User costs at the work zone

Abstract

The objective of this technical note is to discuss the implications related to evaluating work zone user costs. It discusses the work zone dilemma existing among the agency, users, and contractors, and presents different strategies that have been conducted to minimize delay and maximize the number of vehicles that can travel safely throughout the work zone. It further discusses the implication of using five of the most used tools in the process of evaluating the work zone: (i) the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD); (ii) the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM); (iii) computerized software; (iv) delay models; and (v) work zone user costs models.Key words: work zone, user costs, HCM, MUTCD, accident, delay, delay costs.