The application of stochastic queueing theory in the development and evaluation of suggested traffic design guidelines for drive-in service facilities

Abstract

Drive-in service systems such as drive-in banks, intended to offer an improved level of service to the clientele served, have become a common aspect of essentially all urban areas. Proper traffic design and operation of such systems is essential, not only from the point of view of providing efficient and satisfying service, but also to protect the integrity of the adjacent street system which will be directly affected by the operation of such drive-in systems. Guidelines for the proper traffic design and operation of such systems have been generally lacking. In this research the applicability of stochastic queueing theory in the development of such design guidelines has been investigated. A queueing model has been selected and applied in the development of suggested guidelines. Methods for the determination of the queueing characteristics of drive-in service systems are presented and illustrated. Solution curves for the determination of queueing parameters are also presented. The applicability of the queueing model and the resulting design guidelines have been investigated through field studies of the arrival, service, and queueing characteristics of a set of drive-in banking systems. The distribution of arrivals of customer vehicles at drive-in banks has been investigated as has the distribution of customer service times.