Evaluating new methodologies for estimating performance on two-lane highways

2008 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 777-785 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Al-Kaisy ◽  
Casey Durbin
Keyword(s):  
National Research Council ◽  
Highway Capacity ◽  
Highway Capacity Manual ◽  
Percent Time ◽  
Moving Vehicles ◽  
Study Results ◽  
New Methodologies ◽  
Analytical Procedures ◽  
Percent Time Spent Following ◽  
Study Sites

This paper examines two new methodologies for field estimation of percent time spent following (PTSF) on two-lane highways. Using speed and time headway data, the two methodologies estimate the percentage of vehicles trapped in platoons, unable to pass slow-moving vehicles. A total of 236 h of field data, including individual speeds and headways, were collected at three study sites in the state of Montana. The study examined the sensitivity of PTSF estimates to some important platooning variables. The study also included a comparison of PTSF estimates from the new methods versus those found using the current United States National Research Council Highway capacity manual (HCM) analytical procedures. Study results showed that the two new methodologies were successful in capturing the effect of platooning variables on PTSF estimates and outperformed the HCM procedures in this regard. Further, the results strongly attest to the promise of the proposed methods in advancing the current analytical procedures for estimating performance on two-lane highways.

Review of Percent Time Spent Following (PTSF) as Performance Measure for Two-lane Highways

2013 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muttaka Na'iya Ibrahim ◽  
Othman Che Puan ◽  
Mushairry Mustaffar
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Measurement Model ◽  
Performance Measure ◽  
Highway Capacity ◽  
Highway Capacity Manual ◽  
Percent Time ◽  
Surrogate Measure ◽  
Analytical Procedures ◽  
Percent Time Spent Following ◽  
Related Measure

The Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) uses Percent Time Spent Following (PTSF) as key service measure for assessing the level of service of two-lane highways. However, the indicator is difficult to measure directly in the field. For this reason, its estimation to date has been based on analytical procedures using equations derived from simulations and field observations at representative location based on surrogate measure; as the percent of vehicles traveling with headway less than 3 seconds (3 s). Findings from empirical studies confirmed that the HCM analytical procedures used in estimating PTSF yield results that are inconsistent with the 3 s surrogate measure and mostly overestimate the indicator. This paper presents a review on the estimation of PTSF on two-lane highways and suggests probable approach to substantiate the application of the current practice. Further, the authors of this paper argued that the use of 3 s as surrogate for estimating PTSF based on field observation at a specific point may not represent the actual time spent following over a long segment of two-lane highway since PTSF is space related measure. Hence, the authors suggest the use of test vehicle approach over the highway segment to be evaluated to identify the variables that are required for the development of a representative PTSF measurement model. It is expected that this review and suggestion offered will contribute in advancing performance analysis of two-lane highways. 

Uncertainty in Operational Analysis of Two-Lane Highways

2002 ◽  
Vol 1802 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Tapio Luttinen
Keyword(s):  
Input Data ◽  
Travel Speed ◽  
Level Of Service ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Highway Capacity ◽  
Highway Capacity Manual ◽  
Operational Analysis ◽  
Percent Time ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Percent Time Spent Following

The Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) 2000 provides methods to estimate performance measures and the level of service for different types of traffic facilities. Because neither the input data nor the model parameters are totally accurate, there is an element of uncertainty in the results. An analytical method was used to estimate the uncertainty in the service measures of two-lane highways. The input data and the model parameters were considered as random variables. The propagation of error through the arithmetic operations in the HCM 2000 methodology was estimated. Finally, the uncertainty in the average travel speed and percent time spent following was analyzed, and four approaches were considered to deal with uncertainty in the level of service.

