USING MICROSIMULATION TO QUANTIFY THE IMPACT OF ELECTRONIC TOLL COLLECTION

Electronic toll collection (ETC) is an option being considered by the Halifax-Dartmouth Bridge Commission as aging automatic coin machines become more difficult to maintain. ETC has the potential to reduce time delays, vehicle emissions, fuel consumption, vehicle operating costs, and the toll authority's operating costs. Savings are, however, dependent on several variables, including ETC usage, current congestion levels, and traffic capacity on either side of the toll plaza. This article describes a discrete-event, stochastic, microsimulation computer model that was created to determine the impact of ETC on traffic operations. Simulation modeling generated data on many facets of toll collection under a variety of toll plaza configurations, allowing researchers to analyze the effect of ETC more accurately than with conventional queuing analysis. The article discusses model creation, verification, validation, and application. Cost-benefit analysis of model output revealed that the extra cost of installing ETC and the lack of benefits for the bridge commission make ETC installation unprofitable.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/614107147
• Corporate Authors:

  Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)

  Washington, DC  United States 
• Authors:
  • Burris, M W
  • Hildebrand, E D
• Publication Date: 1996-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Tables;
• Pagination: p. 21-24
• Serial:
  • ITE Journal
  • Volume: 66
  • Issue Number: 7
  • Publisher: Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)
  • ISSN: 0162-8178
  • Serial URL: https://www.ite.org/publications/ite-journal/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Development; Electronic equipment; Highway operations; Impact studies; Microsimulation; Research; Simulation; Toll collection; Traffic; Validation; Variables
• Old TRIS Terms: Electronic systems; Models-simulation
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Research; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00726954
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Oct 17 1996 12:00AM