Using microsimulation to evaluate traffic incident responses for traffic operations center decision making

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Title Using microsimulation to evaluate traffic incident responses for traffic operations center decision making
Publication Type thesis
School or College College of Engineering
Department Civil & Environmental Engineering
Author Tasic, Ivana
Date 2012-08
Description One of the major challenges for Traffic Operations Center (TOC) operators is to determine the nature of their response to traffic incidents. This applies to both operators' training and real traffic management. While incidents vary by location and degree of disruption, operators' responses vary by how quickly they are implemented and what degree of actions they take. Operators can react instantaneously and divert traffic from an entire highway, or simply wait and apply a mild variable message. Travelers' delay under incident conditions depends not only on incident severity, but also on the effectiveness of response to an incident. This is an analysis of a wide range of incidents and responses for the set of critical locations on a test Salt Lake Valley freeway network. It uses VISSIM microsimulation to determine optimal responses under various incident conditions. Incident severity is represented through Incident Location, Incident Duration and Lane Closure. Incident response is defined through the Response Time, and Variable Message Sign (VMS) Levels and VMS Display Time. As expected, the resulting degree of incident disruption is mitigated by the speed of response and the proportion of drivers who divert. However, for certain minor incidents, a VMS induced traffic diversion might increase travelers' delay instead of reducing it.
Type Text
Publisher University of Utah
Subject Microsimulation; Traffic incident responses; Traffic operations centers
Subject LCSH Traffic congestion -- Management -- Computer simulation; Traffic accidents
Dissertation Institution University of Utah
Dissertation Name Master of Science
Language eng
Rights Management Copyright © Ivana Tasic 2012
Format application/pdf
Format Medium application/pdf
Format Extent 2,433,222 bytes
Identifier etd3/id/1823
Source Original in Marriott Library Special Collections, HE136.5 2012 .T27
ARK ark:/87278/s6bk1t51
Setname ir_etd
ID 195511
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6bk1t51
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