Field Evaluation of Highway Capacity Manual 2000 Analysis Procedures for Two-Lane Highways

2002 ◽  
Vol 1802 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael P. Dixon ◽  
Satya Sai Kumar Sarepali ◽  
Kevin Allen Young
Keyword(s):  
Simulation Model ◽  
Field Data ◽  
Field Evaluation ◽  
Analysis Procedure ◽  
Highway Capacity ◽  
Highway Capacity Manual ◽  
Percent Time ◽  
Percent Time Spent Following ◽  
Northern Idaho ◽  
Rural Highway

Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) 2000 two-lane rural highway directional, two-way, and passing-lane analysis procedures based on field data and simulation were evaluated. Detailed field data were collected from two highway sections in northern Idaho, one with and one without passing lanes. The TWOPAS simulation model was used to provide additional insights. Particular attention was given to the differences in estimates for percent time spent following (PTSF) produced by the twoway and directional analysis procedures. It was found that the two-way analysis procedure was more accurate, although both procedures produced estimates that were too high. The passing-lane analysis procedure was also evaluated, and the HCM 2000 procedure was found to be conservative in its estimates of PTSF reductions due to a passing lane.

scholarly journals ESTIMACIÓN DEL NIVEL DE SERVICIO DE UN CARRIL LENTO

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Víctor Gabriel Valencia Alaix ◽  
Alfredo García García
Keyword(s):  
Travel Speed ◽  
Highway Safety ◽  
Design Model ◽  
Highway Capacity ◽  
Highway Capacity Manual ◽  
Percent Time ◽  
Safety Design ◽  
Percent Time Spent Following

La operación vehicular en una carretera convencional depende de la atención adecuada de los adelantamientos de los vehículos lentos por parte de los más rápidos; una alternativa es mediante la provisión de carriles auxiliares a lo largo de la vía antes de pasar a una carretera multicarril.El objetivo es calibrar el modelo de simulación TWOPAS y aplicarlo en una carretera convencional española para estimar y comparar el nivel de servicio estimado en ella y en un carril lento con el resultado del procedimiento del Highway Capacity Manual - HCM.Se observó la operación vehicular en una carretera convencional de España mediante el registro a través de cámaras de control dispuestas a lo largo de la carretera, y en el carril lento, de manera que sirvió para calibrar el modelo de microsimulación TWOPAS considerando parámetros operacionales del parque automotor y aplicándolo para estimar el nivel de servicio.Se aplicó el procedimiento del HCM para estimar el nivel de servicio en segmentos de carretera con carril lento para comparar sus resultados con los obtenidos en la simulación.El modelo de simulación usado fue el TWOPAS, inserto en el Traffic Analisys Module (TAM) del Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM), cuyos resultados en términos de Percent Time Spent Following (PTSF), Average Travel Speed (ATS) y otros permite la evaluación operacional.Los resultados y conclusiones permiten valorar la utilidad del modelo, la correspondencia de la realidad operacional en carretera y la norma española y la conveniencia operacional del carril lento estudiado.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4995/CIT2016.2016.4220

scholarly journals Operational Considerations of Passing Zones for Two-lane Highways: Spanish Case Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 601-612
Author(s):  
Ana Tsui Moreno ◽  
Carlos Llorca ◽  
Scott S. Washburn ◽  
Jose Elievam Jr. Bessa ◽  
Alfredo Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Road Segment ◽  
Highway Capacity ◽  
Zone Length ◽  
Highway Capacity Manual ◽  
The Road ◽  
Percent Time ◽  
Analysis Methodology ◽  
Percent Time Spent Following ◽  
Traffic Operation

The U.S. Highway Capacity Manual (HCM 2010) methodology is used in Spain to evaluate traffic operation and quality of service. In two-lane undivided highways, the effect of limiting where drivers could pass slower vehicles, or passing restrictions, is considered through the percentage of no-passing zones. This measure does not account for how passing opportunities are distributed along the road. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect percentage of no-passing zones and average passing zone length on a two-lane highway and, if significant, incorporate them in the analysis methodology,. The TWOPAS microsimulation program was calibrated and validated to the Spanish conditions. Passing restrictions had little effect on average traffic speed (ATS), with differences lower than 6 km/h between a road segment with no passing restrictions and a road segment with a passing restriction on 100% of its length. Conversely, passing restrictions can increase the percent time spent following (PTSF) up to 30%. Increasing the passing zone length beyond 2,000 m does not improve PTSF. The new models could be used to better estimate traffic operation on Spanish two-lane highways.

