Open AccessComparing Approaches to Winter Highway Maintenance Operations Through User Mobility Performance
Author(s) -
JeanClaude Thill,
Hai Sun
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of the transportation research forum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1046-1469
DOI - 10.5399/osu/jtrf.48.1.1761
Subject(s) - winter storm , storm , transport engineering , snow , snow removal , level of service , multivariate statistics , engineering , environmental science , operations management , meteorology , computer science , geography , machine learning
This paper compares the winter maintenance performances of sections of two limited access highways operated by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA). Performance is assessed by two user mobility indicators: speed reduction during snowstorms and speed recovery duration following the end of snow events. Multivariate linear regressions are estimated to model these mobility indicators. The results show major discrepancies in level of service between the two agencies, particularly in the early stages of snowstorms. Another result is that speed recovery is indistinguishable in the hour following the end of snow events. It also found that NYSTA's higher outlay of resources appears to be effective only during short storms and in the early stages of storms.