Facility Performance Model Enhancements for Multimodal Systems Planning (Part I)

Contracting Agency: Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)

PI: Scott Washburn, Ph.D.

This project was conducted in support of the FDOT’s Level of Service program, as administered by the Systems Planning Office.  There were three objectives of this project.  The first was to develop an all new suite of level of service programs utilizing state-of-the-art software technologies, and to update the existing analysis methodologies to the current edition of the Highway Capacity Manual (2000).  The second was to conduct detailed simulation studies to determine the feasibility of several conceptually appealing performance measures for LOS determination on rural freeways.  The third was to build upon the second objective by conducting an in-field survey to determine directly from motorists the factors (roadway and traffic) that are most significant to them in evaluating their trip quality on rural freeways.

Under the first objective, the operations analysis methodologies, and their planning extensions, were updated to the HCM2000 and implemented in a standalone executable software format.  The result was the development of three new WindowsÔ-based programs.  The programs were named ARTPLAN, FREEPLAN, and HIGHPLAN.  Collectively, the three FDOT planning level software programs are grouped under the name LOSPLAN.  ARTPLAN performs arterial facility analysis, FREEPLAN performs freeway facility analysis, and HIGHPLAN performs two-lane and multilane highway facility analysis.  The three software programs have two major level of service calculating features.  First, each calculates the level of service for the facility being analyzed and also shows the calculated performance and service measures.  Second, each calculates service volume tables based on specific roadway traffic, and control characteristics.  Thus, each program can be used at a generalized planning level with numerous defaults or at a conceptual planning level with specific roadway, traffic and control inputs.  See http://www.dot.state.fl.us/planning/systems/sm/los/los_sw2.shtm for more information.

Under the second objective, the CORSIM simulation program was used to investigate the potential performance measures of acceleration variance, cruise control usage, and percent of time spent following.  Of these, acceleration variance and percent time spent following exhibited favorable properties for the evaluation of rural freeway LOS.

Under the third objective, an in-field survey based approach was used to investigate the measures that were important determinants of rural freeway trip quality from a traveler’s perspective.  The results of this study demonstrated that multiple factors are important to travelers’ perceived quality of service, not just the currently defined service measure of density.

 A more detailed project summary can be found at the following web site: http://www.dot.state.fl.us/research-center/Completed_Proj/Summary_PL/FDOT_BC354_38.pdf