Year
2025
Season
Fall
Paper Type
Master's Thesis
College
College of Computing, Engineering & Construction
Degree Name
Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE)
Department
Engineering
NACO controlled Corporate Body
University of North Florida. School of Engineering
Committee Chairperson
Thobias Sando
Second Advisor
Manjunatha Pruthvi
Third Advisor
Ryan Shamet
Abstract
Arterial rail grade crossings in urban areas generate significant mobility impacts during routine operations and extended blockages. These disruptions reduce network performance, delay emergency response, and impose economic costs. This study quantifies the operational effects of five grade crossings in downtown Jacksonville, Florida, using a calibrated PTV VISSIM 2025 microsimulation model informed by TRAINFO train activity data, BlueTOAD probe speeds, FDOT signal timing, and field observations. The model meets established calibration standards with GEH < 5 for all links, travel times within ±15%, and speeds within ±10 mph. Three operational scenarios were evaluated: a no train baseline, rolling train movements, and moderate to severe disruptions caused by extended dwell times. Ten independent simulation runs per scenario were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models to account for stochastic variability. Scenario effects were statistically significant for all measures of effectiveness. Moderate to severe disruptions produced the most substantial degradation. Average queue length increased by 478%, maximum queue length increased by 330%, average travel time increased by 49%, and mean network speed declined by 23%. Rolling operations caused modest impacts, indicating that the network tolerates short closures but rapidly deteriorates when blockages extend beyond 10 to 15 minutes. Travel time reliability also declined. The Planning Time Index increased from 3.33 to 4.74, and Buffer Time increased from 6.40 min to 8.90 min. Level of Service degraded from LOS D to LOS E. Estimated reliability-related user costs ranged from $8 to $13 million per year. Corridor and link-level analyses showed strong spatial heterogeneity. Several corridors exhibited high sensitivity to dwell duration, with significant correlations between dwell time and degradation in queues, delays, and speeds, whereas others demonstrated relative resilience. These findings support a tiered mitigation strategy that prioritizes dwell-sensitive corridors for capital improvements and applies operational management strategies where impacts are less severe.
Suggested Citation
Tarimo, Joseph, "Quantifying the mobility impact of urban arterials–rail grade crossings: Case study of Jacksonville, Florida" (2025). UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 1385.
https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/1385