Simulation-Based, Scenario-Driven Integrated Corridor Management Strategy Analysis

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Transportation affirmed the integrated corridor management (ICM) initiative to mitigate traffic congestion on urban corridor networks by systematically leveraging and diverting traffic to better utilize the available capacities of parallel arterials. ICM strategies would be of utmost importance when traffic incidents that may cause significant delays occur on freeways. By effectively diverting upcoming traffic to the adjacent arterials via variable message signs and real-time traveler information systems (e.g., mobile devices), the impact of incidents can be alleviated. To understand fully the effectiveness of ICM strategies, a framework needs to be developed to model, simulate, and analyze ICM operations under different scenarios. This study developed and calibrated a VISSIM simulation model based on field-collected video and sensor data for the South of Downtown area of Seattle, Washington. The analysis aimed to quantify networkwide ICM performance by empirically diverting traffic to adjacent arterials in response to incident management for freeway operations. Multiple scenarios were built into the simulation model to account for different diversion rates as well as recurrent and nonrecurrent congestion situations. When more traffic is diverted into an arterial, the arterial's performance degrades while improvements in travel time and delay for the freeway become marginal. Through quantitative analysis of the delay, throughput, and travel time of freeway segments and the arterial network, the trade-off in the overall system performance was carefully studied and understood. The research findings set up a solid foundation for ICM strategy development and optimization of traffic system operations.