Optimizing Traffic Flow on Existing Street Networks

Experimentation was conducted under real-life conditions in Newark, New Jersey and Louisville, Kentucky to determine the effect of minor physical improvements on traffic operations. Experiments investigated the effects of modifications involving parking and loading operations, pedestrian controls, bus loading, signal controls, lane striping, channelization and signing. Surveys to measure changes in operation were conducted using timelapse photography, instrumented vehicles and human observers. Two of the thirty-seven experiments are described in the paper to illustrate the benefits obtained. These are the use of reversible lanes on Broad Street, Newark and the improvement of bus loading on Market Street, Newark. Demonstrated benefits of traffic operations programs should encourage our traffic-congested cities to participate in the Traffic Operations Program to Increase Capacity and Safety (TOPICS).