Strategies to Improve Dissipation into Destination Networks Using Macroscopic Network Flow Models

Backups originating from destinations have been observed during evacuation. These backups usually occur due to congestion at the destination network, which result in spillbacks onto the evacuation routes. These spillbacks result in queuing and delays that hamper evacuation operations. This paper presents theoretical proofs for the fundamental flow/speed/concentration relationship and the speed-accumulation relationship (Greenshield’s, Greenberg’s and Bell-shaped model) at a network level. These relationships and the relationships between inflow-accumulation and outflow-accumulation at a network level are studied using microscopic simulation. A strategy (Network Breathing Strategy) to improve dissipation of vehicles into the destination network is developed using these relationships between network level variables. A comparison of the network breathing strategy to a do-nothing strategy in a simulation network, showed a statistically significant increase in the number of vehicles dissipated into the network. This indicates that the application of such strategies on the destination networks would help improve evacuation operations, by clearing evacuation routes and reducing queuing.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Dixit, Vinayak V
  • Radwan, A Essam
• Conference:
  • Symposium on the Fundamental Diagram: 75 Years (Greenshields 75 Symposium)
  • Location: Woods Hole Massachusetts, United States
  • Date: 2008-7-8 to 2008-7-10
• Publication Date: 2008

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: CD-ROM
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: 25p
• Monograph Title: Symposium on the Fundamental Diagram: 75 Years (Greenshields 75 Symposium), July 8-10, 2008, Woods Hole, MA. Preprints

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Evacuation; Macroscopic traffic flow; Microsimulation; Traffic congestion; Traffic queuing
• Uncontrolled Terms: Network level models; Speed flow relationships; Spillback effects (Traffic)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I71: Traffic Theory;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01109350
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Aug 25 2008 8:11AM