A MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR EVALUATING PRIORITY LANE OPERATIONS ON FREEWAYS

A MATHEMATICAL MODEL EVALUATED THE TOTAL PASSENGER TRAVEL TIME UNDER EXISTING OPERATIONS AND THIS WAS COMPARED WITH THE TOTAL PASSENGER TRAVEL TIME EXPECTED TO BE EXPENDED IF ONE OR MORE FREEWAY LANES WERE RESERVED FOR MULTIOCCUPANT VEHICLES. IT WAS FOUND THAT SITUATIONS EXIST IN WHICH THE TOTAL PASSENGER TRAVEL TIME EXPENDED ON A GIVEN FREEWAY FACILITY FOR A PARTICULAR PERIOD OF TIME MAY BE REDUCED BY ADOPTING PRIORITY LANE OPERATIONS. IF A DECREASE IN TOTAL PASSENGER TRAVEL TIME IS OBSERVED BY THE ADOPTION OF A PARTICULAR PRIORITY LANE STRATEGY, IT IS USUALLY THE RESULT OF PROVIDING PREFERENTIAL SERVICE TO THOSE IN MULTIOCCUPANT VEHICLES. THIS PREFERENTIAL SERVICE WOULD BE EXPECTED TO INDUCE A SHIFT IN THE VEHICLE OCCUPANCY DISTRIBUTION AND RESULT IN AN INCREASED AVERAGE OCCUPANCY FOR THE FACILITY. INCREASING THE AVERAGE OCCUPANCY MAKES IT POSSIBLE IN PARTICULAR SITUATIONS NOT ONLY TO REDUCE THE TOTAL PASSENGER TRAVEL TIME EXPENDED AND TO INCREASE THE PASSENGER CAPACITY BUT ALSO TO DECREASE THE INDIVIDUAL TRAVEL TIMES FOR ALL PERSONS USING THE FACILITY. A COMPUTER PROGRAM HAS BEEN PREPARED FOR EVALUATING THE MATHEMATICAL MODEL. IN APPLYING THE COMPUTER MODEL, AN INVESTIGATOR IS ABLE (1) TO INVESTIGATE ALL POSSIBLE PRIORITY LANE STRATEGIES AND SELECT THOSE THAT SHOW PROMISE FOR MORE DETAILED INVESTIGATION, AND (2) TO CARRY OUT A SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF PARAMETERS SUCH AS VEHICLE OCCUPANCY SHIFT, INCREASED DEMAND, AND CHANGE IN MODAL SPLIT. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1971/363/363-003.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/030901977X
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored by Committee on Effectiveness of Operational Measures and presented at the 50th Annual Meeting. 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:
  • Sparks, G A
  • May, A D
• Conference:
  • 50th Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1971-1-18 to 1971-1-22
• Publication Date: 1971

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 27-42
• Monograph Title: Operational improvements for freeways
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 363
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Carpools; Computer programs; Freeway operations; Freeways; High occupancy vehicle lanes; Mathematical models; Passengers; Traffic lanes; Travel time
• Uncontrolled Terms: Occupancy
• Old TRIS Terms: Reserved lane
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00226162
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 030901977X
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-011 999
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Mar 7 1972 12:00AM