Modeling Automobile Drivers’ Toll-Lane Choice Behavior at a Toll Plaza

Abstract

A toll-lane selection process at a toll plaza can be looked at as an outcome of the choice processes of individual drivers. In this paper, an attempt is made to develop a random utility-based discrete multinomial choice model for the behavior of automobile drivers while selecting toll lanes at a toll plaza. Specifically, a multinomial logit model is developed and calibrated using disaggregate level choice data from three toll plazas with different geometry and rates of arrival of vehicles. The calibrated logit models from the different sites when statistically compared show that a generic model, applicable to all the sites, is possible. Such a generic model is also developed. The use of the proposed model can improve the analysis of traffic flow at toll plazas and ultimately lead to more effective designs of these facilities.