Evaluating Traffic Policy in the Ichibangai District of Kawagoe
Kawagoe’s Ichibangai district is well known for its historic streetscape and heavy tourist activity, but it also faces major challenges related to safety and chronic congestion, as pedestrians and vehicles move through the same narrow environment. In collaboration with the City of Kawagoe, this research evaluates how traffic policies such as pedestrianization and one-way operations affect the broader area through mathematical modeling and traffic simulation.
More specifically, we estimate travel demand within the district from directional traffic counts collected at intersections and analyze congestion and detour patterns at different times of day. We also go beyond simply showing where congestion occurs by producing explanatory diagrams that clarify why it occurs, helping administrative officials, local residents, and other stakeholders develop a shared understanding of the issues at hand.
This work supports not only the ex-ante evaluation of traffic policies but also the process of consensus building. The results contributed to trial pedestrianization in Ichibangai, making this a case in which mathematical analysis was connected directly to social implementation.
