Conversion Mechanism of Reversible Lane System under Urban Tidal Flow Condition

摘要

To mitigate the ever-worsening congestion in urban areas, the reversible lane system is introduced as an alternative. The system is divided into five function zones, and the basic facilities required for each zone are illustrated. Three processes, namely clearance, entrance and exit, constitute the whole implementation procedure of a reversible lane system. The section saturation of 0.8 and the directional distribution factor of 2/3 are recommended for the criteria to activate the reversible lane system. An optimization model is developed to determine the number of lanes to be converted for reversible use. The reliability of a reversible lane system is measured in terms of safety, operation, and capacity. The results of before-and-after simulation in VISSIM show that the travel time decreased 38.73% and average vehicle delay decreased 50.70%, which is an indication that the reversible lane system is an effective option for the mitigation of urban congestion.