Enhancing airport curbside efficiency with variable message sign strategies
Open Access
- Author:
- Diaz Gutierrez, Jorge
- Graduate Program:
- Civil Engineering
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- March 11, 2024
- Committee Members:
- Andisheh Ranjbari, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Vikash V. Gayah, Committee Member
Farshad Rajabipour, Program Head/Chair
S. Ilgin Guler, Committee Member - Keywords:
- curbside management
airport ground access
curb performance
variable message sign
microsimulation - Abstract:
- Airports handle significant arrival and departure traffic, and inefficient curb space allocation for this traffic increases congestion and emissions. Variable Message Signs (VMS) are one way to help alleviate this issue, guiding vehicles away from crowded areas. Despite this, VMS effectiveness hinges on the correct activation and deactivation timing. This master’s thesis uses a validated Seattle-Tacoma International Airport microsimulation model to simulate sixteen VMS management scenarios to determine the best VMS operation to enhance curb performance and minimize congestion and emissions. The scenarios encompass different activation/deactivation approaches, sending (access from where vehicles are diverted) and receiving (access to where vehicles are diverted) links, traffic condition levels, and driver compliance rates (DCRs). The findings suggest that airports can maximize VMS benefits by timely activation and deactivation, even with driver compliance of as low as 5%. Across all scenarios, a reduction in queue length (100-1,150 ft) and queue duration (15-144 minutes) was observed at the sending link. In particular, activating VMS before congestion started in the sending link and deactivating it before congestion began on the receiving link led to the most substantial improvements in curb performance (8-10% increase), delay (29-78% decrease), and emissions (12-14% decrease). Yet, it was shown that activating VMS might not always improve curb performance. The improvements were non-significant when the receiving link was congested, and activating VMS after the queue formed in the sending link and deactivating it when the receiving link got congested even worsened curb performance (6-62%) and delay (96-595%). The proposed framework and the wide range of input values and scenarios provide valuable insights into how airports could successfully exploit VMS technologies.