Assessment of incident-induced impacts on the performance of an arterial network.

This paper presents a simulation approach to the assessment of incident-induced impacts on a commuting corridor between the western suburbs and the CBD area in Brisbane. A microscopic simulation model was calibrated for the study area and used to assess the impacts of simulated incidents on average travel times, speeds, fuel consumption and environmental emissions. The model was found to replicate (under-predict) traffic conditions within 15 percent of observed volumes on the corridor. The impact of incidents was found to vary with severity (number of blocked lanes) and duration. Section-specific impacts were more pronounced, resulting in an increase of more than 140 percent in travel times for an incident blocking the fast lane and lasting for 15 minutes on Coronation Drive. The results reported in this paper demonstrate the feasibility of the approach and provide directions to extend the model's capabilities in evaluating the effectiveness of incident management plans in the study area. (Author/publisher) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E209471.