Evaluating Freeway Service Patrols in Low-Traffic Areas Using Discrete-Event Simulation
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 139, Issue 11
Abstract
Freeway service patrol (FSP) is a low-cost but effective method to identify and clear incidents quickly on freeways, and it has been widely implemented in United States. Most of the related literature focuses on evaluating the reduction of travel delay and secondary collision because of a quicker incident clearance. Although such measures are major concerns in urban areas, they may be of less concern in low-traffic areas. A major function of FSP in low-traffic areas is to assist stalled vehicles, protect stranded drivers, and provide free road assistance services, but its major benefit is to bring direct savings to stranded drivers. This paper presents a new benchmark to evaluate the benefit-cost ratio of FSP in low-traffic areas based on a customized event-driven simulation model. The event-driven simulation model is better than the analytical models and microscopic simulation in this context in that it can accommodate more details than an analytical model while achieve a faster simulating speed than microscopic simulations when the road network is large and the simulation period is long. Lastly, the Safety Assistance for Freeway Emergencies (SAFE) Patrol in Kentucky is evaluated by using the method in this paper to evaluate and estimate the benefit-cost ratios of SAFE Patrol under different scenarios.
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Acknowledgments
This research work was supported by the Kentucky State Planning and Research Funds (Grant No. KYSPR-11-414). The authors would like to thank Mr. William Hayes from the Office of Highway Safety, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, for his support in providing FSP operational data for this research. The contents of this paper reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. This paper does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 139 • Issue 11 • November 2013
Pages: 1095 - 1104
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Dec 12, 2012
Accepted: Jun 17, 2013
Published online: Jun 19, 2013
Published in print: Nov 1, 2013
Discussion open until: Nov 19, 2013
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