The objective of this study is to get a quantitative insight into the effects of departure time adjustment on the traffic performance, using traffic modelling. In the first phase of the study the existing traffic situation at the A2 motorway in the vicinity of the Lekbrug Vianen has been modelled using the DYNDART traffic model version 1.0. The result of this phase is a realistic representation of the existing traffic situation at the A2 between 's Hertogenbosch and Nieuwegein-Zuid. The departure time pattern and the travel time pattern in this traffic situation constitute the basis for the second phase of the study. The starting point in the second phase is that road users are only prepared to adjust their are only prepared to adjust their departure time in the existing situation, provided that this yields a specific profit with respect to experienced travel time. For the deliberation between the experienced travel time profit and adjustment of departure time, a choice model has been formulated based on a literature review. The choice model has been integrated into DYNDART. Several scenarios have been defined and computed. The results of the modelling scenarios show that the effect of even careful presumptions with respect to departure time adjustment, on the traffic performance is considerable.
Abstract