Course Introduction:
SimTraffic and VISSIM are two microscopic traffic simulation tools that are capable of modeling arterial roads with signalized intersections and roundabouts. This review compares the performance of the two simulation tools under different scenarios such as traffic volume, the proportion of left turning movement, and the proportion of trucks in the traffic flow. The two simulation tools did not show a statistically significant difference in general. However; in the case of high traffic volumes, VISSIM showed higher average delays than those from SimTraffic compared to nearly identical results in the case of low traffic volumes.
Course Outline:
The course was developed to discuss different traffic simulation tools. It will provide a definition of each tool. Previous studies in the literature will be discussed. The capabilities of the tools and their effectiveness will be presented. Furthermore, the advantages and disadvantages of each tool will be included.
This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of this course, the student will learn the following:
• The need for microsimulation modeling.
• Different simulation software packages that are available in the market.
• Difference between the deterministic and stochastic simulation models.
• Different measurements used to compare different alternative in traffic simulation.
• Importance of the calibration process in the micro-traffic simulation.
• Calibration process and the different parameters adjusted.
• Factors are considered in modeling roundabouts.
• Seed numbers definition and use.
• Selecting the proper simulation package for your project.
