Operation of dedicated lanes with intermittent priority on highways: conceptual development and simulation validation

Dedicated Lanes (DLs) have become prevalent on highways and arterial roads as they help accelerate carpooling vehicles or buses. However, capacity is wasted if the penetration rates of these vehicles with priority are low. Wasted capacity can be utilized optimally by implementing Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) technology and granting General-Purpose (GP) vehicles the ability to traverse on DLs. However, existing research on flexible DLs has mostly focused on preset, static operating rules. In this study, we propose a true, active DL management strategy named Dedicated Lane with Intermittent Priority (DLIP) that operates at the vehicle level. An Optimal Right of Way Allocation (ORWA) model is proposed that maximizes the benefits of allowing GP vehicles into the DLs. To validate the proposed strategy, a simulation model based on VISSIM was developed. Results under various demand scenarios demonstrate that the proposed strategy outperforms traditional DL management strategies in terms of overall productivity, with improvements ranging from 10% to 25%.