Euan
The USA FHWA Comprehensive Size and Weight Study delivered to the US
Congress in August 2000 and available at
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/tswstudy/ references traffic issues to a
degree and cites papers on traffic operations.
Suggest it would be a good source of reference material.
As a more general comment, given most operations of these larger vehicles
are on high standard roads, and that performance requirements result in
these vehicles have engine powers "appropriate" to their weight, I would
suggest from my driving experience and observations that they are no worse
than other heavy vehicle combinations in their impact on traffic flow. In
particular my observation is that older trucks and truck and dog trailer
combinations have lower acceleration rates from stationary at lights and so
tend to create greater delays than B-Doubles
Regards
John Lambert
MIEAust, CPEng 180 785
Bachelor of Engineering (University of Melbourne), ARMIT (Mechanical)
Director and Company Secretary
John Lambert & Associates Pty Ltd
ACN 090 833 873
ABN 59 090 833 873
235 Wandana Drive, Wandana Heights, Victoria, 3216 Australia
Phone: [61 3] 5249 1228
Fax: [61 3] 5249 1146
Mobile or cell phone: 0417 033 258
Email: [log in to unmask]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Euan Ramsay" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 17, 2002 3:11 PM
Subject: Impacts of Heavy Vehicles on Urban Traffic
> Queensland University of Technology is currently conducting an assessment
> of the impacts of heavy vehicles on urban traffic.
>
> Specifically, we are investigating the effects that large combination
> vehicles, or LCV's (such as Road Trains and B-doubles/B-trains) have on
the
> traffic flow, capacity and delay throughout an urban network or corridor.
>
> Significant work has been conducted on rural and remote area operations of
> LCV's. However, it is in accessing urban freight facilities that
> considerable productivity gains can be achieved - often at the expense of
> increased traffic congestion around the vehicle.
>
> The initial literature review is under way and we are looking for
> information on previous or current research into this area.
>
> Information and references relating to computer-based microsimulation of
> traffic would be particularly useful. We are finding that many current
> traffic simulation models do not accurately represent the turning,
> acceleration/braking and gap acceptance criteria for LCV's, and hope to
> achieve a methodology for including such effects into traffic simulation
> models.
>
> Any information would be greatly appreciated.
>
>
> Euan Ramsay
> Postgraduate Researcher, School of Civil Engineering
> Queensland University of Technology
> GPO Box 2434 Brisbane QLD 4001 Australia
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
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