Using M∕M∕∞ Queueing Model in On-Street Parking Maneuvers

Abstract

This paper quantifies the influence badly parked vehicles and on-street parking maneuvers have on average link journey times as a function of the duration of the events and the number of designated maneuvers and flow, by applying an M/M/∞ queueing model in which arrival and departure are all Poisson processes. The method has been validated using microsimulations calibrated by in-situ measurements taken in the streets of the city of Santander (Cantabria, Spain). The analysis on the delays shows a good fit for the M/M/∞ model for flows of 60–70% of capacity where the error is always lower than 5%. This demonstrates the efficiency of the M/M/∞ model for studying how on-street parking maneuvers and badly parked vehicles influence traffic flow and avoids the need to use generally more laborious microsimulation models. Microsimulations are used to calculate the reduction in link capacity for each case in the study and the increases in average journey times for the rest of the road users. This shows the effect that allowing on-street parking on arterial or main roads has on the rest of the traffic.