The Westa (WEigh STAtion) model is a PC-based tool designed for modeling truck weigh stations, vehicle inspection facilities, or toll-collection facilities. This paper describes a study using the Westa simulation model to study three approaches for reducing high levels of truck congestion at the Seymour, Indiana weigh station. The approaches are: (1) longer entrance ramps able to hold more trucks in queue, (2) electronic transponders permitting equipped trucks to bypass the station, and (3) a low-speed weigh-in-motion (WIM) scale within the station permitting light trucks to bypass the static scale. Westa was used to model each of these scenarios and to quantify impacts such as queue length, station closures because of queue overflow, delay to trucks of legal weight, and risk of accidents. (A*)
Abstract