Work zones cause about one-quarter of nonrecurring motorist delay and are a major source of traveler dissatisfaction. Accurately predicting such delays and planning effective construction phasing and detour routes can help reduce driver frustration. This article describes a software program called QuickZone that can help state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations estimate the impact of work zones activities on traffic flow. The program estimates costs, traffic delays and backups due to work zones and allows users to compare the effects of mitigation strategies. A recently-revised version of the software offers new features that improve modeling and allow a wider variety of performance measures to be tracked. Successful applications of the software are highlighted.
Samenvatting