A network-based congestion management model for Safety Service Patrol vehicle deployment

Traffic congestion is one of the most pressing issues in the US highway transportation systems and is a primary concern for motorists nationwide. Not only does it pose a psychological strain on commuters, it also results in monetary losses through wasted working hours and heightened transportation costs. The Hampton Roads metropolitan area is one of the most congested urban regions in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and monetary losses due to traffic have amounted to $1 billion annually. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has been incorporating the Safety Service Patrol (SSP) program to assist highway incident management through the continuous deployment of SSP vehicles, thus resolving incidents faster and providing other means of reducing congestion. The research team has adopted a systems engineering approach for designing a network-based modeling framework for analyzing traffic congestion scenarios in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. The end goal of this study is to develop a probabilistic simulation model that will enable the analysis of the current system as well as alternative strategies for positioning the SSP vehicles throughout the network and to ultimately alleviate the ripple effects propagated by highway congestions. Statistical analysis of results is expected to reveal the most influential highway mobility factors in the region, as well as provide other benefits of the SSP program to Virginia motorists.