Modeling Traffic Delays at Northern New York Border Crossings

Abstract

Border crossings in northern New York are important to international trade and tourism. How traffic operations at these crossings can be made more efficient has been a concern to the New York State Department of Transportation and the agencies that operate bridges, toll plazas, and customs and immigration plazas. Very little, however, is known about the characteristics of vehicle-processing time and delay at these crossings. This lack of understanding makes it difficult to evaluate the potential impact of changes in operating policies and physical plants. To alleviate this problem, this study identifies the processing time characteristics at three northern New York border crossings and proposes a delay model for planning applications.