Variations in Capacity at Signalized Intersections with Different Area Types

2000 ◽  
Vol 1710 (1) ◽  
pp. 199-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuewen Le ◽  
Jian Lu ◽  
Edward A. Mierzejewski ◽  
Yanhu Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Signalized Intersections ◽  
Capacity Analysis ◽  
Adjustment Factor ◽  
Highway Capacity ◽  
Left Turn ◽  
Highway Capacity Manual ◽  
Central Florida ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Lost Time

The capacity analysis procedure for signalized intersections included in the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) needs to consider the area type of a given intersection. The area-type adjustment factor used in the procedure is based on conclusions from a limited number of studies. In addition, the procedure for using an area-type adjustment factor is not well defined in the HCM. A study undertaken in central Florida to study the effects of four different area types on the capacity of signalized intersections is summarized. These four area types include recreational, business, residential, and shopping. Study results indicated that differences in saturation headways among different area types were significant. The saturation headways observed in recreational areas were significantly higher than those in other areas for both left-turn and through movements. The through-movement saturation headways obtained in residential, shopping, and business areas were not significantly different. This study resulted in a new area-type adjustment factor of 0.92 for recreational areas, whereas the factor is 1.00 for other areas. Results in this study also indicated that the differences in start-up lost time among different area types were not significantly different. In addition, according to the results of the analysis, 75 percent of the yellow interval in undersaturated conditions and 35 percent of the yellow interval in oversaturated conditions were found to be unused and considered clearance lost time.

Estimation of Percentage of Delayed Vehicles Based on Traffic Variables for Rural Highways

1998 ◽  
Vol 1646 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel G. Romana ◽  
Gemma Lépez
Keyword(s):  
Time Delay ◽  
Level Of Service ◽  
Heavy Vehicles ◽  
Highway Capacity ◽  
Sloping Ground ◽  
Rural Highways ◽  
Highway Capacity Manual ◽  
Percent Time ◽  
Explained Variation ◽  
Surrogate Measure

According to the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM), it is possible to quantify level of service for rural highways using a basic parameter: percent time delay. Since this variable cannot be measured, it is proposed in the HCM that the percentage of delayed vehicles (% DV) be used as a surrogate measure. The manual gives no means of predicting or estimating % DV other than a curve relating total % DV to total hourly volume. However, it is worth noting that the methodology proposed in the manual does not use this curve. In any case, there has been to this date no proposal as to the estimation of % DV by traffic direction. The results of an attempt to estimate % DV by direction through multiple correlations are presented. The data were gathered on four highways in the province of Madrid, Spain (M-111, M-501, M-600, and M-607). Measurements were carried out in 3-h periods on plain or slightly sloping ground during daily or weekly peak periods. The average daily traffic and rate of heavy vehicles in 1991 were, sorted chronologically, 9,500 and 6.4 percent for M-607; 9,800 and 5.1 percent for M-600; 8,100 and 8.6 percent for M-111; and 14,400 and 5.0 percent for M-501. Several multiple correlations are offered, and one is chosen that has an accuracy of 0.7964, expressed through the coefficient r2 (the explained variation). The model is % DV (Direction 1) = A * (VDirection1) + B * (VDirection2) + C, with the following numerical values: % DV = 0.0443 * V1 + 0.0096 * V2 + 25.5411.

Modeling Capacity of Through Movement at Signalized Intersection Affected by Short Left-Turn Bay under Different Signal Settings

2021 ◽  
pp. 036119812110064
Author(s):  
Zihang Wei ◽  
Yunlong Zhang ◽  
Xiaoyu Guo ◽  
Xin Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Cycle Length ◽  
Signalized Intersections ◽  
Signalized Intersection ◽  
Essential Factor ◽  
Highway Capacity ◽  
Left Turn ◽  
Highway Capacity Manual ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Vehicle Demand ◽  
The One

Through movement capacity is an essential factor used to reflect intersection performance, especially for signalized intersections, where a large proportion of vehicle demand is making through movements. Generally, left-turn spillback is considered a key contributor to affect through movement capacity, and blockage to the left-turn bay is known to decrease left-turn capacity. Previous studies have focused primarily on estimating the through movement capacity under a lagging protected only left-turn (lagging POLT) signal setting, as a left-turn spillback is more likely to happen under such a condition. However, previous studies contained assumptions (e.g., omit spillback), or were dedicated to one specific signal setting. Therefore, in this study, through movement capacity models based on probabilistic modeling of spillback and blockage scenarios are established under four different signal settings (i.e., leading protected only left-turn [leading POLT], lagging left-turn, protected plus permitted left-turn, and permitted plus protected left-turn). Through microscopic simulations, the proposed models are validated, and compared with existing capacity models and the one in the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM). The results of the comparisons demonstrate that the proposed models achieved significant advantages over all the other models and obtained high accuracies in all signal settings. Each proposed model for a given signal setting maintains consistent accuracy across various left-turn bay lengths. The proposed models of this study have the potential to serve as useful tools, for practicing transportation engineers, when determining the appropriate length of a left-turn bay with the consideration of spillback and blockage, and the adequate cycle length with a given bay length.

