Travel Time Variability after a Shock - The Case of the Twin Cities Ramp Meter Shut Off
The Network Reliability of Transport
ISBN: 978-0-08-044109-2, eISBN: 978-1-78-635954-4
Publication date: 8 May 2003
Abstract
Ramp meters in the Twin Cities were turned off for 8 weeks in the Fall of 2000. This paper analyzes traffic data collected in this experiment on travel time variability with and without ramp metering for several representative freeways during the afternoon peak period. Travel time variability is generally reduced with metering. However, it is found that ramp meters are particularly helpful for long trips relative to short trips. The annual benefits from reducing travel time variability with meters are estimated to be $33.1 million, compared to the annual ramp metering costs of $2.6 million in the Twin Cities metro area. Thus, the impact on travel time variability should be captured in future ramp metering benefit/cost analysis.
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgments
This research was part of the project Measuring the Equity and Efficiency of Ramp Meters funded by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The authors want to thank Pat Otto, Dave Berg, John Hourdakis, James Aswegan, Rich Lau, John Bieniek, Atif Sheikh, Shantanu Das, and Frank Lilja for their assistance. The opinions and errors remain those of the authors.
Citation
Levinson, D. and Zhang, L. (2003), "Travel Time Variability after a Shock - The Case of the Twin Cities Ramp Meter Shut Off", Bell, M.G.H. and Iida, Y. (Ed.) The Network Reliability of Transport, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 385-402. https://doi.org/10.1108/9781786359544-023
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
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