Title: Linking Planning and Operations for BRT: A Microscopic Traffic Simulation Study for the Chicago Loop
Abstract: Traffic congestion has become a threat to many U.S. cities, including the City of Chicago. As a promising alternative, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) may improve level-of-service (LOS) of the bus network; however, the real challenge addressed in this paper is how to evaluate the impacts of such policies on different stakeholders (i.e., auto-drivers and bus-riders) prior to implementation. This study relies on the preparation of a microscopic traffic simulation model for the Chicago Loop area, aided by the utilization of a geographic information system (GIS) traffic network, traffic counts, traffic signals and the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) bus service data. This study proposes three sets of indicators for the evaluation of the proposed schemes: 1) bus travel speed, 2) automobile travel speed, and 3) bus travel time and reliability. These performance indicators will serve to compare the current base case to the proposed bus improvement scenarios. Based on the evaluation of three scenarios, this study provides recommendations on how to improve bus LOS in the Chicago Loop area.
Publication Year: 2010
Publication Date: 2010-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 3
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