Modeling Speed Behavior of Passenger Cars and Trucks in Freeway Construction Work Zones: Implications on Work Zone Design and Traffic Control Decision Processes
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 134, Issue 11
Abstract
Current work zone design and traffic control guidance is based on desirable speed outcomes; knowledge related to actual speed outcomes of design and traffic control decisions is limited. The objective of this research is to investigate relationships among speed behavior, roadway geometrics, and traffic control in freeway construction work zones. Four speed measures are modeled: 85th percentile passenger car speed, 85th percentile truck speed, passenger car speed deviation, and truck speed deviation. The research objective is accomplished through specification and estimation of a first-order autoregressive seemingly unrelated regression model to account for contemporaneous correlations between equation disturbances and positive autocorrelation. Data for model estimation were collected at 119 locations in 17 Pennsylvania and Texas work zones. Model estimation results show that several work design and traffic control features influence speed magnitudes and deviations. Findings also indicate that relationships among speed magnitude, speed deviation, work zone design, and traffic control are more complex than general engineering intuitions expressed in current work zone design guidance.
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Acknowledgments
This research was conducted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Doctor of Philosophy degree at the Pennsylvania State University. The writers thank Dr. Eric Donnell, Dr. Kevin Mahoney, Dr. Martin Pietrucha, Dr. Ling Rothrock, and Dr. Venky Shankar for their comments on the work in its dissertation form. The writers acknowledge and appreciate the cooperation of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Texas Department of Transportation in enabling the research team to collect work zone speed data on active construction projects.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 134 • Issue 11 • November 2008
Pages: 450 - 458
Copyright
© 2008 ASCE.
History
Received: Nov 20, 2007
Accepted: May 29, 2008
Published online: Nov 1, 2008
Published in print: Nov 2008
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