Traffic Simulation Software Comparison Study

摘要

The Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPCGB) is responsible for evaluating transportation projects in the Birmingham area. Currently, the RPCGB relies on a regional planning model for analysis of system alternatives, but these types of models are useful primarily for broad system-level analyses. In order to examine the impacts of system alternatives in greater detail (e.g., highway access management, interchange configurations, facility widening), the RPCGB expressed interest in using microscopic traffic simulation models. The RPCGB sought guidance on the strengths and weaknesses of the various microscopic simulation models currently available. Among the characteristics they identified as important were ease of coding, visualization capabilities, and reliability of outputs. This project is intended to provide guidance to the RPCGB on three popular software packages and determine their suitability to their needs.