Special report - Transportation Research Board, National Research Council · 1989 · 10 citations · 0 references
EngineeringAutomotive EngineeringTransportation PlanningTransportTransportationTransportation EngineeringPublic TransitTraffic EngineeringTraffic Flow TheoryTraffic OperationsTransport ModellingTransportation ModelsCost Savings AnalysisGrade Separation DesignIntersection Delay AnalysisIntersection Delay ModelingIntersection Operational PerformanceLight Rail OperationsRail Transit OperationsTransport Delay Impact Assessment
The concept of light rail vehicles (LRVs) operating at grade and alternately sharing the right-of-way perpendicular to the flow of automobile traffic is an attractive transit idea because of the potential cost savings to transit agencies. This paper is a partial review of an evaluation of the potential delay impacts on automobile traffic imposed by LRVs operating at grade. This report can assist decision-makers in determining where grade separations are appropriate. Also presented is a methodology for summarizing the operational characteristics of a light rail transit grade crossing with a single parameter, the crossing-volume-to-capacity ratio. The analysis centered on computer simulations using FHWA's NETSIM model. Results indicated that for light rail transit crossings located in excess of 400 ft from any adjacent intersection, the delay imposed on the motoring public warranted a grade separation only at very high traffic volumes or very short LRV headways.