QUEUING AT DRIVE-UP WINDOWS

The development of drive-up windows may cause serious problems, where (a) additional fuel is consumed and pollutants are generated by vehicles, in queue, waiting to be served; (b) serious off-site operational problems may occur due to queued vehicles extending onto adjacent streets; and (c) queued vehicles often interfere with the use of on-site parking spaces. Queuing theory is used in the development of a procedure to identify and quantify the magnitude of the problems associated with drive-up windows. Estimated arrival rates and service rates are used to predict a failure rate, i.e., the percentage of time in which a queue length will exceed a selected length of queue. The average time of vehicles in the system, estimated from arrival and service rates, is used to calculate the amounts of air pollutants generated and the fuel consumed. An example problem is included. A brief description of applicable queuing theory is included. Some geometric design guidelines are suggested for the efficient on-site operation of drive-up windows. (Author)

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1983/901/901-007.pdf
• Record URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=QUEUING+AT+DRIVE-UP+WINDOWS&author=W.+Derr&author=T.+Mulinazzi&author=B.+Smith&publication_year=1983
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309035155
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Operational Effects of Geometrics. 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
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

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  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Derr, W Gordon
  • Mulinazzi, Thomas E
  • Smith, Bob L
• Publication Date: 1983

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: pp 38-42
• Monograph Title: ENERGY IMPACTS OF GEOMETRICS--A SYMPOSIUM
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 901
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Exhaust gases; Fuel consumption; Geometric design; Queuing theory; Reduction (Chemistry); Traffic congestion
• Uncontrolled Terms: Drive-up windows
• Old TRIS Terms: Queueing theory; Reduction
• Subject Areas: Design; Energy; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00377363
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309035155
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-035 799
• Files: HSL, TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 30 1984 12:00AM