SPEED PREDICTION FOR TWO-LANE RURAL HIGHWAYS

Abstract

Design consistency refers to the conformance of a highway's geometry to driver expectancy. Drivers make fewer errors in the vicinity of geometric features that conform to their expectations. A technique to evaluate the consistency of a design is to evaluate changes in operating speeds along an alignment. To use operating speed as a consistency tool requires the ability to accurately predict speeds as a function of the roadway geometry. In this research project, several efforts were undertaken to predict operating speed for different conditions such as on horizontal, vertical, and combined curves; on tangent sections using alignment indices; on grades using TWOPAS model; and prior to or after a horizontal curve. The findings from the different efforts were incorporated into a speed-profile model. The model can be used to evaluate the design consistency of the roadway or can be used to develop a speed profile for an alignment. The model considers both horizontal and vertical curvature and the acceleration or deceleration behavior as a vehicle moves from one feature to another.