A Simulation-Based Approach to Determine the Location of Dedicated Transit Lane

Abstract

This paper is concerned with proposing a decision-making model to determine the suitable type from curbside and offset transit lane, mainly for a double-lane auxiliary road. The significant difference between these two types is the location of the weaving segment. A comparison analysis was first conducted to discuss traffic operations at weaving segments. Then, a decision-making model using random forest technique was developed based on output volume, delay, and the number of person from 1 261 260 VISSIM micro-simulation scenarios which evaluated varying occupancy of a transit vehicle, occupancy of a general vehicle, transit traffic volume, general traffic volume, cycle lengths, green time splits, and ratio of right-turning flow. The results reveal that when determining transit lane options: 1) general traffic volume is the most significant variable; 2) the impact of occupancy of a general/transit vehicle is so small that can be ignored; and 3) signal cycle, general, and transit volume have a negative effect on selecting offset transit lane, but signal splits and right-turning ratio have a positive effect. This paper provides a better understanding of offset transit lane operation and offers a simple determination to select suitable transit lane type for a particular traffic scenario using five input data needs, without the need for complex hand calculations.