CORridor SIMulation (CORSIM), an integrator of the NETSIM and the FRESIM models, is a very sophisticated and powerful microscopic traffic simulation model designed for simulating traffic flow on integrated networks consisting of freeways and surface streets. Proper application of the CORSIM model requires a reasonable understanding of its capabilities and limitations as well as the underlying traffic flow theory and modeling assumptions. In this paper the authors discuss the theoretical foundations of the vehicle movement on freeways and surface streets in the CORSIM model. For freeways, they present a detailed discussion of the logic for (1) vehicle movement; (2) lane add and lane drop; (3) ramp merge; and (4) lane changing (mandatory, discretionary, and anticipatory). For surface streets, they focus on the logic for (1) vehicle movement and (2) lane changing. Guidelines for proper selection of input values are presented and their impact on model performance is discussed. (A)
Abstract