The Impact of a Dual-Mode Transportation System on Traffic Conditions in the Detroit Area

One of the most promising of the innovative transportation systems being proposed to alleviate problems caused by constantly increasing travel demands in urban areas is a dual-mode vehicle system. In such a system, automobiles are modified so that they may be operated under automatic control on certain specially constructed guideways in an urban area. This system combines the advantages of the line haul capabilities of an automated system with the distribution capabilities of the individually operated automobile. In this report, the results of a study aimed at determining expected volumes on a typical dual-mode network in the Detroit area as well as determining the impact of a dual-mode system on traffic conditions in the region are presented. Trip matrices were obtained from data supplied by the Detroit Regional Transportation and Land Use Study (TALUS), and state-of-the-art traffic assignment techniques were used to assign trips to the network. It is shown that typical rush hour traffic conditions on the expressways in the region are considerably eased by the introduction of a dual-mode network.