An Evaluation of the Impact of Lane Use Restrictions for Large Trucks Along I-40 Near Knoxville
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University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Masters Theses Graduate School 8-2002 An Evaluation of the Impact of Lane Use Restrictions for Large Trucks Along I-40 near Knoxville Vasin Kiattikomol University of Tennessee - Knoxville Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes Part of the Civil Engineering Commons Recommended Citation Kiattikomol, Vasin, "An Evaluation of the Impact of Lane Use Restrictions for Large Trucks Along I-40 near Knoxville. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 2002. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/2077 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Vasin Kiattikomol entitled "An Evaluation of the Impact of Lane Use Restrictions for Large Trucks Along I-40 near Knoxville." I have examined the final electronic copy of this thesis for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree of Master of Science, with a major in Civil Engineering. Arun Chatterjee, Major Professor We have read this thesis and recommend its acceptance: Frederick J. Wegmann, Lee D. Han Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Vasin Kiattikomol entitled “An Evaluation of the Impact of Lane Use Restrictions for Large Trucks Along I-40 near Knoxville.” I have examined the final electronic copy of this thesis for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, with a major in Civil Engineering. Arun Chatterjee Major Professor We have read this thesis And recommend its acceptance: Frederick J. Wegmann Lee D. Han Accepted for the Council: Anne Mayhew Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies (Original signatures are on file with official student records.) An Evaluation of the Impact of Lane Use Restrictions for Large Trucks Along I-40 near Knoxville A Thesis Presented for the Master of Science Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Vasin Kiattikomol August 2002 ii Acknowledgement The author would like to thank his major professor, Dr. Arun Chatterjee, for his help in providing guidance and invaluable support in the writing of this thesis. The author is also greatly indebted to the other members of his thesis committee: Dr. Frederick J. Wegmann and Dr. Lee D. Han, for their time and support. The author is grateful to Mr. Matthew A. Cate, a senior research associate of University of Tennessee’s Center for Transportation Research, for his support and help in all data collection for this thesis. The author also thanks the students in Transportation Engineering department for helping collect data and his Thai and Malaysia friends in Knoxville in retrieving and interpreting the data. The author also likes to express his gratitude to Miss Pornpat Wiwattarangkul for her kind assistance and encouragement. Finally, the author wishes to express his appreciation to his family in Thailand for their love and endless encouragement for making this work possible. iii Abstract This thesis is concerned with studies on an effectiveness and impact of lane restriction for large trucks from a left lane on Interstate 40 near Knoxville. The data collection was conducted in July to August 2001 and March to April 2002. The restriction was implemented on August 13, 2001. The lane distribution and individual speed of large trucks in each lane were then gathered to obtain patterns and characteristics of large trucks ‘before’ and ‘after’ the implementation. A database was developed, a data comparison was conducted, and a statistical test was applied. The findings reveal several significant changes of lane distributions and speeds of large trucks and are concluded in the form that can provide the Tennessee department of transportation information in order to make a decision on an existing and future lane use restriction plan. iv Table of Contents CHAPTER PAGE 1 INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………..... 1 2 LITERATURE REVIEW …………………………………………..... 3 Previous Study Methodologies ……………………………...…………. 3 Results from Previous Studies …………………………………………. 4 Recommendations from Previous Studies……………………………… 7 3 STUDY METHODOLOGY ………………………………….............. 8 Develop a Detailed Plan for Data Collection ………………………….. 8 Execute Data Collection Plan ………………………………………….. 9 Extracting Data from Videotapes and RTMS Units …………………… 10 Remote Traffic Microwave Sensor (RTMS)…………………………… 10 Results and Comparisons ……………………………………………… 13 4 DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS ‘BEFORE’ THE RESTRICTIONS ………………………………………………. 