Hard Shoulder Running as a Short-Term Measure to Reduce Congestion

More than ten years ago the first pilot dynamic hard shoulder running (HSR) scheme was implemented on a German freeway section. Today around 200 kilometers are under operation. This paper presents the findings on road safety as well as on quality of service. These findings have been implemented in a method that enables planning authorities to make decisions on HSR on the basis of the evaluation of economic costs and benefits. Accident data from road sections with dynamic HSR as well as with permanent HSR have been analyzed. The results show that hard shoulder running can lead to a safety level similar to regular cross sections as long as the prerequisites for such measures (lane width, speed limit, etc.) are taken into consideration. Empirical data on traffic flow on different sections with dynamic HSR has also been analyzed in connection with the revision of the German Highway Capacity Manual (HBS). This investigation shows that capacity effects are not as substantial as when a regular lane is added. In order to estimate the economic benefits of HSR compared to the existing cross section a model for the traffic flow over a whole year period was developed. The parameters of traffic flow were transferred to road user costs like vehicle operating costs, time costs and accident costs according to the German guidelines. For practical applications the model was implemented in a software tool provided to German road authorities.

• Corporate Authors:

  Polytechnic University of Valencia

  Department of Transportation, Camino de Vera
  Valencia,   Spain  46022
• Authors:
  • Lemke, Kerstin
• Conference:
  • 4th International Symposium on Highway Geometric Design
  • Location: Valencia , Spain
  • Date: 2010-6-2 to 2010-6-5
• Publication Date: 2010

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: CD-ROM
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 20p
• Monograph Title: 4th International Symposium on Highway Geometric Design, June 2-5, 2010, Valencia, Spain

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Costs; Economic benefits; Highway safety; Paved shoulders; Traffic congestion; Traffic flow
• Uncontrolled Terms: Paved shoulder running
• Geographic Terms: Germany
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01338152
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 28 2011 1:01PM