Citation

Bartle RM. Highw. Res. Board bull. 1956; 112: 42-52.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1956, National Research Council (U.S.A.), Highway Research Board)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Research was conducted to evaluate quantitatively the relationship of parking to intersection capacity for the case of a single car parked in the intersection approach. The two principle traffic capacity problems studied are: (1) the restrictive effect of a single car parked in the intersection approach, and (2) the effect on capacity of varying the distance of the parked car from the intersection. At the overloaded intersection approach studied, data were collected on numbers and times of entrance of cars entering the intersection without parking and with the single car parked in each of these two positions. The parked car at either location had no effect on volumes entering the intersection during the first 15 seconds of the green signal indication. From 15 to 30 seconds after the start of the green the effect of the parked car became increasingly pronounced. The traffic lane next to the center line was not significantly affected by the parked car. The effect of the parked car was almost entirely on the curb lane, which included traffic moving straight through the intersection and right turning traffic.

RESULTS appear to support the highway capacity manual statement that prohibition of parking for a distance back from the intersection in feet equal to five times the green period in seconds is equivalent to prohibiting parking entirely. Extending the conclusions of this study suggests that single cars parked in mid-block locations between signalized intersections may have no restrictive effect on capacity.

RESULTS indicate that parking has a significant but small effect on intersection capacity under conditions studied.