The technique of microsimulation, or simulating the movement of individual vehicles in a traffic system, has long been used for traffic analysis. The synergy between information technologies and traffic engineering has enabled a new generation of microsimulation models now available for road and transport managers to analyse complex traffic operations. These applications are often complex, congested situations that are normally beyond the domain of analysis using conventional analytical or macroscopic modelling procedures. Microsimulation packages now provide functions that range from visualisation to the more recent development of emulating the operation of a signal control system. Visualisation has been found particularly useful for presenting solutions with quality three-dimension graphics that address politically sensitive issues. However, there is the danger of overselling MSTMs and applying them to any traffic situation without proper consideration of their usage and limitations. This paper describes the results of an Austroads project on understanding the usage and limitations of an MSTM. It provides guidelines on the key steps in organising a microsimulation study. The steps include identifying objectives and project scope, selecting the right software platform, developing a base model, model calibration and validation, and auditing model results.(a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. 0612AR242E.
Abstract