Evaluating Arterial Network Resilience Post-Mass Transit Integration: A Hybrid Simulation and Empirical Corridor Study

Widening roads offers only a partial solution to the traffic gridlock that plagues rapidly developing megacities. We evaluate a 3.18-km (1.98-mi) section of Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Dhaka, before and after the integration of MRT Line 6, AI-enforced access management, and semi-automatic signal control, and estimate the associated change in corridor delay and CO₂ emissions. We investigate the impact of integrating high-capacity rail with technology-driven surface management. We use a hybrid approach, comparing a validated 2018 microscopic simulation that documented severe delays under manual police control with new 2026 field trajectory data. Recent developments include the introduction of Mass Rapid Transit Line 6, deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) cameras for lane monitoring, and implementation of a semi-automatic Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) developed by the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). Despite permanent lane narrowing from MRT viaduct pillars, observed peak-hour car speeds rose from a 5.2 km/h simulated baseline to 12.3 ± 0.5 km/h (n = 15; +136%). Because classified volume counts were unavailable, the relative contributions of operations management and MRT-induced demand shift cannot be separated and are discussed in §IV-D. The increase in peak-hour car speeds was 136 percent, moving from a baseline of 5.2 kilometers per hour to an empirically measured 12.31 kilometers per hour. Averaging 17.43 kilometers per hour, two-wheelers outperformed other modes of transportation. We also examined the new variances observed at key intersections in signal cycles, ranging from 180-second cycles to as long as 260 seconds during heavy traffic. Data indicates that manual ITS overrides are an essential component of boundary metering, which restricts traffic to some extent and prevents the internal network from completely locking up. In the end, our findings indicate that traffic volume is not solely determined by the physical lane capacity. The combination of overhead transit and access controls backed by technology can be instrumental in eliminating latent delay and maintaining the speed of urban highways.