CURBSIDE COLLECTION OF YARD WASTE .1. ESTIMATING ROUTE TIME

Curbside collection of compostable material can be expensive because t he inherent costs of curbside collection are high, but also because am ounts collected per residence are small compared to the total waste st ream, and time is wasted driving by residences at which no material is set out. In this paper, a model is presented capable of estimating ro ute time based on the set-out rate and distribution, the amount of mat erials collected, and collection method characteristics. The model sep arately estimates travel time, collection time, and time spent waiting at stop signs and traffic lights. Model parameters are based on obser vation of compostables collection. Over six collection days for a coll ection route in Norman, Okla., the model estimated route time to withi n 4.8% of observed values.