Author(s):
F.H. Edwards
Publication Date
1961
Abstract
The study of freeway entrance design has received considerable attention during the past few years. In attempting to provide some of the answers to the problem of freeway entrance ramp operation, research studies have been focused primarily toward the study of vehicle mane vers. This research though providing much needed data has indicated how the facility is being utilized through vehicle maneuvers and has failed to reflect the actual behavior of the driver. Preliminary investigations have indicated that many of the operational problems encountered at freeway entrances are the direct result of undesirable behavior on the part of the entering driver, and deviations from the intended use of the facility .|This paper presents a portion of the results of a research project "Ramps and Interchanges" which was conducted by TTI for the Texas Highway Department. This phase of the project was designed to investigate driver behavior on freeway entrance ramps under operational conditions.|The field data were gathered through the use of motion picture studies which utilized a dual camera technique. One 16 mm camera, equipped with a six inch telephoto lens' was positioned on an elevated vantage point across the freeway from the ramp being studied and was used to record the actions of the individual drivers as they entered the freeway. The second 16 mm camera, mounted on an elevated vantage point in advance of the ramp, was used to record data on the overall operation of the freeway and entrance ramp. Two separate studies were conducted, one at an entrance ramp location on the Gulf Freeway in Houston, Texas, and the other at an entrance ramp location on a freeway in San Antonio, Texas. Both peak and off-peak conditions were recorded. The analysis of the data revealed some significant results which point out the increasing need for freeway designers to consider driver behavior in the design of freeway entrances.
Report Number:
RP-16(2)
Keywords:
Ramp Design/Driver Behavior
Link(s):
Document/Product
http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/RP-16-02.pdf
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