How Light Rail System Capacity is Affected by Station, Intersection, and Mixed Traffic?

抄録

Light rail is a popular transportation mode that can easily and flexibly share road infrastructure and right-of-way with other modes. Past studies on light rail capacity have focused on operation on dedicated lanes, with the interference of highway traffic only at intersections. In this study, we develop three analytical models to calculate the capacity of stations in shared lane sections, which are usually bottlenecks among the entire line. Three types of station-intersection configurations are considered, including (a) stations without the interference of any nearby signalized intersections, (b) stations with a signalized intersection downstream, and (c) stations with a signalized intersection upstream. Model validation applying traffic simulation software VISSIM yields errors within 10% for most of the cases, indicating a reasonable prediction. Using the developed capacity models can help planners and operators design light rail system with efficient capacity utilization and reliable services.