This paper describes the findings from the application of the INTRAS microscopic simulation model to evaluate the traffic performance at major freeway weaving sections. The work performed is part of an ongoing research project to develop improved weaving analysis procedures that are particularly applicable to California conditions. The INTRAS model was modified to predict the speeds of weaving and nonweaving vehicles and applied on eight major freeway weaving sections for a range of traffic conditions at each site. Good agreement was obtained between the measured and predicted values. Comparisons with speeds estimated from existing analytical procedures indicated that INTRAS predictions are considerably closer to the field measurements. The potential of the model to predict the capacity and level of service at weaving areas was also investigated. The model produced consistent results on the data sets tested, indicating that it may be used in conjunction with field measurements to develop improved methodologies for the design and analysis of freeway weaving sections. Future steps in this direction are discussed.
Abstract