Simple Methodology for Evaluating Toll Plaza Operations

Abstract

Currently, the Highway Capacity Manual does not provide any tools for the analysis of toll plazas, specifically for the calculation of queue delay. Calculating delay experienced by vehicles in the plaza is a difficult task because of large variations in plaza design and operations; therefore, various simulation models such as TPSIM, WATSim, AIMSUN, and VISSIM are used extensively for toll plaza modeling. However, the performance of these models depends on their calibration and assumptions. As a result, the model results could differ greatly from reality, and the user would not have a means to evaluate their accuracy in the absence of field data. To solve this problem, a methodology has been developed to determine capacity, queuing patterns, and delays of toll plazas by considering the approach roadway conditions and traffic demand characteristics. This methodology, which is suitable for manual calculation, is suggested to improve users’ understanding of toll plaza operations and to provide a means of evaluating simulation results. The application of this methodology to the Throgs Neck Bridge toll plaza in New York City shows that the queuing pattern and delays can be estimated accurately for the a.m. peak period.