01658318

Component

This study presents an investigation into effective length of passing lanes on rural two-lane highways using field and simulation data. Field data from two study sites in Oregon were used to calibrate and validate the traffic simulation program used in this study. The calibrated simulation model was then used in evaluating the effective length of passing lane under different traffic levels and percent no-passing zones. Study results showed that the effective length of a passing lane is a function of traffic level as well as the percent no-passing for any segment of two-lane highway. Further, results confirmed that the operational benefits of passing lanes generally last for a significant distance downstream of the passing lane, with this distance varying in the range between 6 and 20 miles depending on traffic level and percent no passing. Expectedly, higher traffic levels and lower percentage of no-passing zones were found to result in shorter effective lengths. The effective lengths found in this study are relatively longer than their counterparts suggested by the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM).

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AHB65 Standing Committee on Operational Effects of Geometrics.

18-02252

English

7p

2018

Transportation Research Board 97th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; References; Tables

Highway traffic control; Length; Passing lanes; Rural highways; Traffic simulation; Two lane highways

Oregon

Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2018 Paper #18-02252

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 8 2018 10:33AM