Assessment of a two-way motorcycle lane to reduce traffic conflicts and their severity: A case study of Phaholyothin road, Thailand

In Thailand, traffic rule violations and crashes involving motorcycles have increased with the rising number of new motorcycle registrations. A common issue in Thai traffic is motorcyclists riding in the wrong direction. This research proposes a two-way motorcycle lane design to address the wrong-way riding behavior of motorcyclists in Thailand. The design aims to segregate motorcycles from larger vehicles, improving safety. Traffic simulation software was used to model a selected road section in Thailand, incorporating the wrong-way riding behavior. After calibration, the proposed two-way motorcycle lane design was simulated within the same network. Traffic conflicts in each network were analyzed using the Surrogate Safety Assessment Model (SSAM). The safety of the proposed design was compared to the existing conditions and found to result in fewer severe conflicts, especially when priority is given to motorcycles at access points. The study also identified the most suitable width for the two-way motorcycle lane based on the safety assessment. For the motorcycle lane priority option, a 3-m lane width was found to be the safest, while for the option with priority given to vehicles on access roads, a 3.5-m lane width was identified as the safest design. • This study is to propose a two-way motorcycle lane to accommodate wrong-direction riding behavior of motorcyclists. • Traffic simulation software was used to model two-way motorcycle lane. • The proposed two-way motorcycle lane is safer than the existing condition with lower serious conflicts. • When priority is given to motorcycles at access points for two-way motorcycle lane, the number conflicts are lower.