Ants and Traffic Jams: Can Ants Solve Traffic Congestion?

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Note: In conducting literature search for my Katipunan traffic congestion study, I encountered an interesting video about the topic "ants and traffic jams." In this video, the ant colony optimization algorithm is discussed in connection with solving a perennial urban problem: traffic jams or congestion.

Click on the image to view the video.
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Source: http://www.slatev.com/player.html?id=1681718043
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Katipunan Traffic: Aerial View of Katipunan Avenue (in the Vicinity of Ateneo de Manila University)

. Caption: An aerial view of Katipunan Avenue (in the vicinity of Ateneo de Manila University). Map extracted from wikimapia.org by Raffy Saldaña (http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/)


NOTE:

To understand why traffic congestion occurs in Katipunan Avenue in the vicinity of Ateneo de Manila University, one has to consider the location and the movement of people and vehicles in the area.

As can be seen from the map shown above, a major part of Katipunan Avenue between the flyover and University of the Philippines-Diliman is covered by Ateneo de Manila University and Miriam College. Katipunan Avenue divides the combined area of Ateneo and Miriam and Xavierville Subdivision in Loyola Heights. In the morning, there is an influx of vehicles crossing Katipunan Avenue from Xavierville going to Ateneo and Miriam. Also, vehicles coming from La Vista Subdivision (near Miriam College) have to cross to the other side of Katipunan and make U-turns going to Ateneo or Miriam.

A similar event occurs near lunchtime (around 11:30 a.m.) when pre-school students from Ateneo and Miriam leave their respective schools, contributing to the traffic congestion during lunchtime (from 12:00 noon to 1:00 p.m.). In the afternoon, around 3:00 p.m. another traffic congestion occurs when grade school students from Ateneo and Miriam leave their schools. The next traffic congestion occurs between 4:30 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. when high school students, college students, and employees of Ateneo and Miriam leave the two campuses.

However, a major contributing factor to the traffic congestion in Katipunan Avenue (in the vicinity of Ateneo and Miriam) is the fact that Katipunan Avenue (which was made part of C-5 Road, a national highway) ends at the La Vista area in the intersections of C.P. Garcia (near University of the Philippines-Diliman) and Tandang Sora Avenue -- which are much narrower roads compared to Katipunan Avenue.

COMMENT:

TO THE METROPOLITAN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (MMDA): NO MATTER WHAT TRAFFIC SCHEME YOU "EXPERIMENT" IN KATIPUNAN AVENUE, IF YOU HAVE NOT SOLVED THE STRUCTURAL LIMITATION OF KATIPUNAN AVENUE (THAT IS, IF KATIPUNAN AVENUE IS NOT YET EXTENDED TO COMMONWEALTH AVENUE), THERE WILL ALWAYS BE TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN KATIPUNAN AVENUE (IN THE VICINITY OF ATENEO AND MIRIAM).

WHY SHOULD THE LOYOLA HEIGHTS COMMUNITY BE "PUNISHED" BY YOUR TRAFFIC "EXPERIMENTS" WHEN YOU KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THE AREA OF KATIPUNAN AVENUE (IN THE VICINITY OF ATENEO AND MIRIAM) IS A SCHOOL/RESIDENTIAL AREA?

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Katipunan Traffic: Videos of Congestion on 20 August 2008 (Due to Suspension of Classes)

http://booleanlogic.multiply.com/video/item/35/Katipunan_Traffic_Congestion_on_20_August_2008_Video_3

http://booleanlogic.multiply.com/video/item/33/Katipunan_Traffic_on_20_August_2008_Video_1


http://booleanlogic.multiply.com/video/item/34/Katipunan_Traffic_Congestion_on_20_August_2008_Video_2


http://booleanlogic.multiply.com/video/item/36/Katipunan_Traffic_Congestion_on_20_August_2008_Video_4

Katipunan Traffic: Congestion on August 20, 2008 (Due to Suspension of Classes)

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NOTE: Last Wednesday, 20 August 2008, the Philippine National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) decided to suspend classes in all levels mid-day (12 noon) due to heavy rain. I drove all the way from Alabang (and hurdled the traffic in South Superhighway and C-5 road) to be in time for my first class at 11:30 a.m. When I arrived in Ateneo, we were informed that classes were suspended starting at 12:30 p.m.

I was not feeling well that day, I had a bad case of sore throat and headache. I wanted to go home to rest but there was heavy traffic inside and outside the campus due to sudden influx and outflux of vehicles. I decided to leave my car inside the campus and walked to my condominium unit in Xavierville. Along the way I took photos and video clips of heavy traffic congestion in Katipunan as a result of the suspension of classes during mid-day. I estimated that the congestion lasted for more than two hours.

I came back to school at night to get my car when traffic congestion was already gone.

Click on the link below to see more photos of Katipunan traffic congestion on 20 August 2008:

(Suggestion: choose 'slideshow' option.)

http://booleanlogic.multiply.com/photos/album/152/Katipunan_Traffic_August_20_2008

COMMENT:

To the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) -- please do not suspend classes during mid-day. If you have to suspend classes, do the announcement the night before so that students need not go to their respective schools anymore. Also, please leave the responsibility of suspending classes to school heads (principals and presidents). In the case of Ateneo and Miriam, I don't think that classes had to be suspended last Wednesday. What resulted was ANOTHER DISASTER because of heavy traffic congestion due to sudden influx and outflux of vehicles.

Things like heavy traffic congestion in Katipunan can be avoided if there is proper planning and coordination.

Raffy Saldaña

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Imagine There's No Traffic

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Note: My blog is about my world (Raffy's World) which intersects with the world of thousands of people living/working in Loyola Heights, Katipunan area in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.

