PROCEDURES TO DETERMINE FRONTAGE ROAD LEVEL OF SERVICE AND RAMP SPACING

The main objectives of this study were to develop procedures for estimating the level of service on freeway frontage roads and to determine desirable spacings for ramp junctions. The tasks involved developing 1) procedures for analyzing frontage road weaving sections, 2) recommended spacing requirements for ramp junctions, and 3) a technique to evaluate overall operations on a continuous frontage road section. The two weaving segments analyzed included a one-sided weaving area formed by an exit ramp followed by an entrance ramp and connected by an auxiliary lane and a two-sided weaving area formed by an exit ramp followed by a downstream signalized intersection. Spacing guidelines were developed for the following frontage road sections: exit ramp to entrance ramp; exit ramp to downstream signalized intersection; and signalized intersection to metered entrance ramp. The technique to analyze overall frontage road operations can be used to estimate the level of service for a frontage road section several kilometers in length.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Research study title: Determination of Capacity and Level of Service on Freeway Frontage Roads.
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System, 1600 E Lamar Boulevard
  Arlington, TX  United States  76011

  Texas Department of Transportation

  Research and Technology Transfer Office, P.O. Box 5051
  Austin, TX  United States  78763-5051

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Fitzpatrick, K
  • Nowlin, R L
  • Parham, A H
• Publication Date: 1996-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 148 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Frontage roads; Highway operations; Interchange ramps; Level of service; Location; Operations research; Spacing; Weaving sections
• Old TRIS Terms: Ramp location & spacing; Traffic operations research
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I71: Traffic Theory;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00736037
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/TX-97/1393-4F, Res Rept 1393-4F, TTI: 0-1393 Final Report
• Contract Numbers: Study 0-1393
• Files: TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 24 1997 12:00AM