Traffic Operations and Management

The Netcell Simulation Package: Technical Description

Cayford, Randall
Lin, Wei-Hua
Daganzo, Carlos F.
1997

This report describes the NETCELL simulation package. NETCELL is a freeway network simulation program based on the cell transmission model which captures the dynamic evolution of multicommodity traffic over a freeway network with three-legged junctions in a way that is consistent with the hydrodynamic theory of highway traffic. NETVIEW is a graphical postprocessor for viewing NETCELL output files. This document discusses implementation of the programs in detail, including the cell representation for a freeway network with three-legged junctions, data and file structures, inputs and outputs...

A Theory Of Traffic Flow In Automated Highway Systems

Broucke, M.
Varaiya, P.
1995

This paper presents a theory for automated traffic flow, based on abstraction of vehicle activities such as entry, exit and cruising, derived from a vehicle's automatic control laws. The theory formulates TMC traffic plans as the specification of the activities and speed of vehicles, and the entry and exit flows for each highway section. The theory permits the study of transient phenomena such as congestion, and TMC feed back traffic rules designed to deal with transients.

Large-Scale Traffi c Simulation Through Distributed Computing of Paramics

Liu, Henry X.
Ma, Wenteng
Jayakrishnan, R.
Recker, Will
2004

Simulation modeling is an increasingly popular and effective tool for analyzing transportation problems, which are not amendable to study by other means. We examine the need for parallel or distributed simulation approaches from the need for computational speed-ups, availability of options towards that, and then at the need to distribute the effort to develop network simulation contexts and datasets. After an overview of the general techniques for the distributed discrete-event simulation and previous efforts on the distributed traffic simulation, we present the general architecture of the...

Stated And Reported Route Diversion Behavior: Implications On The Benefits Of ATIS

Khattak, Asad
Kanafani, Adib
Le Colletter, Emmanuel
1994

This report presents a study in which Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) user benefits are estimated from a survey of commuting behavior undertaken in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1993. Both reported and stated response to unexpected congestion are used to determine the commuters who would directly benefit from qualitative, quantitative and predictive, as well as prescriptive ATIS information

HOT Lane Simulation Tools

Horowitz, Roberto
Kurzhanskiy, Alex A.
Wright, Mathew
2018

This report describes the simulation model and software for freeway corridors with High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) and High-Occupancy or Tolled (HOT) lanes, and the model calibration methodology.

Grade Crossing/Traffic Signal Optimization Study

We, Guoyuan
Li, Irene
Zhang, Wei-Bin
Johnston, Scott
Li, Meng
Zhou, Kun
2010

The second phase of this project further investigates impacts to local traffic operations at intersections adjacent to signal preemption by SPRINTER commuter trains and comes up with countermeasures that not only minimize such impacts but also take into account the traffic signal coordination. An extended traffic signal optimization model has been developed to minimize overall traffic delays and the weighted width of “green band” along several coordinated traffic signals around the grade crossings. Based on the train’s movement detection at grade crossings and the waiting queue estimation...

Evaluation of the Fuel-Efficient Traffic Signal Management (FETSIM) Program: 1983-1993

Skabardonis, Alexander
1994

This report presents the findings from the evaluation of a statewide initiative to retime traffic signals to produce more energy-efficient traffic flow: California's FuelEfficient Traffic Signal Management (FETSIM) Program. During the 11 years of the Program, over 160 cities and counties have retimed a total of 12,245 signals under grants from the FETSIM Program, in 334 projects. Improved timings have reduced vehicular delays by 14 percent in project areas; stops have been decre~sed by 13 percent. Overall travel times through these systems have dropped by 7 percent and fuel consumption has...

Thinking Outside the Bus: Understanding User Perceptions of Waiting and Transferring in Order to Increase Transit Use

Taylor, Brian D.
Iseki, Hiroyuki
Miller, Mark A.
Smart, Michael
2009

This report presents the results of its research of interconnectivity among transportation modes in California and the development of a methodology to evaluate connectivity performance, which could provide a new and needed tool to improve passenger transit trips. The two key products of this research are the transfer penalties/travel behavior conceptual framework, which was based on our review of the state-of-the-practice for evaluating intermodal and intramodal connectivity, and a preliminary transit connectivity assessment tool. The framework allowed us to consider various attributes of...

New Data and Methods for Estimating Regional Truck Movements

Dion, Francois, PhD
Yang, Mingyuan
Patire, Anthony, PhD
2023

This report describes how current methods of estimating truck traffic volumes from existing fixed roadway sensors could be improved by using tracking data collected from commercial truck fleets and other connected technology sources (e.g., onboard GPS-enabled navigation systems and smartphones supplied by third-party vendors). Using Caltrans District 1 in Northern California as an example, the study first reviews existing fixed-location data collection capabilities and highlights gaps in the ability to monitor truck movements. It then reviews emerging data sources and analyzes the...

The Access Control Problem on Capacitated FIFO Networks with Unique O-D Paths is Hard

Erera, Alan L.
Daganzo, Carlos F.
Lovell, David J.
1999

This paper is concerned with the performance of multi-commodity capacitated networks with continuous flows in a deterministic but time-dependent environment. For a given time-dependent origin-destination (O-D) table, it asks if it is easy to find a way of regulating the input flows into the network so as to avoid queues from growing in it. It is shown that even if the network structure is very simple (unique O-D paths) finding a feasible regulation scheme is a `hard' problem. More specifically, it is shown that even if all input functions are smooth, there are instances of the problem with...