Simulation of Two Traffic Options on a Heavily Traveled Road Adjacent to Los Alamos National Laboratory

The TRansportation ANalysis SIMulation System (TRANSIMS) team at Los Alamos National Laboratory evaluated the proposed conversion of Diamond Drive on Laboratory property from four to three lanes. This conversion was meant to address safety issues caused by left turns from Diamond Drive onto two crossing streets (visibility problems for oncoming traffic) and the lane widths being non-standard (too narrow). Widening the road was not considered an option because of the expected high cost. For this analysis, the following situations were evaluated: 1) A 4-lane versus 3-lane road; 2) Morning and evening peak traffic; 3) Merging north versus merging south of the largest intersection for the proposed 3-lane case, morning peak; and 4) Potential traffic flux uncertainties of up to 20% in the morning peak traffic. The results were quite dependent on the simulated signal timings, and can be summarized as follows: 1) In terms of travel time through the system, the 3-lane option would work, on the average, about the same as the 4-lane situation; 2) A few travelers would experience a 25–50% increase in travel time over the average travel time of 3.5 – 4 minutes; 3) The 3-lane option will place the morning traffic at close to its maximum throughput. Additional traffic volumes would be expected to degrade the system; and 4) There is a distinct, dramatic advantage to merging south rather than north of the Diamond/Jemez intersection in the 3-lane option.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1061/40632(245)82
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9780784406328
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2002 American Society of Civil Engineers.
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Civil Engineers

  1801 Alexander Bell Drive
  Reston, VA  United States  20191-4400
• Authors:
  • Van Eeckhout, Ed
  • Smith, LaRon
  • Henson, Kriste
• Conference:
  • Seventh International Conference on Applications of Advanced Technologies in Transportation (AATT)
  • Location: Boston Massachusetts, United States
  • Date: 2002-8-5 to 2002-8-7
• Publication Date: 2002

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Pagination: pp 648-655
• Monograph Title: Applications of Advanced Technologies in Transportation: Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Highway design; Lane distribution; Merging traffic; Traffic flow; Traffic signal timing; Travel time
• Identifier Terms: Los Alamos National Laboratory
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01899256
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780784406328
• Files: TRIS, ASCE
• Created Date: Nov 15 2023 9:19AM