Human Factors Study on the Use of Colors for Express Lane Delineators
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2019-09-01
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Edition:Final, (Nov 2017 – Sept 2019)
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Abstract:The use of express lanes (ELs) in freeway traffic management has seen increasing popularity throughout the U.S., particularly in Florida. These lanes aim at increasing the efficiency of transportation system management and operations (TSM&O) to provide a more reliable trip. An important component of ELs is the channelizing devices used to delineate the separation between the ELs and the parallel freeway lanes. The current standards for colors of express lane markers, according to the 2009 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), Section 3H.01, is orange or the same color as the pavement marking that they supplement. However, the upcoming changes of the MUTCD seek to limit the colors only to match those of the pavement markings. Due to the statewide impact on current and future ELs, it was important to understand the impacts to driver perception and performance in response to the color of the EL markers. It was also valuable to understand the differences between three main age groups (18-39, 40-64 and 65 and older) and gender in responding to markers under different driving conditions. The driving simulator in the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) lab at the University of Central Florida (UCF) was used to test the responses of the six demographic groups to changes in marker color and driving conditions. Furthermore, participants were tested for several factors relevant to driving performance, including several visual tests via the Optec machine, motion sickness questionnaires, and subjective responses to the changes in colors and driving conditions. The results showed that white was the optimal and most significant color for driver awareness, performance, and notice of the express lanes markers, in both the objective and subjective tests, followed by the yellow color, with black being the least desirable.
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