A MICROSCOPIC TRAFFIC SIMULATOR FOR EVALUATION OF DYNAMIC TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT-SYSTEMS

A MIcroscopic Traffic SIMulator (MITSIM) has been developed for modeli ng traffic networks with advanced traffic control, route guidance and surveillance systems. MITSIM represents networks in detail and simulat es individual vehicle movements using car following, lane changing, an d traffic signal responding logic. A probabilistic route choice model is used to capture drivers' route choice decisions in the presence of real time traffic information provided by route. guidance systems. The simulator is a component of a larger system for evaluating traffic ma nagement systems and interacts with a surveillance module that can rep resent a wide variety of sensors (e.g. loop detectors, area sensors, p robe vehicles, etc.) and a traffic management module which sets traffi c signals and signs, routing recommendations, etc. MITSIM is coded in C++ using object-oriented design and supports distributed implementati on. It includes a graphical user interface for animating vehicle movem ents in the network and displaying aggregate traffic information such as speed and density. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd