The allocation of function between network structure and traffic management. The Dutch motorway network is saturated in many places. As a result, the network is very vulnerable to fluctuations in traffic demand. Policy plans currently focus too much on solving bottlenecks. Traffic management is often a favourite measure, but this rarely provides structural relief. A long term perspective on the function and structure of the traffic and transport system, including traffic management, often lacks, while this is essential for influencing developments. To start with, the desired allocation of function between network structure and traffic management should be established. This paper does this by sorting traffic situations by their nature: do they occur regularly or not, and are they predictable or not. For each type of situation, the desired interaction between traffic management and network structure is assessed and illustrated with examples. This can be used to define design steps for a methodology to simultaneously design network structure and traffic management strategies. Some work is still needed to make the methodology suitable for practical use: the results from this paper can be used to identify relevant design dilemmas, with which a designer can work in practice. (Author/publisher)
Abstract