Calibration of Microsimulation Models for Multimodal Freight

This research presents a framework for incorporating the unique operating characteristics of multi-modal freight networks into the calibration process for microscopic traffic simulation models. Because of the nature of heavy freight movements in United States Department of Transportation Region VII (Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas), the focus of the project is on heavy gross vehicles (HGV), or, trucks. In particular, a genetic algorithm (GA) based optimization technique was developed and used to find optimum parameter values for the vehicle performance model used by “Verkehr In Staedten-SIMulationmodell (VISSIM),” a widely used microscopic traffic simulation software. At present, the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM), which is the most common reference for analyzing the operational characteristics of highways, only provides guidelines for highway segments where the heavy vehicle percentages are 25 or less. However, significant portions of many highways, such as Interstate 80 (I-80) in Nebraska, have heavy vehicle percentages greater than 25%. Therefore, with the anticipated increase in freight-moving truck traffic, there is a real need to be able to use traffic micro-simulation models to effectively recreate and replicate situations where there is significant heavy vehicle traffic. The procedure developed in this research was successfully applied to the calibration of traffic operations on a section of I-80 in California. For this case study, the calibrated model provided more realistic results than the uncalibrated model (default values) and reaffirmed the importance of calibrating microscopic traffic simulation models to local conditions.

• Summary URL:
  http://matc.unl.edu/research/research_projects.php?researchID=317
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  Mid-America Transportation Center

  University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  2200 Vine Street, PO Box 830851
  Lincoln, NE  United States  68583-0851

  Research and Innovative Technology Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Appiah, Justice
  • Naik, Bhaven
  • Sorensen, Scott
• Publication Date: 2012-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 59p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Calibration; Case studies; Freight traffic; Heavy vehicles; Highway operations; Microsimulation; Multimodal transportation; Trucks
• Identifier Terms: VISSIM (Computer model)
• Geographic Terms: California; Nebraska
• Subject Areas: Freight Transportation; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01470012
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 25-1121-0001-429, MATC-UNL: 429
• Files: UTC, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Jan 17 2013 1:56PM