Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Master's Theses Graduate School 2003 Modeling and evaluating evacuation contraflow termination point designs Yu Yik Lim Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses Part of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons Recommended Citation Lim, Yu Yik, "Modeling and evaluating evacuation contraflow termination point designs" (2003). LSU Master's Theses. 248. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_theses/248 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Master's Theses by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MODELING AND EVALUATING EVACUATION CONTRAFLOW TERMINATION POINT DESIGNS A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Civil Engineering in The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering by Yu Yik Lim B.S., Louisiana State University, 2000 August 2003 Acknowledgments I would like to express my appreciation to my advisor, Dr. Brian P. Wolshon, for his brilliant guidance, encouragement, support, as well for inspiring me to do my master degree in transportation engineering. Special thanks Dr. Chester Wilmot and Dr. Sherif Ishak who gave me valuable advice and suggestions to complete my thesis. Deep appreciation goes to my roommate, Gregoris Theodoulou, who always helped me and encouraged me throughout my study. I also want to acknowledge Mei Bing for his precious assistance at all time. Thanks are due also to all my friends, Sirisha, Martin, Yan, Chris, Rena and Dr. LaMotte who helped me complete my thesis. Without all of their supports, my graduate study would be agonizing. I am especially grateful to my parents, my sister and brother who continue supporting me these years. Finally, I want to thank my beloved fiancée, Angela, for her love and support throughout these years. ii Table of Contents Acknowledgments..................................................................................................................... ii List of Tables............................................................................................................................. v List of Figures......................................................................................................................... vii Abstract..................................................................................................................................... x Chapter 1. Introduction...................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Problem Statement ..................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Research Goal and Objectives.................................................................................... 3 Chapter 2. Literature Review............................................................................................. 4 2.1 Contraflow Operation................................................................................................. 4 2.1.1 Contraflow Termination Points with Median Crossover ....................................... 8 2.1.2 Contraflow Termination Points without Median Crossover................................ 16 2.2 Single-Lane Closure Traffic Flow Characteristics................................................... 18 2.3 Traffic Simulation Software..................................................................................... 19 2.3.1 CORSIM Model................................................................................................... 20 2.3.2 Interstate Highway 37 (I-32) Reverse-Flow Analysis.......................................... 21 2.4 Conclusion................................................................................................................ 22 Chapter 3. Methodology ................................................................................................... 23 3.1 Configuration Selection............................................................................................ 24 3.2 Data Collection and Model Coding.......................................................................... 24 3.2.1 Selection of Traffic Flow Direction Percentage................................................... 31 3.2.2 Selection of Traffic Turning Movement at Exit Ramp ........................................ 32 3.2.3 Selection of Truck Percentage.............................................................................. 34 3.2.4 Selection of Geometric Design and Speed Limit ................................................. 35 3.2.5 Incidents/Blockages Setup on Network Model.................................................... 36 3.3 Model Revising and Evaluation............................................................................... 37 3.3.1 Parameters Adjustment in CORSIM.................................................................... 37 3.3.2 Selection of Traffic Volume for Final Simulation Models .................................. 38 3.4 Preliminary Test Simulation..................................................................................... 39 3.5 CORSIM Output Data Description.......................................................................... 44 3.5.1 Time-Period Output Data..................................................................................... 46 Chapter 4. Results and Analysis....................................................................................... 53 4.1 Overall Network Comparison.................................................................................. 54 4.1.1 Network-Wide Performance Comparisons .......................................................... 54 4.1.2 Vehicles Processed Comparisons......................................................................... 58 4.2 Routes Performance Comparisons ........................................................................... 61 4.2.1 Contraflow Routes Statistics Comparisons.......................................................... 63 4.2.2 Normal Flow Routes Statistics Comparisons....................................................... 65 4.3 Links Performance Comparisons ............................................................................. 67 4.3.1 Output Results before median crossover – Link (8, 1) ........................................ 67 iii 4.3.2 Output Results of Merging Area before Lane Drop – Link (18,17) .................... 73 4.3.3 Output Results of Intermediate Link (34, 32) Comparison.................................. 79 4.3.4 Output Results of Intermediate Link (35, 33) Comparison.................................. 85 4.3.5 Output Results of Entrance Link (52,50) Comparison......................................... 91 4.3.6 Output Results of Entrance Link (53,51) Comparison......................................... 97 4.4 Speed-Density, Flow-Density and Speed-Flow Relationships .............................. 103 Chapter 5. Summary and Conclusions .......................................................................... 107 5.1 Summary of Research Study.................................................................................. 107 5.2 Summary of Research Findings ............................................................................. 108 5.3 Area of Future Research......................................................................................... 109 References............................................................................................................................. 110 Appendix A: Notation and Abbreviation.......................................................................... 113 Appendix B: CORSIM Sample Output File ..................................................................... 114 Appendix C: SAS One-way ANOVA Testing Sample Output ........................................ 118 Appendix D: SAS Tukey’s Testing Sample Output ......................................................... 119 Vita......................................................................................................................................... 120 iv List of Tables Table 2-1. Interstate Contraflow Flow Rates for Four-Lane Freeways .................................... 5 Table 2-2. Planned Contraflow Evacuation Routes .................................................................. 6 Table 2-3. Review of Contraflow Termination Point Designs.................................................. 7 Table 3-1. Exiting Traffic Percentage at the Interchange for Simulation Models .................. 32 Table 3-2. Cumulative Network-Wide Average Statistical Comparison................................ 40 Table 3-3. Definitions of FRESIM Cumulative Link-Specific Statistics (ITT, 2001)............ 45 Table 3-4. Definitions Network-Wide Average Statistics (ITT, 2001)................................... 46 Table 3-5. Original Cumulative and Calculated Time-Period FRESIM Link Statistics......... 49 Table 3-6. Original and Calculated Time-Period Network-Wide Average Statistics............