Microscopic traffic simulation: A tool for the design, analysis and evaluation of intelligent transport systems

Use of Microsimulation Traffic Models as Means for Ensuring Public Transport Sustainability and Accessibility

This article deals with the issue of a partial problem in the sustainability and availability of public transport using the example of a specific transit node. In every public transport network, it is the transit nodes that can be a threat to the entire transport system in case of a bad design. The article presents a microsimulation traffic model of a transit node, which was created in the PTV VISSIM/VISWALK program. This model was tested by various traffic loads (i.e., normal loads, loads taking into account the extension of the tram network and loads at extraordinary sports or cultural events). As part of the evaluation of the monitored node, the movement of passengers on pedestrian areas, escalators and staircases was analysed. The obtained results demonstrate the importance of monitoring, for example, the Level of Service, average travel times and pedestrian speeds and other parameters, to ensure the functionality of this construction. The use of traffic models can be crucial, as they can be an invaluable aid and a suitable tool in finding the optimal transport solution that respects the requirements for sustainable and accessible public transport.

Speed Limit Induced CO2 Reduction on Motorways: Enhancing Discussion Transparency through Data Enrichment of Road Networks

Considering climate change, recent political debates often focus on measures to reduce CO2 emissions. One key component is the reduction of emissions produced by motorized vehicles. Since the amount of emission directly correlates to the velocity of a vehicle via energy consumption factors, a general speed limit is often proposed. This article presents a methodology to combine openly available topology data of road networks from OpenStreetMap (OSM) with pay-per-use API traffic data from TomTom to evaluate such measures transparently by analyzing historical real-world circumstances. From our exemplary case study of the German motorway network, we derive that most parts of the motorway network on average do not reach their maximum allowed speed throughout the day due to traffic, construction sites and general road utilization by network participants. Nonetheless our findings prove that the introduction of a speed limit of 120 km per hour on the German autobahn would restrict 50.74% of network flow kilometers for a CO2 reduction of 7.43% compared to the unrestricted state.

Complex networks to understand the past: the case of roads in Bourbon Spain

The work aims to study, using GIS techniques and network analysis, the development of the road network in Spain during the period between the War of Succession and the introduction of the railway (1700-1850). Our research is based on a detailed cartographic review of maps made during the War of Succession, largely improving preexisting studies based on books of itineraries from the sixteenth century onwards. We build a new, complete map of the main roads at the beginning of the eighteenth century along with the matrix of transport costs for all the important towns describing the communications network. Our study of this complex network, supplemented by a counterfactual analysis carried out using a simulation model based on agents using different centralized decision-making processes, allows us to establish three main results. First, existing trade flows at the beginning of the eighteenth century had a radial structure, so the Bourbon infrastructure plan only consolidated a preexisting situation. Second, the development of the network did not suppose important alterations in the comparative centrality of the regions. Finally, the design of the paved road network was adequate for the economic needs of the country. These findings are in stark contrast with claims that the radial structure of the Bourbon roads was designed ex-novo with political or ideological objectives rather than economic ones. Our methodology paves the way to further studies of path-dependent, long-term processes of network design as the key to understanding the true origin of many currently existing situations.

SMARTS

Microscopic traffic simulators are important tools for studying transportation systems as they describe the evolution of traffic to the highest level of detail. A major challenge to microscopic simulators is the slow simulation speed due to the complexity of traffic models. We have developed the Scalable Microscopic Adaptive Road Traffic Simulator (SMARTS), a distributed microscopic traffic simulator that can utilize multiple independent processes in parallel. SMARTS can perform fast large-scale simulations. For example, when simulating 1 million vehicles in an area the size of Melbourne, the system runs 1.14 times faster than real time with 30 computing nodes and 0.2s simulation timestep. SMARTS supports various driver models and traffic rules, such as the car-following model and lane-changing model, which can be driver dependent. It can simulate multiple vehicle types, including bus and tram. The simulator is equipped with a wide range of features that help to customize, calibrate, and monitor simulations. Simulations are accurate and confirm with real traffic behaviours. For example, it achieves 79.1% accuracy in predicting traffic on a 10km freeway 90 minutes into the future. The simulator can be used for predictive traffic advisories as well as traffic management decisions as simulations complete well ahead of real time. SMARTS can be easily deployed to different operating systems as it is developed with the standard Java libraries.

A review on agent-based technology for traffic and transportation

In the last few years, the number of papers devoted to applications of agent-based technologies to traffic and transportation engineering has grown enormously. Thus, it seems to be the appropriate time to shed light over the achievements of the last decade, on the questions that have been successfully addressed, as well as on remaining challenging issues. In the present paper, we review the literature related to the areas of agent-based traffic modelling and simulation, and agent-based traffic control and management. Later we discuss and summarize the main achievements and the challenges.