Part of this world is the traffic congestion occurring every weekday (which is true in most parts of Metro Manila).

Today, I remember the song of John Lennon -- IMAGINE.

What if we include a paragraph in the song about traffic?

Here is my first attempt:


Imagine there's no traffic
Congestion in Katipunan
No wasted time and gasoline
And no air pollution too
Imagine all the people
Living for today


Below is the lyrics of the song "Imagine" by John Lennon:

"
Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
"

Cheers,

Raffy :)

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Katipunan Traffic Video: Clogging in Katipunan Corner Xavierville Avenue

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Caption: Traffic congestion in Katipunan corner Xavierville Avenue during the morning rush hour (taken at 6:45 a.m.) on 15 August 2008. Taken by Raffy Saldaña (http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/)

Note: Click on the photo to see the video clip.


Link:
http://booleanlogic.multiply.com/video/item/29/Katipunan_Traffic_Video_Clogging_in_Katipunan_cor._Xavierville_15_Aug_08

Related Links:

http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/2008/08/photos-study-on-traffic-congestion-in.html

http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/2008/08/videos-preliminary-study-on-traffic.html

http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/2008/08/katipunan-traffic-2nd-day-of.html

Katipunan Traffic: 2nd Day of Documentation (15 Aug 2008)

Photo Caption: Traffic congestion in the corner of Katipunan Ave. and Xavierville Ave., 6:45 a.m., 15 August 2008. (Photo by Raffy Saldaña , http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/).

Notes:

1. The two-way two-lane Xavierville Avenue is turned into a one-way road by undisciplined overtaking drivers during the morning rush hour traffic. Recommendation: MMDA traffic personnel should be assigned in this area during traffic peak hours to ease the traffic congestion.

2. The morning rush hour started earlier on 15 August 2008 compared to the previous day. Although the clogging in the bottom portion of the Katipunan-Aurora flyover (towards North) has eased, the congestion was shifted to the the Katipunan service roads (on both sides) and under the Katipunan-Aurora flyover affecting mainly motorists going into the Ateneo Grade School Campus through Gates 1 and 2... R. Saldaña.



Click on the link below to see the photos (Suggestion: choose the slideshow option):


http://booleanlogic.multiply.com/photos/upload-ajax/146

Related Links:

http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/2008/08/photos-study-on-traffic-congestion-in.html

http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/2008/08/videos-preliminary-study-on-traffic.html
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Videos: A Preliminary Study on Traffic Congestion in Katipunan (in the Vicinity of Ateneo de Manila University)

6:45 a.m., August 14, 2008

7:00 a.m., August 14, 2008

Related Link:

http://raffysaldana.blogspot.com/2008/08/photos-study-on-traffic-congestion-in.html

Raffy Saldaña



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Photos: A Preliminary Study on Traffic Congestion in Katipunan (in the Vicinity of Ateneo de Manila University)

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(Click on the photos to see a larger image.)


6:00 a.m.


6:00 a.m


6:00 a.m

6:00 a.m.

6:30 a.m.

6:30 a.m.

6:45 a.m.

6:45 a.m.


6:45 a.m. (Xavierville)

6:47 a.m.

7:00 a.m.

7:00 a.m.

7:00 a.m.

7:30 a.m.

7:30 a.m.


7:30 a.m.

(All photos taken by Raffy Saldaña. All Rights Reserved.)
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While pondering on the problem of traffic congestion in Katipunan Avenue in the vicinity of Ateneo de Manila University, I decided to do my own data gathering (to be used in my mathematical modeling and computer simulation studies of traffic dynamics).

This morning (14 August 2008) I woke up early and took photos and video clips of the "evolution" of traffic congestion in the area of Katipunan Avenue which includes the Katipunan-Aurora fly-over, the intersection of Katipunan Avenue and Xavierville Avenue, the road from Aurora Avenue to Katipunan Avenue coming from Marikina City proper, and Ateneo de Manila University Gates 1 and 2. This area includes the u-turn slot for vehicles going South and making a u-turn towards North.

Some Notes and Observations:

1. I took photos from 6:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. in the following times: 6:00 a.m., 6:30 a.m., 6;45 a.m., 7:00 a.m., and 7:30 a.m.

2. From a smooth traffic flow at 6:00 a.m., traffic flow becomes heavier with peaks occuring at 6:45 a.m. in the intersection of Katipunan Ave. and Xavierville ave. , and at 7:00 a.m. in the right side of the Katipunan-Aurora flyover going to Ateneo (from the south).

3. Traffic flow eases starting at7 :15 a.m. and becomes relatively smooth at 7:30 a.m.

4. Gridlock occurs between 6:45 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. in the intersection of Katipunan Ave. and Xavierville Ave. due to the heavy volume of vehicles trying to make a u-turn under the Katipunan-Aurora flyover.

5. The two-way two lane traffic at Xavierville Ave. becomes a one-way three-lane street due to impatient drivers who occupy the left lane to make a right turn to Katipunan Ave.

6. The heavy volume of traffic occurs between 6:45 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. because at this time period grade school students (including prep and kinder) are being brought to the Ateneo Grade School through Gates 1 and 2. The Ateneo Grade School students must be in their classrooms before 7:15 a.m. because the customary flag ceremony (which signals the start of the schoolday) begins at 7:15 a.m.

7. Clogging in a portion of Katipunan-Aurora flyover occurs around 7:00 a.m. because vehicles going towards North are being deterred by vehicles exiting from the Ateneo Gate 2.5 and those vehicles entering Gate 2.


Raffy Saldaña
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