The program, known as the Gate Simulation Model, is designed to assist the 88th Security Forces Squadron in determining the manpower and lanes needed to facilitate the efficient and smooth flow of vehicles onto base.
“We have 27,000 to 30,000 people coming on base every day, and it takes a lot of effort and manpower to get them on and off,” said Fred Tito, a traffic engineer with the 88th Air Base Wing Civil Engineer Group. “The Gate Simulation Model allows us to project how things would operate at the gate based on our resources and then adjust our manpower depending on simulation.”
In developing the Excel-based program, Lomax relied on academic queuing theory and data from a recent traffic study.
“I did a lot of research into queuing formulas and how we should use them,” said Lomax. “Once the logic was built, once I could pull the data into something that made sense, I was able to create a user-friendly model.”
Lomax added that the model doesn’t have a lot of code and doesn’t require certain software to be downloaded. It takes real-life data and real-life regulations and allows users to figure out how many lanes to open, how many people should be working and how long traffic wait time should be.
“Getting on base is how most of us start our day,” said Jeremy Brogdon, an operations research analyst with Air Force Materiel Command’s Studies and Analysis Branch. “Starting off on the right foot is good for the mission and morale, and the Gate Simulation Model will play a role in the overall efforts to improve queuing efficiency on to base.”
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