Service time thresholds at barrier-operated freeway exit toll booths

Abstract

This paper discusses service times based on vehicle class at barrier-operated toll booths. Service times were measured using four vehicle classifications: car (C), medium goods vehicle (MGV), trucks & bus (TB), and articulated truck (AT) with two payment options: electronic (ETC) and manual toll collection (MTC). Each toll booth has both payment systems and resulting in mixed toll booth utilization in terms of payment and vehicles. The collected data was utilized to estimate logistic regression, and non-parametric statistical tests were performed. Findings indicate, when vehicle size increases, so does service time for even ETC. Furthermore, logistic regression used to compute threshold service times shifting from ETC to MTC for C, MGV, TB, and AT, which were 5.92, 7.51, 10.00, and 12.80 s, respectively. The transition time for a vehicle switch from ETC to MTC based on the logistic curve is denoted by threshold service time. Below the threshold, ETC is more favorable option and affected by barrier and vehicle class. Overall, the results indicate that operators can benefit from more dynamic operational conditions facilitated by threshold service times, enabling adaptive and efficient toll booth operations. Additionally, these thresholds can serve as valuable measure of service quality for managing freeway exits.