A GENERAL TRAFFIC FLOW SIMULATION MODEL FOR FREEWAY OPERATIONS

A TRAFFIC SIMULATION MODEL IS PRESENTED TOGETHER WITH A USER'S MANUAL. THE PURPOSE OF THE MODEL IS TO SIMULATE A TRAFFIC FLOW ON A FREEWAY WITH VARIOUS ELEMENTS OF DESIGN AND OPERATION. THE MODEL SHOULD SERVE HIGHWAY ENGINEERS AS A TOOL FOR INVESTIGATING, EVALUATING AND SOLVING THE EXPRESSWAY DESIGN PROBLEMS. THE MODEL CAPACITY IS FIVE MILE SECTION OF EXPRESSWAY WITH UP TO SEVEN LANES DIRECTIONALLY, TEN ON-RAMPS, AND TEN OFF-RAMPS WITH UP TO 1000 VEHICLES IN THE SYSTEM AT ANY ONE TIME. THE PROGRAM RUNNING ON THE COMMERCIAL TYPE 32K UNIVAC III TAKES UP TO THREE MINUTES IN ORDER TO SIMULATE ONE MINUTE OF REAL TIME. THE VEHICLE CHARACTERISTICS CONSIDERED IN THE MODEL ARE: GAP ACCEPTANCE, DESIRED SPEED, HEADWAY PREFERENCE, ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION. THE REPORT INCLUDES A VERY BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE MODEL, ITS PHILOSOPHY, LOGIC, VALIDATION, FIELD DATA ANALYSIS, AND MODEL IMPLEMENTATION. THE PRINCIPAL LIMITATION OF THE MODEL APPEARS TO BE THAT IT DOES NOT RELATE VEHICLE PERFORMANCE TO THE PROFILE OF THE ROADWAY; THEREFORE, THE EFFECTS OF GRADES (ESPECIALLY TRUCK EFFECTS) ON CAPACITY AND TRAFFIC FLOW ARE NOT ACCOUNTABLE. /BPR/

• Corporate Authors:

  Connecticut Department of Transportation

  Bureau of Highways, 24 Wolcott Hill Road, P.O. Drawer A
  Wethersfield, CT  United States  06109

  Bureau of Public Roads /US

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Leland, S
  • COLEMAN, F
• Publication Date: 1969-6

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Acceleration (Mechanics); Deceleration; Expressways; Freeway operations; Freeways; Gap acceptance; Headways; Highway design; Information processing; Interchange ramps; Mathematical models; Slopes; Speed; Traffic simulation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Grades
• Old TRIS Terms: Freeway design; Freeway ramps
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00224937
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Bureau of Public Roads /US
• Report/Paper Numbers: 122-2
• Files: TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 16 1970 12:00AM