Palu — A 2026 study by Nurul Faidah, Taslim Bahar, and Arief Setiawan from Universitas Tadulako shows that traffic-flow engineering significantly improves intersection performance around Bambaru Market in Palu, particularly at the Teuku Umar and Hos Cokroaminoto junction. The findings demonstrate that data-driven traffic management strategies can reduce congestion levels in busy urban market corridors.
Bambaru Market serves as a major economic activity center in Palu and is located at the intersection of Teuku Umar Street, Hos Cokroaminoto Street, and Dg Pawindu Street. Intensive trading activities, roadside parking, and loading–unloading operations create strong side friction that slows vehicle movement and increases congestion in surrounding streets.
The study evaluated the performance of two unsignalized intersections near the market using the Indonesian Road Capacity Manual 1997 methodology. The analysis relied on field survey data including traffic volume, vehicle movement patterns, and roadside activity intensity during peak market hours.
Traffic observations were conducted between 06:30 and 19:00 local time. Vehicle categories included motorcycles, light vehicles, and heavy vehicles, which were converted into passenger car units per hour to measure intersection capacity accurately.
Results show that the peak traffic volume at the Teuku Umar–Hos Cokroaminoto intersection reached 1,307.5 passenger car units per hour during the afternoon peak period. The degree of saturation was recorded at 0.67 with an average delay of 8.89 seconds per vehicle, as reported in the performance analysis summary on page 1507 of the article.
After traffic-flow regulation was introduced, the same intersection recorded reduced traffic volume at 1,252.5 passenger car units per hour and a lower saturation level of 0.62. These changes indicate an improvement to Level of Service B, meaning traffic remained stable with only moderate speed limitations.
Meanwhile, the Hos Cokroaminoto–Dg Pawindu intersection demonstrated strong performance from the beginning of the observation period. Maximum traffic volume reached 489.30 passenger car units per hour with a saturation level of 0.28 and an average delay of 5.52 seconds per vehicle, representing Level of Service A conditions with free-flow movement.
Following traffic regulation adjustments, performance at this intersection remained stable with a saturation level of 0.29 and an average delay of 5.57 seconds per vehicle. These findings confirm that targeted traffic engineering can maintain optimal intersection conditions while improving performance at more congested locations.
The research also identified that market activity generated traffic attraction of up to 1,360 vehicles per hour during operational periods, as described in the movement-attraction analysis on page 1503 of the article. This highlights the strong relationship between commercial activity and urban traffic dynamics.
According to Nurul Faidah from Universitas Tadulako, roadside parking management and loading-zone regulation are essential strategies for maintaining road capacity near dense commercial areas.
Taslim Bahar from Universitas Tadulako explained that field-based traffic engineering analysis helps local governments design more accurate transportation policies tailored to real conditions.
Arief Setiawan from Universitas Tadulako emphasized the importance of continuous monitoring of intersection performance to ensure transportation systems remain responsive to economic growth and mobility demands.
The study recommends installing no-parking signage and regulating roadside activities as practical interventions to reduce side friction and maintain stable traffic flow near Bambaru Market.
These findings demonstrate that intersection performance evaluation based on capacity analysis can support sustainable traffic management strategies in rapidly growing urban commercial zones.
Nurul Faidah is affiliated with Universitas Tadulako. Taslim Bahar is affiliated with Universitas Tadulako. Arief Setiawan is affiliated with Universitas Tadulako.
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