Travel Behavior

In this paper, we conduct an empirical comparison of travel time estimation methods based on single-loop detector data. The methods of concern are the regression method based on an intuitive stochastic model as proposed by Petty et al. in [7], and the conventional method of using an identity relating speed, flow and occupancy with the assumption of a common vehicle length. The analysis is tailored to fit in the limitations imposed by available field data sets. We also introduce several variations of the regression method and give examples which suggest directions for future work to further...

Dynamic toll pricing based on demand can increase transportation revenue while also incentivizing travelers to avoid peak traffic periods. However, given the unpredictable nature of traffic, travelers lack the information necessary to accurately predict congestion, so dynamic pricing has minimal effect on demand. Dynamic toll pricing also poses equity concerns for those who lack other travel options. This research explores a potential remedy to these concerns by using a simple “futures market” pricing mechanism in which travelers can lock in a toll price for expected trips by prepaying for...

Almost every automobile company is producing vehicles with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) systems that allow a vehicle to do automatic vehicle following in the same lane. The ACC system is designed for driver comfort and safety and to operate with manually driven vehicles. These characteristics of ACC were found to have beneficial effects on the environment and traffic flow characteristics [1, 2, 3] by acting as filters of a wide class of traffic disturbances. It has been argue that the smooth response of ACC vehicles to high acceleration disturbances or large position errors creates large...

The two most common types of high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes in California are continuous access, prevalent in Northern California, and buffer-separated limited access, prevalent in Southern California. This report describes the evaluation of operational performance of HOV facilities in several regions in California with different access types as well as a before-after comparative study of California facilities where access types were converted in recent years. A set of performance measures were defined and selected to indicate how well the HOV facilities achieve intended goals –...