Modeling Network Travel Time Impact of Freeway Ramp Metering

1998 ◽  
Vol 1645 (1) ◽  
pp. 152-159
Author(s):  
Bruce N. Janson
Keyword(s):  
Travel Time ◽  
Dynamic Traffic Assignment ◽  
Ramp Metering ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Assignment Model ◽  
Travel Time Savings ◽  
Total Travel Time ◽  
Alternative Routes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Varying Demand

Whether freeway ramp metering can reduce total travel time in a corridor of several alternative routes depends on changes in route volumes and travel times. Ramp metering effectiveness and ramp metering algorithms have been evaluated mainly on the basis of improved freeway operations. Most studies have not evaluated the impact on alternative routes because of the complexity of the problem (e.g., which routes and what lengths of routes should be studied). An analysis of ramp metering impact in a network corridor is presented, first for simple steady-state cases and then for more complex cases involving time-varying demand, upstream and downstream queueing on freeway and alternative routes, and variable ramp metering rates based on freeway conditions. Time-varying examples are solved with a dynamic traffic assignment model called DYMOD. The analysis shows that ramp metering yields total travel time savings if (a) downstream freeway capacities are sufficiently restrictive, and (b) competitive alternative routes exist to accommodate the diverted traffic. The conditions under which ramp metering can be effective is illustrated by an examination of these simplified cases, and a useful modeling approach to analyzing systemwide impact in a larger corridor is demonstrated.

Illustrating the Monetary Impact of Transportation Projects/Alternatives using the Values of Travel Time and Travel Time Reliability

2018 ◽  
Vol 2672 (51) ◽  
pp. 88-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Venkata R. Duddu ◽  
Srinivas S. Pulugurtha ◽  
Praveena Penmetsa
Keyword(s):  
Travel Time ◽  
Cost Benefit Analysis ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Transportation Systems ◽  
Travel Time Reliability ◽  
Benefit Analysis ◽  
Transportation Projects ◽  
Travel Time Savings ◽  
Time Savings ◽  
The Impact

State agencies, regional agencies, cities, towns, and local municipalities design and maintain transportation systems for the benefit of users by improving mobility, reducing travel time, and enhancing safety. Cost–benefit analysis based on travel time savings and the value of reliability helps these agencies in prioritizing transportation projects or when evaluating transportation alternatives. This paper illustrates the use of monetary values of travel time savings and travel time reliability, computed for the state of North Carolina, to help assess the impact of transportation projects or alternatives. The results obtained indicate that, based on the illustration of the effect and impact of various transportation projects or alternatives, both improved travel time and reliability on roads yield significant monetary benefits. However, from cost–benefit analysis, it is observed that greater benefits can be achieved through improved reliability compared with benefits from a decrease in travel time for a given section of road.

Quantifying the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Passenger Vehicle Drivers’ Willingness to Pay for Travel Time Savings and Reliability

2021 ◽  
pp. 036119812110388
Author(s):  
Tristan Cherry ◽  
Mark Fowler ◽  
Claire Goldhammer ◽  
Jeong Yun Kweun ◽  
Thomas Sherman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Travel Time ◽  
Travel Behavior ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Consumer Preferences ◽  
Stated Preference ◽  
Travel Time Reliability ◽  
Travel Time Savings ◽  
Time Savings ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally disrupted travel behavior and consumer preferences. To slow the spread of the virus, public health officials and state and local governments issued stay-at-home orders and, among other actions, closed nonessential businesses and educational facilities. The resulting recessionary effects have been particularly acute for U.S. toll roads, with an observed year-over-year decline in traffic and revenue of 50% to 90% in April and May 2020. These disruptions have also led to changes in the types of trip that travelers make and their frequency, their choice of travel mode, and their willingness to pay tolls for travel time savings and travel time reliability. This paper describes the results of travel behavior research conducted on behalf of the Virginia Department of Transportation before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the National Capital Region of Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia. The research included a stated preference survey to estimate travelers’ willingness to pay for travel time savings and travel time reliability, to support forecasts of traffic and revenue for existing and proposed toll corridors. The survey collected data between December 2019 and June 2020. A comparison of the data collected before and during the pandemic shows widespread changes in travel behavior and a reduction in willingness to pay for travel time savings and travel time reliability across all traveler types, particularly for drivers making trips to or from work. These findings have significant implications for the return of travelers to toll corridors in the region and future forecasts of traffic and revenue.

scholarly journals The valuation and demand impacts of the worthwhile use of travel time with specific reference to the digital revolution and endogeneity

