An evaluation of the impact of truck-lane restriction strategies on traffic operation characteristics

Abstract Truck traffic is on the rise across major roadways. Trucks exhibit poor and slow maneuvers, potentially contributing to their involvement in crashes. It is, therefore, essential to consider how restricting truck lane usage affects roadway safety and operation. Traffic simulations are a valuable tool for evaluating different operational scenarios. In this study, VISSIM was used to model scenarios covering multiple variables, including traffic volumes spanning levels of service (LOS) A to E, truck percentages ranging 1.4–30%, and various restrictions on truck lane usage. The scenarios were tested on 11.2 km of the Shubra-Banha freeway. Key performance measures, like lane changes, density, travel time, and speed differences were monitored and collected. Results showed that truck lane restrictions significantly reduce the number of lane changes, particularly in scenarios with higher truck percentages and greater traffic volumes. The overall reduction in lane changes for all vehicle types is approximately 7%, while for trucks alone, it is about 20% under a two-lane restriction when the truck percentage reaches 30%. Traffic density shows a modest decrease of approximately 0.6% following truck lane restrictions, especially in low and medium traffic volume scenarios (LOS A and C). This reduction becomes more pronounced, reaching about 3%, as both traffic and truck volumes increase. Implementing a two-lane truck restriction reduces travel time by approximately 6% in high-traffic volume conditions (LOS C and E) and when the truck percentage is 30%. Contrary to expectations in real-world conditions, the simulation results did not indicate significant speed differences between passenger cars and trucks.