Methodology for the operational performance assessment of two-lane highway facilities

Traffic engineers have indicated that a facility-based evaluation methodology for two-lane highways would be much more useful and practical to them than just the individual segment and point analysis methodologies. A facility level analysis will allow the various features (e.g., isolated intersections, continuous grades, passing lanes) that are typical to an extended length of two-lane highway to be addressed in a combined analysis with a single performance measure and level of service value resulting.; Currently there is not any operational analysis methodology to address two-lane highways with different segment types at the facility level. The scope of analysis provided in the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) 2000 for two-lane highway is limited to separated segment within the facility.; In this dissertation, a methodology is developed to assess the operational performance of an extended length of a two-lane highway facility, which might include an occasional signalized intersection and other control or roadway segments.; The methodology maintains some fidelity to the HCM 2000 by using the existing methodologies for the two-lane highway segments and signalized intersections. Meanwhile, the individual segment in the whole facility is not regarded as an isolated object, and the impacts between segments are taken into account. A common time/delay based measure (percent time-delayed) is used for each segment and point of the entire facility.; The primary contribution of this dissertation is the development of analytical relationships to determine the upstream and downstream boundary points that define the transition between basis two-lane highway segments and the effective influence area of the signalized intersection and the TWSC intersection, as well as the corresponding method for calculation of an overall facility service measure based upon percent time-delayed and then translating it to a Level Of Service (LOS) grade.; The dissertation focuses the efforts on developing the methodology for operational analysis of a two-lane highway with an isolated signalized intersection at the facility level. Nonetheless, this research also provides a model for the basic structure of a facility level analysis that will be amenable to the incorporation of a variety of segment types. Finally the methodology has been incorporated into the existing HIGHPLAN software program.