Citation

Eck RW, Montag DA. Transp. Res. Rec. 2003; 1819: 260-264.

Affiliation

W Virginia Univ, Dept Civil and Environm Engn, Morgantown, WV 26506 USA. Fed Highway Adm, Delaware Div Off, Dover, DE 19904 USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Special events, including sporting events, concerts, historical reenactments, and fairs and festivals, can generate large volumes of traffic such that congestion and associated problems occur on low-volume roads. In particular, theme-oriented fairs and festivals, such as arts and crafts fairs and wine and jazz festivals, are growing in number and-popularity throughout the United States. Quantifying and understanding the traffic characteristics of fairs and festivals would be useful in predicting how such events will affect traffic flow on a low-volume road, planning traffic management, and predicting parking needs. One specific need is for trip-generation data for estimating the magnitude and nature of travel associated with theme-oriented fairs and festivals. Background data were collected for a number of West Virginia events on low-volume roads through interviews and questionnaires. Five categories of theme-oriented fairs and festivals were identified: food and drink, arts and crafts, cultural heritage, historical, and performing arts. The number of booths was recommended as the best independent variable to use in calculating trip-generation rates. Attendance and vehicular data were collected and analyzed. Vehicle occupancy for theme-oriented fairs and festivals was determined to be 2.33 people per vehicle. Trip-generation rates and corresponding statistics were determined for 2-day (Saturday and Sunday) and 3-day (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) events. Implications of the study results for low-volume roads managers were considered.