Effective Scheduling of Road and Bridge Closures: Phase 2

This research provides a study on work zone impact analysis. In case of multiple road closures, the network approach is used to find an effective scheduling such that the total user delay is reduced. A dynamic model for analyzing the work zone impact during the period when network is in transition state is also developed. A salient feature of the dynamic model is drives’ perception updating model, which incorporates availability and the quality of information as perceived by drivers

The Development of a Speed Monitoring Program for Indiana

From the passage of the National Maximum Speed Limit (NMSL) of 55 mph in 1974 through its repeal in 1995 speed monitoring programs have been mandated by the federal government. The speed-monitoring program was primarily intended to provide reliable data to be included as a part of the State’s annual certification in order to be approved for Federal Aid highway projects. The repeal of the NMSL in 1995 not only authorized states to set their own speed limits, it also allowed states to develop their own speed monitoring programs. The goal of this research is to provide the framework for a speed-monitoring program to meet the needs of agencies and organizations that use speed-monitoring data in the State of Indiana. A proposed speed monitoring plan is developed which distributes speed monitoring stations to highway classes according to three primary criteria: spatial distribution, crash distribution, and distribution of daily vehicle miles traveled. The proposed speed-monitoring program will utilize 38 existing speed, weigh-in-motion, and automated traffic recording stations. The stations will be monitored four times a year for a 24-hour period. Furthermore, the proposed program will monitor speeds based on vehicle length. It is the recommendation of this research that Indiana phase in the proposed speed-monitoring plan developed in the present research, during the 1999 calendar year. The implementation should include a visual inspection of all the WIM, ATR, and speed monitoring stations listed in Appendix A to ensure they are still capable of monitoring speeds by vehicle class and travel direction. If any problems should arise with the existing stations, that station should be substituted for another station within that district and highway class

Identifying Strategies to Improve Lane Use Management in Indiana

The limited funding available for roadway capacity expansion and the growing funding gap, in conjunction with the increasing congestion, creates a critical need for innovative lane use management options for Indiana. Various cost-effective lane use management strategies have been implemented in the US and worldwide to address these challenges. However, all the strategies have their own costs, operational characteristics, and additional requirements for field deployment. Hence there is a need for systematic simulation-based methodology to perform a comprehensive study to identify congested corridors and the specific set of lane use management strategies that are effective in Indiana. A systematic simulation-based methodology is proposed for evaluating lane use management strategies. A 10-mile stretch of the I-65 corridor south of downtown Indianapolis was selected as the study corridor using traffic analysis. The demand volumes for the study area were determined using subarea analysis. Its performance was evaluated using a microsimulation-based analysis in the context of alleviating congestion for three strategies: reversible lanes, high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes and ramp metering. Furthermore, an economic evaluation of these strategies was performed to determine the financial feasibility of their implementation. Results from this analysis indicated that reversible lanes and the ramp metering strategies improved traffic conditions on the freeway in the major flow direction. Implementation of the HOV lane strategy resulted in improved traffic flow conditions on the HOV lanes but aggravated congestion on the general purpose (GP) lanes. The HOV lane strategy was found to be economically infeasible due to low HOV volume on these lanes. The reversible lane and ramp metering strategies were found to be economically feasible with positive net present values (NPV), with the NPV for the reversible lane strategy being the highest

An Evaluation of the Cost Effectiveness of the Hoosier Helper Program and Framework for the Design of ITS Optimal System Configuration, Phase 1

This research provides a benefit-cost analysis for each of two distinct Hoosier Helper operating scenarios: daytime patrol and 24-hour patrol. The computation of agency cost involves an aggregation of equivalent annual investment cost, employee salaries and fringe benefit, overhead cost, and maintenance cost for Hoosier Helper. The following components comprise the estimation of Hoosier Helper benefits: non-recurrent congestion delay savings, secondary crash reduction, and vehicle operating cost savings. The results of an analysis of over two thousand evaluations from motorists assisted by Hoosier Helper are also presented