01350334

Component

https://doi.org/10.3141/2213-10

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

Many schools have a designated student drop-off area for private vehicles, but the capacity rarely meets demand during peak drop-off times. To determine whether drop-off capacity could be effectively increased when school personnel direct traffic flow, a case study was performed at an urban elementary school. Total drop-off time per vehicle consisted of both the stopping time of the vehicle (the time it stopped for unloading) and the maneuvering–idle time. Mean stopping time was measured and calculated for representative samples during peak drop-off time in the morning. Stopping times ranged from 2 to 55 s. When the school principal was present and directed traffic, mean stopping time was reduced from 26.5 to 19.7 s. This reduction was statistically significant with p < .025. The mean maneuvering–idle time during the period of peak drop-off was estimated to be 33.3 s; with the principal guiding traffic, it was reduced to 28.1 s. Taken together, the mean drop-off time (stopping time plus maneuvering time) was estimated at 59.8 s without human guidance and 47.8 s with human guidance of traffic flow. This difference predicts an increase in drop-off capacity of 21.7% during the peak drop-off period. Dispatching school personnel to guide traffic flow during peak times can provide an efficient and cost-effective means to increase drop-off capacity at schools that do not have the space or cannot afford the capital expense to make major structural improvements to school access roads.

01350336

11-0718

English

pp 72-77

2011

Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board

9780309167277

Print

Figures (5) ; References (15)

Case studies; Highway traffic control; Schools; Stopped time delays; Urban areas

Dropoff (Passengers); Passenger dropoff/pickup areas; Traffic direction

Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I73: Traffic Control

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Aug 22 2011 1:38PM

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