A MATHEMATICAL MODEL FOR EVALUATING PRIORITY LANE OPERATIONS ON FREEWAYS

INCREASED ATTENTION IS BEING FOCUSED ON THE PROBLEM OF MOVING PEOPLE IN METROPOLITAN AREAS DURING PEAK PERIODS. ONE POTENTIAL METHOD OF INCREASING MOBILITY IS BY GIVING SPECIAL TREATMENT TO HIGH-OCCUPANCY VEHICLES. A MATHEMATICAL MODEL AND A COMPUTER PROGRAM HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED TO EVALUATE PRIORITY LANE OPERATIONS ON FREEWAYS (RESERVING ONE OR MORE LANES FOR BUSES AND HIGH OCCUPANCY VEHICLES). THE TOTAL PASSENGER TIME EXPENDED UNDER NORMAL LANE OPERATIONS IS COMPARED WITH TOTAL PASSENGER TIME EXPENDED UNDER PRIORITY OPERATIONS. THE MODEL HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TO HANDLE VARIOUS CONDITIONS SUCH AS: QUEUING AND NON QUEUING SITUATIONS, VARYING THE NUMBER OF RESERVED LANES, VARYING THE OCCUPANCY OF VEHICLES PERMITTED TO USE RESERVED LANES, VARYING THE DISTRIBUTION OF VEHICLE OCCUPANCIES, ETC. THE STUDY INVESTIGATED A POSSIBLE MEANS OF RELATING SHIFTS IN OCCUPANCY AND CHANGES IN MODAL SPLIT TO VARIOUS PRIORITY LANE OPERATION STRATEGIES IN AN ATTEMPT TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMUM USE OF LANES. /FHWA/

• Corporate Authors:

  University of California, Berkeley

  Institute of Transportation and Traffic Engineering
  Berkeley, CA  United States 

  California Division of Highways

  Bridge Department
  Sacramento, CA  United States  05914

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Sparks, G A
  • May, A D
• Publication Date: 1970-6

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus lanes; Bus transportation; Computer programs; Freeways; Mathematical models; Modal split; Public transit; Strategic planning; Traffic lanes
• Old TRIS Terms: Lanes
• Subject Areas: Highways; Motor Carriers; Operations and Traffic Management; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00224959
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Federal Highway Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: Fh-11-7186
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jan 11 1971 12:00AM