A Simulation Study of the Cades Cove Visitor Vehicle Flow. Occasional Paper No. 4

Devine, Hugh; Borden, F.; Turner, Brian

Occasional Papers Series No. 4. Final report from a recreational traffic flow analysis study. The purpose of the study was to develop a computer simulation model that could be used in the evaluation of traffic crowding on park roads in advance of a proposed mass transit system for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Questions concerning the necessity of mass transit required the initiation of an evaluation project. The study was a result of that evaluation project. The study team developed a computer simulation model that could be applied to park roads in order to fully evaluate the possibility of a mass transit system. The model was also intended for use by other large national parks with traffic crowding issues. The subject of the study was the Cades Cove Loop Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The problems being investigated were increased visitor use and traffic crowding on the Loop Road, how to alleviate overcrowding on popular park roads, and whether or not mass transit was a viable solution for traffic crowding. The study results indicated that mass transit was not an appropriate management choice for the national park. Expansion of existing parking facilities in specific locations was proposed as a better alternative for alleviating traffic congestion on the Cades Cove Loop Road. The paper includes the methodology, modeling, simulation results, and possible applications for future extended management use. The Occasional Papers Series was created in the 1970s as a way to offer detailed research studies on natural resource topics to the general public.