METHODOLOGY FOR TRAFFIC PROBLEMS

A 17-MONTH STUDY WAS CONDUCTED ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF METHODOLOGY WHICH WILL PROVE USEFUL IN IMPROVING AUTOMOBILE TRAFFIC RESEARCH TECHNIQUES BY OPTIMUM ESTIMATION METHODS FOR TRAFFIC FLOW PARAMETERS AND BY VALID STOCHASTIC DESCRIPTIONS OF MULTI-LANE TRAFFIC. AN EXTENSIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE WAS MADE AND RESEARCH REPORTS COMPLETED IN THREE WELL-DEFINED AREAS (1) ANALYSIS OF DELAYS AT INTERSECTIONS, (2) CONGESTION ON FREEWAYS, AND (3) ANALYSIS AND CONTROL OF CITY TRAFFIC. IN AREA 1, THREE TECHNICAL REPORTS WERE PREPARED. REPORT 1 GIVES THE SOLUTION TO THE FIXED-CYCLE TRAFFIC LIGHT PROBLEM FOR COMPOUND POISSON ARRIVALS AND MAKES COMPARISON OF EXPECTED VEHICLE DELAYS WITH VALUES GIVEN IN F.V. WEBSTER'S FORMULA. REPORT 7 COMPARES MOTORIST DELAYS FOR DIFFERENT MERGING STRATEGIES ONTO A FREEWAY WHILE REPORT 4 IS A COMPLETE REVIEW STUDY OF THE LITERATURE ON THE DELAY AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL. IN AREA 2, THREE TECHNICAL REPORTS WERE ALSO PREPARED. REPORT 2 PROVIDES A MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR AN ANALYZES TRAFFIC JAM GIVING EXPRESSIONS FOR EXPECTED TOTAL DELAY, ITS VARIANCE AS WELL AS THE JAM DURATION FOR A SINGLE LANE. REPORTS 5 AND 6 ARE ALSO DEVOTED TO THE STUDY OF TRAFFIC JAMS AND EVALUATES THE TOTAL WAITING TIME OF ALL VEHICLES INVOLVED IN THE HOLD- UP WHILE TREATING THE PROBLEM AS THE BUSY PERIOD OF A QUEUEING SYSTEM. IN AREA 3, REPORT 3 STUDIES THE DETERMINATION OF TRIP FREQUENCIES BETWEEN A GIVEN ORIGIN AND A GIVEN DESTINATION USING TRAFFIC COUNTS. /BPR/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Fh-11-6658, 3215-111
• Corporate Authors:

  Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore

  Baltimore, MD  United States  21218

  Bureau of Public Roads /US

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Mcneil, D R
  • Daley, D J
  • Smith, J T
  • Jacobs, D R
• Publication Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Analysis; Mathematical models; Multilane highways; Origin and destination; Queuing; Research; Reviews; Traffic; Traffic congestion; Traffic control; Traffic counting; Traffic delays; Traffic flow; Travel patterns
• Uncontrolled Terms: Traffic analysis; Traffic patterns
• Old TRIS Terms: Traffic research
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00227007
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Bureau of Public Roads /US
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 13 2004 6:47PM