NCJ Number
588
Date Published
1964
Length
46 pages
Annotation
A METHOD USED FOR ANY MODEL REPRESENTING INDIVIDUAL QUEUES AND ANY NUMBER OF FREE SPEED CLASSES.
Abstract
EMPHASIS IS ON THE RANDOM BEHAVIOR OF A SINGLE TRAFFIC STREAM. CARS ARE DIVIDED INTO A FINITE NUMBER OF DISCRETE FREE SPEED CLASSES. A CAR IS MOVING ON ITS FREE SPEED, WHEN IT IS FREE FROM INTERACTION WITH OTHER CARS. FOR THE REMAINING PART OF ITS TRAVEL TIME IT IS DRIVING ON THE SPEED FORCED UPON IT BY THE LEADERS OF QUEUES WITH SLOWER FREE SPEED. THE QUEUES, THAT BUILD UP AMONG THE CARS, THAT SUCCESSIVELY PASS SLOW-MOVING CARS, ARE APPROXIMATED BY STEADY-STATE QUEUES. A SET OF EQUATIONS IS ESTABLISHED RELATING THE MEAN NUMBER OF CARS PER MILE OF EACH FREE SPEED CLASS AND THE MEAN NUMBER OF QUEUE LEADERS PER MILE OF EACH CLASS. RESULTS ARE OBTAINED FOR THREE- AND FIVE-SPEED CLASSES. NO SOPHISTICATED PASSING RULES ARE INTRODUCED. OPPORTUNITIES FOR PASSING ARE ASSUMED TO BE GENERATED BY A POISSON PROCESS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)