COMPUTER SIMULATION OF TRAFFIC ON NINE BLOCKS OF A CITY STREET

A COMPUTER MODEL HAS BEEN CONSTRUCTED WHICH SIMULATES THE VOLUME AND MOVEMENT OF TRAFFIC ON A NINE-BLOCK SECTION OF A CITY STREET. THE SIMULATED CARS ARE REVIEWED EVERY QUARTER- SECOND AND ARE MOVED ACCORDING TO RULES FOR MOVEMENT WHICH HAVE BEEN BUILT INTO THE COMPUTER PROGRAM. THE SIMULATION RUN ON THE COMPUTER PRODUCES TWO OUTPUTS. THE QUATER-SECOND CAR POSITIONS ARE PLOTTED ON AN OSCILLOSCOPE AND PHOTOGRAPHED. THE RESULT IS A MOVING PICTURE WHICH CAN BE SHOWN IN REAL TIME. THE EFFECT IS COMPARABLE TO VIEWING THE TRAFFIC FLOW FROM A HELICOPTER. THE OTHER OUTPUT IS A SERIES OF TABLES THAT CATALOGS ALL VEHICLES AS THEY ENTER THE MODEL, CLOCK AND COUNT THEM AS THEY PASS A KEY INTERMEDIATE POINT, AND, FINALLY, CHECK THEM OUT AT THE END OF THE COURSE, COUNTING THEM AGAIN AND NOTING THEIR INDIVIDUAL RUNNING TIMES. OTHER INFORMATION IS ALSO FURNISHED, SUCH AS TYPE OF VEHICLE, SPEED, AND LANE USE. THE TABLES THUS FURNISH AN ABUNDANCE OF QUANTITATIVE DATA FOR MEASURING AND EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE MODEL. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrbbulletin/356/356-004.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Stark, Martin C
• Conference:
  • 41st Annual Meeting of the Highway Research Board
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 1962-1-8 to 1962-1-12
• Publication Date: 1962

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 40-47
• Monograph Title: Theory of traffic flow
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Board Bulletin
  • Issue Number: 356
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Computer programs; Lane distribution; Mathematical models; Oscilloscopes; Running time; Simulation; Speed; Streets; Tables (Data); Traffic simulation; Traffic volume
• Uncontrolled Terms: Models; Speed differential
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00227071
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Aug 13 2004 6:56PM