Assessing Traffic and Emergency Benefits of Railroad Grade Separations

Abstract

The benefits of constructiong grade separations at four railroad crossings in Thunder Bay, Canada, are evaluated. The purpose of the study is to determine the two crossings whose grade separations provide the most efficent traffic operations and maximum accessibility of emergency services (fire stations and hospitals). Efficiency is evaluated by several measures of performance including travel time, delay, and fuel consumption. Accessibility is evaluated by the travel time between the emergency services locations and various areas in the city. Traffic volume data were collected in May 1985 during the afternoon peak period (4:30-5:30 P.M.) for 15-minute intervals. These data, along with other data related to land uses, are used to establish the origin-destination (O-D) demands through the use of a recently developed model, LINKOD. These O-D demand and the characteristics of the network represent the basic input to a traffic management model, CORCONF. The CORCONF model is used to evaluate the impacts of various grade-separation alternatives on both efficency and accessibility. In addition to analyzing a real-world problem, this paper also discusses some aspects related to the application of the models described herein, which should prove useful for potential users of the models.