OPERATIONAL EFFECTS OF NONTRAVERSABLE MEDIANS AND TWO-WAY LEFT-TURN LANES: A COMPARISON

Two popular arterial highway cross-section designs--two-way left-turn lanes (TWLTLs) and nontraversable medians (NTMs, raised or depressed) on four-lane roads--are compared for operational efficiency under identical traffic and development situations. Two broad measures of operational effectiveness, delay and fuel consumption, are obtained through simulation performed using the TRAF-NETSIM model. A three-way factorial design is used to compare and contrast the variables of interest. The results suggest that driveway density, traffic volume on the arterial, and type of design (TWLTL or NTM) have a significant effect on the performance measures such as total delay, fuel consumption, and delay to left-turning traffic and through traffic on the arterial. At low driveway density and low traffic volume, the difference in total delay between the two designs is not found to be significant. At higher driveway densities, no significant difference in delay to left-turning traffic on the arterial can be expected between TWLTL and NTM. However, TWLTL design is found to cause less delay to through traffic and be more fuel efficient at all levels of driveway density and traffic volume.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1992/1356/1356-005.pdf
• Record URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=OPERATIONAL+EFFECTS+OF+NONTRAVERSABLE+MEDIANS+AND+TWO-WAY+LEFT-TURN+LANES%3A+A+COMPARISON&author=M.+Venigalla&author=R.+Margiotta&author=A.+Chatterjee&author=A.+Rathi&author=D.+Clarke&publication_year=1992
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309052203
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1356, Operational Effects of Geometrics and Geometric Design. 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
• Authors:
  • Venigalla, Mohan M
  • Margiotta, Richard
  • Chatterjee, Arun
  • Rathi, Ajay K
  • Clarke, David B
• Publication Date: 1992

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 37-46
• Monograph Title: Operational effects of geometrics and geometric design
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1356
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Arterial highways; Cross sections; Driveways; Four lane highways; Fuel consumption; Highway design; Medians; Operations; Spacing; Through traffic; Traffic delays; Traffic simulation; Traffic volume; Two way left turn lanes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driveway density
• Old TRIS Terms: Operational effectiveness
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Design; Energy; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00625324
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309052203
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Nov 16 1993 12:00AM