Curbs are a critical layer at which people and goods join and leave the transportation network. Traditionally, curb spaces have been statically supplied, priced, and zoned for specific uses, such as commercial or passenger loading, or bus stops. However, in response to the growing demand for curb space, some cities are being more intentional about defining curb usage. This heightened demand and changing expectations for finite curb resources requires the implementation of real-time curb management capabilities to improve occupancy and throughput and decrease traffic disruption caused by cruising for parking and space maneuvering. The Department of Energy’s Vehicle Technologies Office has funded the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to develop a city-scale, dynamic curb use simulation tool and an open-source curb management platform. The simulation and management capabilities will include dynamically and concurrently controlling price, number of spaces, allowed parking duration, time of sale or reservation, and curb space use type. A microscale curb simulator will simulate the activities of individual vehicles transferring goods and people at the curb at the city block-face level. This project will examine new methods for dynamically reallocating curb space throughout the day and will provide this capability to city and commercial partners through a demonstration.
Principal Investigator: Andisheh Ranjbari, Civil and Environmental Engineering, UW
Sponsor: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Scheduled completion: September 2023