01340933

Component

https://doi.org/10.3141/2223-09

http://scholar.google.com...eder&publication_year=2011

Arterials across the United States are operating inefficiently and are becoming increasingly congested because of growing traffic demand. Agencies tasked with improving these arterials are running out of good solutions. Superstreets, called restricted crossing U-turns by FHWA, are part of a menu of unconventional arterial designs that may provide promising solutions. Up to this point, little valid information exists on the operational effects of superstreets because study results have been from macroscopic analyses and simulations of hypothetical arterials. The purpose of this research was to determine the operational effects of the superstreet treatment on existing signalized arterials in North Carolina. The operational analysis involved calibrating and validating VISSIM models of three existing signalized superstreets in North Carolina; two isolated intersections and one five-intersection superstreet corridor. After some adjustments, the team produced VISSIM models that provided travel times within an acceptable range of the field data collected. Results from the three calibrated VISSIM models were compared with results from models of equivalent conventional sites at various volume levels with travel time as the primary measure of effectiveness. The superstreet outperformed the conventional design at each location studied and reduced the overall average travel time per vehicle traveling through the intersection. The travel time savings and extra capacity at higher volumes can buy agencies more years of acceptable operation before intersection improvements, or even interchanges, are necessary.

01352479

11-3251

English

pp 72-79

2011

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

9780309167345

Print

Figures (1) ; References (19) ; Tables (5)

Arterial highways; Highway design; Highway operations; Signalized intersections; Traffic congestion; Travel time; U turns

VISSIM (Computer model)

Superstreets

North Carolina

Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I20: Design and Planning of Transport Infrastructure; I73: Traffic Control

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Feb 17 2011 6:27PM

• Analysis of Deceleration in Through Lane Before Right Turn
• Analysis of Platoon Impacts on Left-Turn Delay at Unsignalized Intersections
• Analyzing Operational Improvements as an Alternative to Traditional Highway Construction
• Analyzing Raised Median Safety Impacts Using Bayesian Methods
• Development and Validation of Speed Kidney, a New Traffic-Calming Device
• Driver Behavior on Speed-Change Lanes at Freeway Ramp Terminals
• Evaluating the Michigan Access Management Program: Findings and Lessons Learned
• Free-Gap Evaluation for Two-Lane Rural Highways
• Improving Intersection Design Practices
• Operating Speed Model for Low-Speed Rural Two-Lane Highways: Design Consistency Module for Interactive Highway Safety Design Model
• Operational Characteristics of Super 2 Highways in Texas
• Should the Diverging Diamond Interchange Always Be Considered as a Diamond Interchange Form?
• Travel Time Evaluation of a U-Turn Facility: Comparison with a Conventional Signalized Intersection