Modelling Automobile Driver’s Toll-Lane Choice Behaviour at a Toll Plaza

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 behaviour 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. Keyword: Toll Plaza, Discrete Multinomial Choice Model, Multinomial Logit Model.

[1]  David A. Hensher,et al.  The Mixed Logit Model: the State of Practice and Warnings for the Unwary , 2001 .

[2]  Andrew J. Junga A multi-purpose toll collection plaza model , 1990, 1990 Winter Simulation Conference Proceedings.

[3]  Timothy C. Coburn,et al.  Statistical and Econometric Methods for Transportation Data Analysis , 2004, Technometrics.

[4]  Feng‐Bor Lin,et al.  Level-of-Service Analysis of Toll Plazas on Freeway Main Lines , 1994 .

[5]  J. Louviere,et al.  The Role of the Scale Parameter in the Estimation and Comparison of Multinomial Logit Models , 1993 .

[6]  Feng-Bor Lin Delay Model for Planning Analysis of Main-Line Toll Plazas , 2001 .

[7]  Christiane Metzner,et al.  TollSim: Simulation and evaluation of toll stations , 2004 .

[8]  Giuseppe Musolino,et al.  A microscopic traffic simulation model for the evaluation of toll station systems , 2001, ITSC 2001. 2001 IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems. Proceedings (Cat. No.01TH8585).

[9]  Simon Washington,et al.  Statistical and Econometric Methods for Transportation Data Analysis (2nd Edition) , 2010 .

[10]  Ennio Cascetta,et al.  Transportation Systems Engineering: Theory and Methods , 2001 .

[11]  Marguerite L. Zarrillo,et al.  Methodology SHAKER and the Capacity Analysis of Five Toll Plazas , 2009 .

[12]  Essam Radwan,et al.  New Model for Evaluation of Traffic Operations at Electronic Toll Collection Plazas , 2000 .

[13]  Kaan Ozbay,et al.  Microscopic Modeling of Lane Selection and Lane Changing at Toll Plazas , 2009 .

[14]  M. Kenward,et al.  An Introduction to the Bootstrap , 2007 .

[15]  Moshe Ben-Akiva,et al.  Discrete Choice Analysis: Theory and Application to Travel Demand , 1985 .

[16]  John Danko,et al.  SIMULATION-BASED APPROACH TO EVALUATING OPTIMAL LANE STAFFING REQUIREMENTS FOR TOLL PLAZAS , 1995 .