Planning

The state-of-the-art computer models TRANSYT-7F, MAXBAND, and PASSER-II for arterial signal timing are evaluated considering their capabilities in developing optimal timing plans, input data requirements, and output options. These models were applied on an 11-signal arterial to optimize various combinations of the signal control variables for two-phase and multiphase signal operation. It was found that the timings from TRANSYT-7F were better in terms of traffic performance than the settings from the bandwidth models, under fixed phasing. The settings from MAXBAND and PASSER-II produced...

Improved speed-estimation techniques for planning applications were developed and tested. Comparisons with field data and simulation results indicate that the recommended techniques provide better accuracy and consistency with the procedures contained in the 1994 update of the "Highway Capacity Manual". These speed-estimation techniques will improve the accuracy of long-range transportation planning models for predicting travel time, delay, and air-pollutant emissions.

This report contains detailed work plans for the following evaluation tasks associated with the TravInfo evaluation study. These include: the target, Value Added Reseller (VAR) customer studies, and the network performance evaluation. The target study focuses on a high impact Bay Area corridor to evaluate TravInfo impacts or benefits to Bay Area travelers. The network performance evaluation simulates the road conditions in that corridor to estimate TravInfo impacts at the aggregate level. The VAR customer study provides information on those consumers who actually purchase and use Advanced...

In many urban areas, high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes have been provided to permit carpools and express buses to bypass congestion and offer a significant travel time advantage to commuters willing to share a ride or take transit. In many locations, however, HOV lanes are incomplete because of difficulties in securing right-of-way or funding. In other locations, because existing HOV lanes are underutilized, express buses are undersubscribed, or both, questions about their value arise. In this research it is shown how a PARAMICS microscopic traffic simulation model can be used to analyze...