Evaluation of Toll Collection Performance Using Traffic Simulation

Abstract

With the continuing steady increase of vehicles on Brisbane roads, Brisbane is expected to
experience gridlock situations by 2011 unless significant changes are made to roadways or
methods of transport. Intelligent transport systems are one of the limited responses remaining
to reducing traffic congestion. As there is a limit to how much additional area may be devoted
to roadways, it is vital to ensure that current roadway networks are managed to their full
potential.
Intelligent Transport Systems can be evaluated either by field research or by laboratory
simulation models. Field research is extremely costly and time consuming. Simulation is a
more appropriate way of evaluating Intelligent Transport Systems.
The Gateway Bridge is vital to the South East Queensland region as it provides access to
Brisbane Airport and the Port of Brisbane. Current traffic volumes are considered to be
approaching the capacity of the Bridge under its current toll plaza configuration. This thesis
evaluates the implementation of an Intelligent Transport System approach to improving the
capacity of the current toll plaza configuration.
Using AIMSUN, a microscopic simulation package, the thesis developed a model of the
Gateway Bridge for the purpose of evaluating toll collection performance. Toll booth delay
and section time data were collected in the field enabling the construction and calibration of a
base model that closely resembled the current situation. Calibration was to an adequate
confidence level to ensure integrity of results.
A number of scenarios were run aimed at quantifying the performance of different toll
collection mechanisms and analysing the impact fully automated E toll systems would have on
future flows
Results from this Intelligent Transport Systems evaluation, showed that four fully automated E
toll lanes could support expected 2011 traffic flows.