NTL Record

Title TAT Volume III: Guidelines for Applying Traffic Microsimulation Modeling Software 2019 Update to the 2004 Version
Record ID 68781
Personal Name
Creator
Wunderlich, Karl E.; Vasudevan, Meenakshy; Wang, Peiwei
Personal Name
Contributor
Dowling, Richard G.; Skabardonis, Alexander; Alexiadis, Vassili; Halkias, John A.; Colyar, James
Corporate Creator United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Operations
Corporate
Contributor
Noblis, Inc.
Publisher United States. Federal Highway Administration
Publication Date 20190401
Language English
Abstract Microsimulation is the modeling of individual vehicle movements on a second or sub-second basis for the purpose of assessing the traffic performance of highway and street systems, transit, and pedestrians. Microsimulation analyses are increasingly visible and important – fostered both by the continued evolution of microsimulation software capability and increasing application within transportation engineering and planning practices. These guidelines provide practitioners with guidance on the appropriate application of microsimulation models to traffic analysis problems, with an overarching focus on existing and future alternatives analysis. This 2019 Update of the original 2004 guide [1] includes significantly enhanced and detailed technical guidance dealing with data collection and analysis (Chapter 2), model calibration (Chapter 5), and alternatives analysis (Chapter 6). A more complex corridor-based example problem is used to illustrate application of the updated guidance. Finally, a complete end-to-end case study using a large microsimulation model for a hypothetical work zone alternatives analysis is included in an appendix. This case study illustrates the application of the detailed guidance on data collection and analysis, calibration and alternatives analysis. The goals of this update are to: (1) Encourage comprehensive experimental design based a range of varying travel conditions, rather than a normative “average” day. (2) Focus calibration and alternatives analysis on the representation of time-dynamic system performance measures including bottleneck formation and dissipation. (3) Eliminate all subjective criteria, replace with criteria that are statistically valid and derived from observed data. (4) Develop a calibration process that is data-driven, repeatable, and potentially automatable.
Public Note Work Performed for: John Halkias (FHWA) and James Colyar (FHWA)
Rosap ID dot:43570
Rosap URL https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/43570
TRT Terms Traffic simulation; Analysis; Alternatives analysis; Data collection; Data analysis; Microsimulation
General Subjects Simulation Modeling; Transportation Analysis Tools; Operational Conditions; Travel Conditions; Calibration; Alternatives Analysis; Cluster Analysis; Data Collection and Analysis; Traffic Simulation; Traffic Modeling
Geographical
Coverage
United States
TRIS Online
Accession No
1707657
Contract Number DTFH61-16-D-00036
Report Number FHWA-HOP-18-036
Resource type Tech Report
URL https://ntlrepository.blob.core.windows.net/lib/68000/68700/68781/FHWA-HOP-18-036.pdf
Format PDF
Database NTL Digital Repository