Macrolevel Estimation of Highway Lane Usage

Abstract

A methodology is proposed and simple models are developed that estimate on a macrolevel the traffic volume distribution in highways lanes. The testing of the methodology and the models' calibration were done for different hourly volumes with data collected from highways in the Greater Athens area in Greece. The transferability and predictability of the models were shown by applying them to different highway traffic conditions. Thus, a useful, simple tool for traffic management is developed for usage by transportation planners and highway engineers: based on a macrolevel utilization of each traffic lane by the vehicles, the pavement maintenance can be scheduled accordingly, and better design of intersections could be accomplished by taking into account the traffic volume estimated to use each lane, especially the right one.