Assessment of Arterial Signal Timings Based on Various Operational Policies and Optimization Tools

2021 ◽  
pp. 036119812110111
Author(s):  
Suhaib Al Shayeb ◽  
Nemanja Dobrota ◽  
Aleksandar Stevanovic ◽  
Nikola Mitrovic
Keyword(s):  
Travel Time ◽  
Heavy Traffic ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Signal Timing ◽  
Highway Capacity ◽  
Average Delay ◽  
Highway Capacity Manual ◽  
Simulation And Optimization ◽  
Fort Lauderdale ◽  
Design Engineers

Traffic simulation and optimization tools are classified, according to their practical applicability, into two main categories: theoretical and practical. The performance of the optimized signal timing derived by any tool is influenced by how calculations are executed in the particular tool. Highway Capacity Software (HCS) and Vistro implement the procedures defined in the Highway Capacity Manual, thus they are essentially utilized by traffic operations and design engineers. Considering its capability of timing diagram drafting and travel time collection studies, Tru-Traffic is more commonly used by practitioners. All these programs have different built-in objective function(s) to develop optimized signal plans for intersections. In this study, the performance of the optimal signal timing plans developed by HCS, Tru-Traffic, and Vistro are evaluated and compared by using the microsimulation software Vissim. A real-world urban arterial with 20 intersections and heavy traffic in Fort Lauderdale, Florida served as the testbed. To eliminate any bias in the comparisons, all experiments were performed under identical geometric and traffic conditions, coded in each tool. The evaluation of the optimized plans was conducted based on average delay, number of stops, performance index, travel time, and percentage of arrivals on green. Results indicated that although timings developed in HCS reduced delay, they drastically increased number of stops. Tru-Traffic signal timings, when only offsets are optimized, performed better than timings developed by all of the other tools. Finally, Vistro increased arrivals on green, but it also increased delay. Optimized signal plans were transferred manually from optimization tools to Vissim. Therefore, future research should find methods for automatically transferring optimized plans to Vissim.

Estimating the Effects of Urban Street Incidents on Capacity

2017 ◽  
Vol 2615 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aidin Massahi ◽  
Mohammed Hadi ◽  
Maria Adriana Cutillo ◽  
Yan Xiao
Keyword(s):  
Network Performance ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Signalized Intersection ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Microscopic Simulation ◽  
Highway Capacity ◽  
Highway Capacity Manual ◽  
Urban Streets ◽  
Urban Street ◽  
Incident Duration

The effect of incidents on capacity is the most critical parameter in estimating the influence of incidents on network performance. The Highway Capacity Manual 2010 (HCM 2010) provides estimates of the drop in capacity resulting from incidents as a function of the number of blocked lanes and the total number of lanes in the freeway section. However, there is limited information on the effects of incidents on the capacity of urban streets. This study investigated the effects on capacity of the interaction between the drop in capacity below demand at a midblock urban street segment location and upstream and downstream of signalized intersection operations. A model was developed to estimate the drop in capacity at the incident location as a function of the number of blocked lanes, the distance from the downstream intersection, and the green time–to–cycle length (g:C) ratio of the downstream signal. A second model was developed to estimate the reduction in the upstream intersection capacity resulting from the drop in capacity at the midblock incident location as estimated by the first model. The second model estimated the drop in capacity of the upstream links feeding the incident locations as a function of incident duration time, the volume-to-capacity (V/C) ratio at the incident location, and distance from an upstream signalized intersection. The models were developed on the basis of data generated with the use of a microscopic simulation model calibrated by comparison with parameters suggested in HCM 2010 for incident and no-incident conditions and by comparison with field measurements.

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