A new stochastic discrete-event micro simulation model for evaluating traffic operations at electronic toll collection plazas

This article presents a discrete-event stochastic microscopic simulation model specifically developed to evaluate the operational performance of toll plazas. The model has been calibrated, validated, and applied to toll plazas equipped with Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) in Orlando, Florida. Traffic behavior is represented using a set of mathematical and logic algorithms that control the conflicts among vehicles within the toll plaza area. Modified versions of Car-Following and Lane-Changing Algorithms and a new Toll-Lane Selection Algorithm are integrated into this new model to simulate traffic operation at toll plazas. The model output includes Measures of Effectiveness that can be used to evaluate the performance of existing and future individual toll lanes and the entire toll plaza system. Real-life data collected at the busiest toll plaza in the Orlando–Orange County Expressway Authority (OOCEA) system were compared with the model output to validate the developed model. Statistical tests indicated that there is no significant difference at the 95% confidence level between Measures of Effectiveness obtained from the model and those collected in the real world.