Work Zone Mobility and Safety Program
Photo collage: temporary lane closure, road marking installation, cone with mounted warning light, and drum separated work zones.
Office of Operations 21st Century Operations Using 21st Century Technologies

Text from 'MD Quick Zone -- A Work Zone Traffic Analysis Tool' PowerPoint Presentation

Workshops > Integrating Operations

Slide 01

MD-QuickZone, A Work Zone Traffic Analysis Tool

By Jawad Paracha, P.E.

for the Maryland State Highway Administration

Slide 02

MD-QuickZone (part 1 of 2)

  • Modified version of FHWA's QuickZone
  • Work zone traffic analysis
  • Microsoft Excel-based application

Slide 03

MD-QuickZone (part 2 of 2)

Graphic: Screen capture of the QuickZone Software, showing the tabs of Input Modules, Program Controls, Output Modules, Economic Analysis. The Input Modules tab also has sub-buttons displayed.

Slide 04

Background (part 1 of 2)

SHA / University of Maryland:

  • Estimate capacity in work zones
  • Develop a work zone analysis tool
    • Delays
    • Queues
    • Simple economic analysis

Slide 05

Background (part 2 of 2)

  • FHWA's SWAT Project
    • QuickZone
  • SHA entered into partnership with FHWA
  • Develop MD-QuickZone with additional features

Slide 06

Standard Features

  • Queues and delays
  • Alternative construction phasing plans
  • Delay mitigation strategies
  • Work completion incentives
  • Construction costs and delay costs

Slide 07

Additional Features (1 of 5)

Improved queue estimation model

Based on work by Lawson, Lovell, and Dogenzo

Graphic: A chart comparing Distance on the x-axis versus Cumulative Number of Vehicles on the y-axis.

Slide 08

Additional Features (2 of 5)

Capacity estimation module

  • UMCP model
  • HCM value
  • User-defined value

Graphic: A screenshot of a sample QuickZone screen titled work zone Capacity Estimation (2 of 2). There are several fields that can be filled in, which are parameters of affected by work zones, such as the number of closed lanes and the work zone length.

Slide 09

Additional Features (3 of 5)

Lane closure schedules

  • Max. allowable queue length
  • Max. allowable delay

Graphic: A screenshot showing parameters related to Lane closures.

Slide 10

Additional Features (4 of 5)

Simple economic analysis framework

  • traffic impact costs
  • construction costs
  • cost ratio analysis

Graphic: Showing a sample screenshot of how various preferred parameters can be selected and ordered.

Slide 11

Additional Features (5 of 5)

Optimize work zone lengths

  • Two lane-two way rural roads
  • Four lane undivided rural roads

Graphic: A sample screenshot showing parameters related to optimizing work zones, such as traffic speed and lane widths.

Slide 12

Getting it out!

  • Training
    • SHA engineers
    • Consultants
  • Future training (UM's T2 Center)
  • Free software
  • May require work zone analysis for all SHA projects
  • Promotion at conferences, seminars, etc.

Slide 13

Application

  • Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project
  • Delay and queue length estimation
    • determine best strategies and stages
    • provide traffic information to public
  • CORSIM
    • data intensive and time consuming
  • MD-QuickZone

Slide 14

Application (2 of 3)

Slide 15

Application

(3 of 3)

Pros:

  • Easy-to-learn and use
  • Quick analysis
  • Analysis results not available form other products

Cons:

  • Not easy to code large networks
  • Less flexibility in design of work zones

Slide 16

Questions?

Graphic of a man scratching his head.
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