YTU), Japan’s Association forCommunication of Transcultural
Study (ACT Foundation), and ICUS,
IIS, UTokyo, in Yangon, Myanmar,
on January 8th, 2014.
Japan has been more active
making contributions to Myanmar’s

development. In order to sustain
Myanmar’s development, Japan is
expected to provide human resource
development from a long-term
perspective.
Experts from the Japanese andMyanmar government, industry
and academia participated in thisone-day seminar including many
graduate students from YTU.
11 speakers from Myanmar andJapan gave presentations an the
topics of infrastructure development,
geospatial technologies, disaster

Organizers from YTU and UTokyo

management, and rural vitalization,
to share views and knowledge for
future development in Myanmar withparticipants, followed by fruitful
discussions with percipients.
Dr. Aung Kyaw Myat, Deputy
Minister of Ministry of Science andTechnology in Myanmar, gave aguest remarks at the seminar, andMr. Yoshitaka Shindo, Ministerof Ministry of Internal Affairs andCommunications in Japan, gave
guest remarks at the reception of theseminar.

180 participants from Myanmar and Japan

ICUS Newsletter Jan. to Mar. 2014

Page 5

Held UTokyo alumni party in Bangkok and Yangon
By A. Kawasaki

The University of Tokyo (UTokyo)
alumni party was jointly organized bythree Thai alumni groups, including
the Institute of Industrial Science(IIS) Alumni Thailand Chapter, in
Bangkok, Thailand, on January 4th,
2014. This was the third joint alumni
party, since the first held in October
2011. A total of 43 alumni from the
1960s to 2000s were able to reunite
at the party along with their families.
Attendees included not only Thaialumni working in various fields
such as government, universities,
and companies, but also 16 Japanesealumni working in Thailand.
On the following day of January
5th, UTokyo alumni party was
jointly organized by IIS Alumni
Myanmar Chapter and UTokyoClub of Myanmar, in Yangon,
Myanmar. Both alumni groups
were just established in 2013, andthis was the first whole UTokyo
alumni party in Myanmar. A totalof 43 alumni were able to reunite
at the party, including 15 Japanesealumni working in
Myanmar.
Those high ratios of Japanesealumni in both countries show theGroup photo of UTokyo alumni in Thailand

expansion of Japanese business in
ASEAN countries and the need ofenhancement of UTokyo’s alumni
network in Asia and beyond.
Vice President Takehiko Kitamori
presented congratulations on behalfof UTokyo in both alumni parties.
The party was filled with a friendly
atmosphere including greetingsfrom the representatives of eachalumni group, as well as short selfintroductions by all alumni including
their current status and memories of
their time as a student at UTokyo.

Group photo of UTokyo alumni in Myanmar

Visit to institutions in Yangon with Vice-President
Kitamori, UTokyo
By K. Nagai

ICUS members, Prof. Meguro,
Dr. Kawasaki, Dr. Nagai and Ms.
Yoshimoto, visited institutions
in Yangon, Myanmar with VicePresident Kitamori of UTokyo an
6th-7th January 2014.
Firstly, they visited Yangon
Technological University (TYU)
and met Rector and Faculty
members. Vice-President Kitamori
explained, the global vision of
UTokyo and the importance ofcollaboration in education andresearch. Recent activities and futurecollaboration between YTU and
ICUS were confirmed there. A

Page 6

festival for new students was heldon the day where there was awelcoming atmosphere of thecampus. Next, a meeting was heldwith the Myanmar Engineering
Council (MEC), established inrecent years, consisting of leading
academics and engineers. MEC

ICUS Newsletter Vol. 13, No.4

promised to support ICUS activities
in Myanmar. Lastly, in the visitationof the JICA Myanmar office, overall
activities of JICA defire wereintroduced and discussion was madeespecially on education. These visitswere fruitful to continue and expand
ICUS activities in Myanmar.

Farewell to ICUS STAFF
By Prof. Kimiro Meguro

Works Research Institute (PWRI),Japan. Prof. Yokota is currently
an ICUS Researcher. In addition,
Dr. Suwal Laxmi Prasad retired

From April 2014, Professor
Haruo Sawada, Visiting Professor
Hiroshi Yokota, Dr. Miho Ohara
retired from ICUS. Prof. H. Sawada
transfers to Geoinformatics Center,
Asian Institute of Technology(AIT), Thailand as a professor.
Dr. M. Ohara joins International
Center for Water Hazard and Risk
Management (ICHARM), PublicProf. H. Sawada

Prof. H. Yokota

from ICUS to join The Universityof Newcastle, Australia as a postdoctoral Associate from 1st March2014.

Dr. M. Ohara

Dr. Suwal Prasad

ICUS Activities January- March
Titles of graduated students
Lab.

