IMPROVING TRAFFIC FLOW AT TRANSFER ROADWAYS ON COLLECTOR- DISTRIBUTOR TYPE EXPRESSWAYS

CHICAGOS DAN RYAN EXPRESSWAY PROVIDES A UNIQUE LABORATORY FOR MANY TRAFFIC STUDIES NOT PREVIOUSLY UNDERTAKEN. A 6 1/2- MI SECTION USES COLLECTOR-DISTRIBUTOR ROADWAYS TO MINIMIZE WEAVING AND EXPEDITE TRAFFIC FLOW. TWO SEPARATE ROADWAYS, ONE LOCAL AND ONE EXPRESS, ARE AVAILABLE FOR TRAVEL IN EACH DIRECTION. TWO-LANE TRANSFER ROADWAYS ALLOW ACCESS BETWEEN LOCAL AND EXPRESS LANES, OR VICE-VERSA, AT SIX LOCATIONS. BECAUSE THIS WAS THE FIRST SUCH FACILITY IN THE CHICAGO AREA, IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO CONDUCT A RATHER COMPREHENSIVE STUDY TO ASCERTAIN THE EFFICIENCY OF ITS OPERATION, PARTICULARLY AT TRANSFER ROADWAYS. TIME-LAPSE GROUND PHOTOGRAPHY WAS USED AT TWO TYPICAL LOCATIONS AND AN ANALYSIS WAS MADE OF VOLUMES, SPEEDS, DISTRIBUTIONS, VEHICLE CLASSIFICATIONS, LANE CHANGES, TRANSFER TRAVEL PATTERNS, AND HAZARDOUS MANEUVERS. AS A RESULT OF THE INITIAL STUDY, APPLICATION OF SEVERAL CONTROL MEASURES APPEARED TO WARRANT FURTHER INVESTIGATION. THE EFFECTS OF PAVEMENT MARKINGS AND SIGNS ON TRAFFIC OPERATION AT TRANSFER ROADWAYS ARE ALSO DISCUSSED. NEW LANE MARKINGS AND SIGNS WERE INSTALLED ON THE BASIS OF ANALYSIS OF THE BEFORE STUDY FINDINGS. TIME-LAPSE GROUND PHOTOGRAPHY WAS USED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF THESE CHANGES. AN ADDITIONAL STUDY WAS MADE OF THE CHANNELIZATION /BY USE OF RUBBER CONES/ OF THE TRANSFER ROADWAY TRAFFIC INTO ONE LANE.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1964/59/59-006.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • McDermott, Joseph M
  • McLean, Charles H
• Publication Date: 1964

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 83-103
• Monograph Title: Freeway operations
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 59
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Analysis; Freeway operations; Freeways; Interchange ramps; Motion pictures; Operations; Photography; Physical distribution; Road markings; Streets; Surveys; Traffic; Traffic control; Traffic flow; Traffic lanes; Traffic signs; Traffic speed; Traffic surveys; Traffic volume; Transfers; Travel patterns; Vehicle classification; Weaving traffic
• Uncontrolled Terms: Change; Channelization; Photographic surveys; Traffic studies
• Old TRIS Terms: Collector-distributor roads; Freeway entrances and exits; Freeway signs; Lanes; Operational effects; Traffic marking; Transfer roadways; Transferring
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Finance; Freight Transportation; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00224765
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Mar 16 1994 12:00AM