This paper examines the problem of peak period traffic congestion and the analysis of alternative congestion relief methods. It presents a dynamic model of the queues and delays at a single point of traffic congestion because there is ample evidence to suggest that the major delays to users occur at bottlenecks. The model consists of a deterministic queueing model and a model of arrival rate as a function of travel time and schedule delay. A dynamic simulation model also describes the evolution of queues from day to day. The model is used to study the impacts of changes in capacity, total demands, flexibility of work start time and traffic control. Among the numerical results is a demonstration that additional capacity always significantly reduces the duration of the congestion period, but may result in a less significant improvement in maximum delays. (A)
Abstract