Name

Grade

MeguroMr. Tetsuji Noda

MasterMeguroMr. Kenjiro Yamamoto

GraduateOki

Misato Okaneya

MasterOki

Shizuki Fukuda

Graduate

KuwanoMari Sato

DoctorKuwanoTsubasa Sasaki

MasterOhara

Jiang Fei

MasterOhara

Takanori Sawara

MasterNagai

Yoshiyuki Takano

MasterNagai

Ram Chandra Neupane

MasterNagai

Mari Makashima

Graduate

Date
Jan. 01-15

Name
Dr. Kawasaki
Prof. Meguro
Dr. Kawasaki,
Dr. Nagai

Country
ThailandCity
BangkokThailand,Myanmaar

Bangkok, Yangon

Meeting,
SeminarJan. 11- 17

Prof. Meguro

Nepal

Kathmandu

Symposium

Jan. 25- 02.09
Jan. 28- 02.13
Jan. 28- 31

Prof. Sawada
Dr. Kawasaki
Dr. Kuwano

BrasilThailandMyanmarSao Paulo, Manaus
Bangkok
YangonProject
LectureFeb. 07- 11

Dr. Nagai

Myanmar

YangonInterview

Feb. 18- 03.01
Feb. 22-28

Dr. Kawasaki
Dr. Kawasaki

ThailandMyanmarMeetingFeb.24-03.01

Dr. Ohara

Thailand

Bangkok, Loei
YangonBangkok, Loei

Mar. 10-20
Mar. 14- 17
Mar. 18- 28
Mar. 24- 27

Dr. Kawasaki
Dr. Kawasaki
Dr. Kuwano
Dr. Kawasaki

ThailandMyanmarEnglandThailand

Bangkok
YangonLondonBangkok

Meeting
WorkshopJan. 04- 09
Jan. 05- 08

Title
Study on estimation of necessary labor quantity for wide-area disaster responseby municipalities
Experimental study on seismic retrofitting of masonry wall with special fiber
reinforced paintStudy on the development of a method assessing the vulnerability to famine ineach country
Assessment of the impacts of the progresses of MDGs on subjective well-beingin each nation
Study on progress of internal erosion and its effects on mechanical properties
Microbial precipitation of calcium carbonate for liquefaction mitigation of sandcontaining fines
A study on needs of victim transportation to hospitals in case of Tokyo inland
earthquake
Study on effect of disaster information dissemination service by new vehicle
information and communication system
An investigation of shear performance under stress rotation field with effective
mix proportion of fibers and coarse aggregate in SHCC
A study on reinforced concrete corbel subjected to local failure criterion and its
residual performance and retrofit
Bridge management system in local government and indicator analysis of theassessment
PurposeOperation of RNUS & lectures

Workshop

To attend Aumni parties, meet YTU and attend to 10 th
Asia-Pacific seminar in Myanmar
To attend the Symposium ESD and take on thesis fordissertaion doctor
For Carbon Dynamics of amazonian forest
Operation of RNUS & lectures
At Yangon Technology University
For Japanese Grant Aid for Human Resource Development
Schlarship
Operation of RNUS & lecture, workshop
At Yangon Technology University
For disaster informatin dissemination in agricultural andmountainous area
Operation of RNUS & lecture
At Yangon Technology University
ISSMGE Technical Committees and 54th Rankine Recture
Operation of RNUS & lecture

ICUS Newsletter Jan. to Mar. 2014

Page 7

Editor’s note…
Three years have passed since theGreat East Japan Earthquake andTsunami disaster happened in March
2011. The disaster affected not only anation inside but also other countries
by economically damaging the
global supply chain, which was also
seen in the Chaopraya River Flood in
Thailand in the same year. In the eraof rapid globalization, a big disasterin a nation is not often just a problem
for that country. Responding toa great disaster, similar to global
warming, is an agenda which can’t
be handled by a single country.

Tackling these global disasterand environmental challenges as an
academic institute, ICUS has beenpromoting scientific collaborations
beyond the border, particularly
in Asia, as some examples wereintroduced in this newsletter such asorganizing the Asia Pacific seminarin Myanmar and the UTokyo alumni
parties in Thailand and Myanmar. At
our annual event, “13th International
Symposium on New Technologies
for Urban Safety of Mega Cities in
Asia (USMCA 2014)” in Yangon,
Myanmar will be jointly organizedwithYangonTechnological
University (YTU) in November

2014.
Network forming is one of ICUS’s
main missions. In addition tostrengthening the human networks
and research bases accumulated
from ICUS and INCEED’s activities
since 1991, we would like to explore
new frameworks for researchcollaboration with both domestic
and overseas partners. I hope you
join ICUS’s activities and seek anopportunity for collaboration with us
or other colleagues in our network
for making a basis for tackling
global disaster and environmental
challenges.
By A. Kawasaki

USMCA2014: Nov 3-5, Yangon, Myanmar
The 13th International Symposium on New Technologies for Urban Safely of Mega Cities in Asia
(USMCA2014) will be held in Yangon, Myanmar on November 3- 5, 2014, collaborating with
Yangon Technological University (YTU).
Submission deadline for abstract is Sunday, June 15th ,2014

http://icus.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/usmca2014/index.html

International Center for Urban Safety Engineering (ICUS)
Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo
4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan
Tel: (+81-3) 5452-6472, Fax: (+81-3) 5452-6476
http://icus.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp

The International Center for Urban Safety Engineering (ICUS) is a research
center located at the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo.
The purpose of ICUS is to identify, investigate, and resolve issues towards therealization of sustainable urban systems for the prosperity and safety of society
considering challenging socio-economic problems.