An Analysis of HOV Lanes: Their Impact on Traffic

Event details
Date | 21.10.2010 |
Hour | 12:15 |
Speaker | Dr Monica Menendez, ETHZ |
Location |
GC A3 31
|
Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Dr. Menendez developed a simple model for car-following with lane-changing that matches field data with considerable accuracy. The model is based only on physical principles and requires few parameters. It uses very simple microscopic rules to reproduce the aggregate characteristics of traffic. The movement of any vehicle is only constrained by its mechanical properties, driver comfort, and safety. The model is proved to be fail-safe, e.g., it has no crashes independently of the deceleration bounds. The final product is used in micro-simulations to study the impact that High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes have on traffic.
HOV lanes are restricted-use freeway lanes reserved for vehicles with more than a predetermined number of occupants. Dr. Menendez's research examines the physics of HOV lanes placed on median lanes, with open access everywhere. HOV lanes can affect the capacity of freeway bottlenecks through both an under-utilization effect and a disruption effect. However, under some circumstances, they can actually increase the flow of the adjacent general purpose lanes through a smoothing effect. This research suggests simple strategies to take advantage of that smoothing effect and increase the efficiency of the HOV lanes in general.
Monica Menendez recently joined ETH Zurich as the Director of the Research Group "Traffic Engineering." Prior to that, she was a Management Consultant at Bain & Company's San Francisco office. She joined Bain after receiving a PhD and an MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 2006. Her research interests include traffic flow theory and operations, sustainable transportation, and logistics.
Practical information
- General public
- Free
Contact
- Prof. N. Geroliminis