Optimizing the Operation of a Toll Plaza System Using Simulation: A Methodology

Many urban areas and states are facing an increase in population density and the industrial base, creating traffic congestion and jams at toll plazas on major highways during rush hours. This article provides a detailed study and analysis of the performance evaluation of a toll plaza using discrete event simulation modeling. Under a given time-dependent traffic flow and a set of specified model parameters, the required optimal number of tollbooths and the resulting mean delay can be estimated with the discrete event simulation model. The results show that a toll plaza that has a shorter delay under light load conditions is more sensitive to variations in service type and the number of toll plazas. The results show that the performance of toll plazas improves as the number of tollbooths increases because less time is spent in queue.