Using ITS to improve the capacity of freeway merging sections by transferring freight vehicles.

Due to the lack of sufficient data in congested traffic situations on freeways, the effects of traffic and geometric characteristics on the merging capacity and merging traffic behavior and characteristics are largely unknown. In order to investigate these problems, a three year extensive study was undertaken to focus on the merging process under congested freeway traffic conditions. For this purpose, extensive data obtained from observation, survey and detector data in Tokyo and the necessary data such as spacing and relative speeds of merging vehicles were extracted. The collected field data, such as freeway and ramp vehicle speeds, acceleration-deceleration rates, and merging positions were used to identify and quantify key variables for use in the freeway merging model. The field data were applied to the established driver behavior concepts in order to examine the proposed methodologies for freeway merging behavior. Based on this behavioral model, the Freeway Merging Capacity Simulation Program (FMCSP) was developed to simulate the actual traffic conditions. This model evaluates the capacity of a merging section for a given geometric. Moreover, the extensive collected detector data were used to measure the effect of heavy commercial vehicles percentage on the capacity of merging sections. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E216058.