Efficiency Analysis of Multi-Functional Lane in Urban Expressway Based on Simulation

Based on the innovations which setting up multi-functional lane (m-fl) in Beijing and Tianjin city expressway, this paper gives the definition of multi-functional lane and elaborates the three main functions of it. The multi-functional lane can provide lane for vehicle emergency stop, vehicle driving in and out of main road and bus stop. Then taking main road capacity and vehicle delay as assessing index, this paper makes the simulation experiments which are built by the investigation data of Tianjin Southeast Expressway and compares the efficiency of urban expressway with setting multi-functional lane or not from three aspects of functions separately to analyze the setting benefit of multi-functional lane. Finally, this paper gets the conclusion that setting multi-functional lane in urban expressway could increase efficiency of expressway based on existing enough land. The process and result of the research in this paper could provide reference of setting multi-functional lane, and can also give direction for design of urban expressway system in future.