APPLICATION OF A MICRO-SIMULATION MODEL TO ESTIMATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TOLL PRICING ALTERNATIVES ON THE DIVERSION OF TRAFFIC TO TOLL FACILITIES

The main objectives of this project were to evaluate the effectiveness of alternative toll reduction scenarios on diverting traffic to Turnpike facilities such as SR417. PARAMICS, a microscopic simulation software was validated using available data for a network of major highways and arterials in the surrounding Central Florida area to provide acceptable simulation accuracy based on pre-identified performance measures such as traffic volume and travel speed. The validated UCF-PARAMICS network model was used to test and evaluate the alternative toll reduction scenarios. The results from these scenarios demonstrated that under no change in the toll structure, the diversion of traffic volumes to SR417 was insignificant under all lane closure/incident scenarios. Moreover, the 50% toll reduction on SR417 and the 50% toll reduction for both SR417 and SR528 had a similar effect on the hourly traffic volume diverted to SR417. The same conclusion was applied for 100% toll reduction on SR417 only and toll reduction on both SR417 and SR528. As a result, there appears to be no added benefit due to toll reduction on SR528. Moreover, I-4 has the least travel time from the northern end to the southern end of the network when travel time includes the toll cost. So, usually no significant diversion happens off of I-4 to SR417 even under incident/lane closure and toll reduction scenarios. For people who value time significantly more than out of pocket toll cost, the toll roads are better alternatives when an incident/lane closure occurs on I-4. Finally, future research may use these and other scenarios to estimate the economic benefits of toll reduction in this well-defined real life network.

• Record URL:
  • https://fdotwww.blob.core.windows.net/sitefinity/docs/default-source/research/reports/fdot-bd550-01-rpt.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Central Florida, Orlando

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  P.O. Box 162450
  Orlando, FL  United States  32816-2450

  Florida Department of Transportation

  605 Suwannee Street
  Tallahassee, FL  United States  32399-0450
• Authors:
  • Al-Deek, H
  • Emam, E B
  • Chandra, Rohan
  • Nezamuddin
• Publication Date: 2005-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 212 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Lane closure; Microsimulation; Road pricing; Software; Toll roads; Traffic diversion; Traffic incidents; Traffic simulation; Validation
• Identifier Terms: Paramics (Computer program)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Toll reduction
• Geographic Terms: Central Florida
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00989322
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Final Report
• Contract Numbers: BD-550, RPWO #1
• Files: TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 29 2005 12:00AM