01660249

Component

Heterogeneous traffic conditions are prevails in all countries across the world but degree of heterogeneity is different in developed and developing countries. In US, heavy vehicles (trucks and buses) are mixed with passenger car whereas in India there are more than seven different categories of vehicles are observed in traffic mix. Such heterogeneity is also observed at toll booths also whereby dedicated lanes are provided for each vehicle category but during peak hours same lane is used by different categories of vehicles. Such mixed traffic conditions leads to wide variation in service time for the same vehicle category which is required to pay the toll exchange, thus reduces the capacity of tollbooth. The present study demonstrates the concept of Tollbooth Equivalency Factor (TEF) based on service time and clearance time of a vehicle with respect to passenger car. It has been found that TEF not static but varies with approach mixed traffic volume and composition of traffic in the queue. Vehicles in the traffic stream are divided into seven categories and simultaneous equations are developed to determine service time of a vehicle type based on approach volume and composition of traffic. These equations are used to depict variation in TEF with traffic volume and its composition in the queue. The change in TEF values is explained on the basis of relative change in service time of a vehicle type with respect to standard car at different volume levels. A range of TEF is proposed for Big Car as 1.02 to 1.54 for big car and 1.28 to 3.65 for buses whereas 1.84 to 4.97 is proposed for heavy commercial vehicle. The TEF for trailers is found in the range of 2.94 to 6.98. Accuracy of the TEF values estimated through simultaneous equations is checked by comparing the estimated values with those calculated directly from the field data. Statistical test shows that there is no significant difference between field estimated and model predicted TEF values. The study further suggests TEF values for different traffic composition and volume to be used by planners and field engineers. The present study useful for planners and toll booth management for design and performance evaluation of toll plaza and identifying the number of lanes required during peak and non-peak hours.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ABE25 Standing Committee on Congestion Pricing.

18-02683

English

0000-0002-6874-8141

19

2018

Transportation Research Board 97th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; Photos; References; Tables

Service time; Toll plazas; Vehicle mix

Tollbooth equivalency factor

Finance; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2018 Paper #18-02683

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 8 2018 10:38AM