ROADS in JAPAN

2-1 Traffic Congestion Measures

2-2 Traffic Accident Measures

2-3 Environmental Measures

Home > INDEX > 2 Solving Road Traffic Issues > 2-1 Traffic Congestion Measures

Eliminating Traffic
Congestion

Motorization rapidly increased with the concentration of activities in urban areas and road development has not caught up with the demands, resulting in chronic traffic congestion. Traffic congestion causes significant losses to social and economic activities, resulting in an average loss of 3.8 billion person-hours in all of Japan.
In order to efficiently implement measures to deal with traffic congestion, congestion data is collected, the situation analyzed in detail, and the most effective measures for congestion is implemented.

3D-Map of Congestion Loss Time

Time lost to congestion amounts to about 3.8 billion person-hours per year (about 30 hours per capita for one year). Of this, congestion losses in Tokyo metropolitan area is significantly large.

Construction of Ring Roads

In urban areas, former ancient routes run through the center of urban areas and through traffic mixes with other vehicular traffic within the urban area, causing congestion. It is urgently necessary to construct ring roads to disperse traffic and eliminating through traffic.
Ring roads are effective to restructuring urban areas and are being constructed not only in metropolitan areas but also in other core cities.

Data Collection with Probe Vehicles

GPS equipment is installed on route buses, etc. to collect the location and speed data in realtime

Improvement Effect of Ring Roads (Tokyo Metropolitan Area)

Roughly 600 congestion spots on the inner
side of the Ken-o-do

Roughly 60% reduction of congestions spots

Direct effects of roughly 2 trillion Yen/Year

Roughly 600 congestion spots are all relieved

Direct effects of roughly 4 trillion Yen/Year