A GENERAL TRAFFIC FLOW SIMULATION MODEL FOR FREEWAY OPERATION

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GENERAL PRPOSE TRAFFIC FLOW SIMULATION MODEL FOR FREEWAY OPERATIONS WITH THE VALIDATION EFFORT IS DOCUMENTED. A MODEL WAS TO BE DEVELOPED WHICH WAS CAPABLE OF SIMULATING VEHICLE FLOW ON FREEWAY FACILITIES INCLUDING ELEMENTS OF DESIGN AND OPERATION THAT AFFECT VEHICLE FLOW AND CAPACITY. THE LOGIC OF THE RESULTANT MODEL IS DISCUSSED IN DETAIL WITH TYPICAL VALUES GIVEN FOR THE VARIOUS DRIVER CHARACTERISTICS THAT ARE REQUIRED AS INPUT. MODEL VALIDATION IS PRESENTED WHICH SHOWS THAT THE MODEL CAN BE CALIBRATED TO ADEQUATELY DUPLICATE TRAFFIC STREAM CHARACTERISTICS FOR VARIOUS VOLUMES FOR TYPICAL FREEWAY GEOMETRICS. MODEL IMPLEMENTATION IS ILLUSTRATED WITH SIMULATIONS OF TWO FREEWAY SECTIONS, ONE A WEAVING SECTION WITH SEVERAL DESIGN ALTERNATIVES, AND TWO A COMPLEX MILE SECTION OF URBAN FREEWAY WITH FIVE OFF-RAMPS AND MULTIPLE WEAVING SECTIONS. IT IS INTENDED THAT THE MODEL SERVE AS AN ADDITIONAL TOOL TO AID THE ENGINEER IN ANALYZING A PROPOSED DESIGN WHERE PERHAPS PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE AND FIELD DATA ARE LACKING. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THE ANALYST WOULD USE THE MODEL TO PROVIDE THOSE STREAM CHARACTERISTICS THAT WOULD INDICATED THE SECTION CAPACITY AND LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT COULD BE EXPECTED FOR THE GIVEN TRAFFIC VOLUMES. THE MODEL ALSO CAN BE USED TO PROVIDE DATA SUCH AS DECELERATION AND LANE CHANGE FREQUENCY INDICATING A SECTION THAT MIGHT BE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO ACCIDENTS. BOTH THE COMPUTER PROGRAM AND THE MODEL DESIGN LEAVE THE TYPE AND EXTENT OF MODEL OUTPUT DATA TO THE PREROGATIVE OF THE ANALYST. /HSRI/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • 78 Pp, Tabs
• Corporate Authors:

  Connecticut Department of Transportation

  Bureau of Highways, 24 Wolcott Hill Road, P.O. Drawer A
  Wethersfield, CT  United States  06109
• Authors:
  • Leland, S D
• Publication Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Computer programs; Deceleration; Drivers; Freeway operations; Freeways; Highway capacity; Highway design; Human characteristics; Mathematical models; Off ramps; Traffic flow; Traffic simulation; Traffic volume; Validation; Weaving sections
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver characteristics; Models
• Old TRIS Terms: Freeway capacity; Freeway design
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00227302
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Research Institute
• Files: TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 10 1971 12:00AM