14 Data Collection Locations……………………………………………… 14 Data Extraction/Retrieval ……………………………………………… 15 Results from Video Collection ………………………………………… 19 5 DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS ‘AFTER’ THE RESTRICTIONS ………………………………………………. 25 Data Collection Locations……………………………………………… 25 Data Collection ………………………………………………………… 27 Results from RTMS for Truck Volume………………………………… 27 Results from RTMS for Speeds………………………………………… 30 Results from Video Data for Truck Volume…………………………… 30 Results from Video Data for Truck Speeds ……………………………. 31 6 COMPARISON OF RESULTS FOR THE LANE DISTRIBUTION OF TRUCKS ……………………………………… 37 Method for Statistical Test for the Lane Distribution of Trucks ………. 37 Comparison of the Lane Distribution of Trucks on Eastside of Knoxville…………………………………………………… 38 Comparison of the Lane Distribution of Trucks on Westside of Knoxville………………………………………………….. 45 7 COMPARISON OF RESULTS FOR TRUCK SPEEDS…………… 52 Method for a Statistical Test for the Truck Speeds ……………………. 52 Comparison of Truck Speeds on Eastside of Knoxville………………... 54 v Comparison of Truck Speeds on Westside of Knoxville ………………. 63 8 CONCLUSIONS AND OBSERVATIONS ………………………….. 77 Conclusions …………………………………………………………….. 77 General Observations and Suggestions………………………………… 78 REFERENCES ………………………………………………………………. 80 APPENDIX ……………………………………………………………………. 83 VITA ………………………………………………………………………….. 88 vi List of Tables TABLE PAGE 4-01 ‘Before’ data collection times and locations…………………………… 18 4-02 Lane distribution of trucks before the restrictions……………………… 20 4-03 Truck speeds by lane before the restrictions …………………………… 21 5-01 Truck traffic counted by RTMS units in eastbound direction …………. 29 5-02 Truck traffic counted by RTMS units in westbound direction ………… 29 5-03 Lane distribution of trucks after the restrictions ……………………….. 32 5-04 Truck speed by lane after the restrictions ……………………………… 33 6-01 Statistical test for the difference of lane distribution between ‘before’ and ‘after’ the restrictions in eastbound at Deep Springs road location……………………………………………………………. 41 6-02 Statistical test for the difference of lane distribution between ‘before’ and ‘after’ the restrictions in westbound at Deep Springs road location……………………………………………………………. 41 6-03 Statistical test for the difference of lane distribution between ‘before’ and ‘after’ the restrictions in eastbound at McMillan road location ………………………………………………………………… 44 6-04 Statistical test for the difference of lane distribution between ‘before’ and ‘after’ the restrictions in westbound at McMillan road location ………………………………………………………………… 44 6-05 Statistical test for the difference of lane distribution between ‘before’ and ‘after’ the restrictions in eastbound at Walker Spring road location …………………………………………………………… 48 6-06 Statistical test for the difference of lane distribution between ‘before’ and ‘after’ the restrictions in westbound at Walker Spring road location …………………………………………………………… 48 6-07 Statistical test for the difference of lane distribution between ‘before’ and ‘after’ the restrictions in eastbound at Watt road location ………………………………………………………………… 51 6-08 Statistical test for the difference of lane distribution between ‘before’ and ‘after’ the restrictions in westbound at Watt road location ………………………………………………………………… 51 7-01 Change of 85th percentile speed of trucks at Deep Springs road location ………………………………………………………………… 59 7-02 Statistical test for truck speeds at Deep Springs road location ………… 59 7-03 Change of 85th percentile speed of trucks at McMillan road location …. 63 7-04 A statistical test for truck speeds at McMillan road location ………….. 63 7-05 Change of 85th percentile speed of trucks at Walker Spring road location ………………………………………………………………… 68 vii 7-06 A statistical test for truck speeds at Walker Spring road location……… 68 7-07 Change of 85th percentile speed of trucks at Watt road location ………. 71 7-08 Statistical test for truck speeds at Watt road location …………………. 71 7-09 Summaries of statistical tests for the differences in number of trucks and truck speeds in each lane at Deep Springs road location…… 73 7-10 Summaries of statistical tests for the differences in number of trucks and truck speeds in each lane at McMillan road location ………. 74 7-11 Summaries of statistical tests for the differences in number of trucks and truck speeds in each lane at Walker Spring road location….. 75 7-12 Summaries of statistical tests for the differences in number of trucks and truck speeds in each lane at Watt road location …………….