MERGING TRAFFIC CHARACTERISTICS APPLIED TO ACCELERATION LANE DESIGN

DATA WERE COLLECTED ON MERGING CHARACTERISTICS OF TRAFFIC. THIS STUDY COMPARED DRIVER HABITS UNDER FREE CONDITIONS WITH THOSE AT PLACES WHERE THE MERGING WAS CONTROLLED BY A STOP- SIGN. IT WAS HOPED THAT A NEW WARRANT FOR ACCELERATION LANES WOULD BE FOUND. PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIES WERE MADE OF TWO SITES DURING THE MORNING PEAK HOUR, IN ORDER TO OBTAIN MAXIMUM VOLUME OF PARKWAY TRAFFIC. ANALYSIS OF THE DATA OBTAINED SHOWS A LARGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TIME GAP NEEDED AT A STOP-SIGN LOCATION AND A NON-STOP LOCATION. THE MAJORITY OF DRIVERS WILL ACCEPT A 6-SECOND GAP IF STOPPED, AND THE 3- SECOND GAP IF THEY ARE ALLOWED TO MERGE WITHOUT STOPPING. CALCULATING THE NUMBER OF TIME GAPS OF A GIVEN SIZE OR GREATER, BY THE LAWS OF PROBABILITY, MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO CORRELATE RAMP CAPACITY AND MAIN ROADWAY VOLUME. ACCELERATION LANES CAN BE JUSTIFIED ON THIS BASIS OF CAPACITY OR FROM THE STANDPOINT OF DELAYS DUE TO HIGH VOLUME AND SMALL GAPS. THESE DELAYS CAN BE PARTLY ELIMINATED BY MAKING ADDED LANES LONG ENOUGH TO KEEP THE MERGING VEHICLES IN MOTION.

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Tech Report NO 4, PP 59-77, 4 FIG, 2 TAB
  • Corporate Authors:

    Pennsylvania State University, University Park

    Bureau of Highway Traffic
    University Park, PA  United States  16802
  • Authors:
    • Gourlay, S M
  • Publication Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00227140
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Aug 13 2004 6:47PM