Evaluating Designated Truck Lane Strategies for an Urban Freeway Corridor

The continuous increase in truck traffic has a considerable effect in congestion and air quality in many urban settings. Transportation agencies across the nation are in search of strategies aiming toward better accommodation of truck traffic while simultaneously reducing its impacts on urban traffic operations. In recent years there is increased interest in the use of dedicated truck lanes as a lane-management technique. Separating traffic streams that have different functional characteristics can reduce turbulence and optimize network performance. This study examines the potential role of truck lanes strategies in addressing traffic congestion issues in the Birmingham, Alabama, USA metropolitan area. The paper first reviews the state of practice and summarizes best practices from earlier deployment efforts. Then an investigation takes place of the potential operational impacts from implementation of various truck lanes schemes along a common testbed in Birmingham. This is done through traffic modeling and analysis using VISTA, a sophisticated simulation and dynamic traffic assignment modeling tool. The study revealed that the optimal truck lane use strategy for this study is the conversion of one existing general purpose lane to a shared-use truck lane. The research methods used and findings from this study are expected to benefit both the scientific community and those agencies and authorities responsible for planning, designing, implementing, managing, and operating transportation facilities.