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 1515-1540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Wardman ◽  
Phani Chintakayala ◽  
Chris Heywood
Keyword(s):  
Travel Time ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Digital Revolution ◽  
Use Of Time ◽  
Individual Variations ◽  
Travel Time Savings ◽  
Time Savings ◽  
Large Survey ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Abstract The research reported here is concerned with how the worthwhile use of travel time might impact on the value of travel time savings (VTTS) and on demand set in the context of the rail travel market in Great Britain. It has long been recognised, in a variety of literature, that improvements in worthwhile activities which will have been delivered by the digital revolution will impact VTTS and demand yet there is surprisingly little reliable evidence and official appraisal practice does not accommodate any such effects. In a large survey of rail travellers, we have explored how activities while travelling impact on VTTS and demand. An important feature of the study was to account for endogeneity whereby variations in VTTS estimates according to the worthwhile use of time are biased if drawn from comparisons across individuals of what they do while travelling rather from comparing within individual variations in activities. Indeed, we clearly demonstrate the impact of not allowing for endogeneity and indicate its presence in other studies. We find that the VTTS does vary according to activities undertaken while travelling in a largely credible manner and is broadly consistent with behavioural responses to different available activities. The evidence supports the VTTS falling over time due to the digital revolution and rail demand increasing. These are modest rather than considerable changes but nonetheless contribute a better understanding of evidence relating to VTTS and rail demand variations over time.

scholarly journals Lane Change Control Combined with Ramp Metering: A Strategy to Manage Delays at On-Ramp Merging Sections

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Hari Hara Sharan Nagalur Subraveti ◽  
Victor L. Knoop ◽  
Bart van Arem
Keyword(s):  
Travel Time ◽  
Control Strategy ◽  
Ramp Metering ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Lane Change ◽  
Total Delay ◽  
Individual Control ◽  
Combined Control ◽  
Total Travel Time ◽  
The Individual

Control measures at merging locations aimed at either the mainline traffic or on-ramp traffic do not lead to a fairness in the distribution of total delay across the two streams. This paper presents a control strategy of combining a lane change control with a ramp metering system at motorway merges. The control strategy presents the opportunity to control the delays incurred at the two traffic streams of the merge. An optimization problem is formulated for a multilane motorway with an on-ramp with the aim to minimize the total travel time of the system. The proposed strategy is tested using an incentive-based lane-specific traffic flow model. Results revealed a 17% reduction in the total travel time due to the proposed strategy. Moreover, it was shown that the distribution of delays over the mainline and on-ramp could be controlled via the proposed strategy. The performance of the combined control was also compared to the individual control measures. It was observed that the individual control measures (lane change only and ramp metering only) lead to high delays on either the mainline or on-ramp compared to the combined control, where the balance between the delay for the drivers on the mainline and on-ramp could be regulated. The combined lane change and ramp metering control presents opportunities for the road authorities to manage the total delay distribution across the two traffic streams.

Fuzzy Ramp Metering: Design Overview and Simulation Results

1998 ◽  
Vol 1634 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia Taylor ◽  
Deirdere Meldrum ◽  
Les Jacobson
Keyword(s):  
Fuzzy Logic ◽  
Travel Time ◽  
Fuzzy Controller ◽  
Simulation Software ◽  
Ramp Metering ◽  
Traffic Conditions ◽  
Total Distance ◽  
Total Travel Time ◽  
Vehicle Delay ◽  
Simulation Results

A fuzzy logic ramp-metering algorithm was designed to overcome the limitations of conventional ramp-metering strategies. The fuzzy controller demonstrated improved robustness, prevented heavy congestion, intelligently balanced conflicting needs, and tuned easily. The objective was to maximize total distance traveled and minimize total travel time and vehicle delay, while maintaining acceptable ramp queues. A multiple-ramp study site from the Seattle I-5 corridor was modeled and tested using the freeway simulation software, FRESIM. For five of the six testing sets, encompassing a variety of traffic conditions, the fuzzy controller outperformed the three other controllers tested.

scholarly journals How Autonomous Driving May Affect the Value of Travel Time Savings for Commuting

2018 ◽  
Vol 2672 (46) ◽  
pp. 11-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Steck ◽  
Viktoriya Kolarova ◽  
Francisco Bahamonde-Birke ◽  
Stefan Trommer ◽  
Barbara Lenz
Keyword(s):  
Travel Time ◽  
Public Transportation ◽  
Autonomous Vehicle ◽  
Autonomous Driving ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Travel Time Savings ◽  
Time Savings ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Privately Owned

Autonomous driving is being discussed as a promising solution for transportation-related issues and might bring some improvement for users of the system. For instance, especially high mileage commuters might compensate for some of their time spent traveling as they will be able to undertake other activities while going to work. At the same time, there are still many uncertainties and little empirical data on the impact of autonomous driving on mode choices. This study addresses the impact of autonomous driving on value of travel time savings (VTTS) and mode choices for commuting trips using stated-choice experiments. Two use cases were addressed – a privately owned, and a shared autonomous vehicle – compared with other modes of transportation. The collected data were analyzed by performing a mixed logit model. The results show that mode-related factors such as time elements, especially in-vehicle time and cost, play a crucial role for mode choices that include autonomous vehicles. The study provides empirical evidence that autonomous driving may lead to a reduction in VTTS for commuting trips. It was found that driving autonomously in a privately owned vehicle might reduce the VTTS by 31% compared with driving manually, and is perceived similarly to in-vehicle time in public transportation. Furthermore, riding in a shared autonomous vehicle is perceived 10% less negatively than driving manually. The study provides important insights into VTTS by autonomous driving for commuting trips and could be a base for future research to build upon.

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