An evaluation of freeway lane control signing using computer simulation

Lane control has been proposed as a traffic congestion alleviation method. For this method to work, a certain minimum percentage of the drivers must comply with the lane signing. The research described here has been performed to analyze the percentage of drivers that must comply with lane control. A simulation model was developed and tested. The simulation results for heavy traffic flow (1550 vehicles per hour per lane—vphpl), medium traffic flow (900 vphpl), and light traffic flow (300 vphpl) conditions indicate that lane control has little influence on congestion, regardless of the percentage of drivers that comply with the lane control signing. For heavy flow, the congestion level remains high even when all drivers comply. For medium and light flow, the congestion level remains low even when no drivers comply. The region between heavy and medium traffic flow is, however, sensitive to lane control. Four flow rates between medium and heavy flow were tested. The impact of lane control under these conditions is described.