Integration of LRTP and Mesoscopic/Microscopic Models

1
Integration of LRTP and Mesoscopic/Microscopic
Models
Florida Model Task Force Meeting November 28, 2007

• Mike Neidhart, PhD, AICP
• Volusia County MPO

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MTF 2 Track Focus

• MTF work can be divided into 2 frames of thought
  (or tracks/focus)
• Research based on how we can incrementally
  improve our existing model framework
• Research model frameworks/philosophies that are
  5-10 years into the future such as incorporation
  of meso and/or micro models, Activity Based
  models, etc.
• This presentation will be on Mesoscopic/Microscopi
  c Models

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Background (slide content Burghout, Koutsopoulos
Andreasson)

• Macroscopic Models represent traffic as an
  indivisible flow by making aggregations and
  simplifications of the network system
• Microscopic Models describe the behavior of
  individual drivers, their vehicles and their
  interactions
• Mesoscopic Models maintain individual vehicle
  representation but with a more aggregate
  representation of traffic dynamics

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Background (slide content Burghout, Koutsopoulos
Andreasson)

• Macroscopic models are mostly used for planning
  level applications
• Microscopic models are suited to model vehicle
  interactions at a high level of detail, but are
  usually limited to small areas due to the large
  amount of required input data and calibration
  requirements

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Background (slide content Burghout, Koutsopoulos
Andreasson)

• Mesoscopic models provide a middle ground with
  their ability to model large networks with
  limited network coding and calibration effort,
  while providing a better representation of the
  traffic dynamics and individual travel behavior
  than their macroscopic counterparts.

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Macro to Micro
Graphic by Barcelo, Casas, Garcia Perarnau
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Level of Effort
Graphic by Daiheng Ni
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Incorporation into LRTP

• Policy Makers are asking our current Macroscopic
  LRTP models to answer questions they were never
  intended to answer
• Mesoscopic models will help us integrate ITS
  analyses into the LRTP process
• Mesoscopic models can be used to model sub-areas
  that require a more detailed level of analysis

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References

• Barcelo, J. Casas, J, Garcia, D. Perarnau, J.
  Methodological Notes for Combining Macro, Meso
  And Micro Models for Transportation Analysis,
  (ND).
• Burghout, W. Koutsopoulos, H. N. Andreasson,
  I. A Discrete-Event Mesoscopic Traffic
  Simulation Model for Hybrid Traffic Simulation.
  Manuscript received March 20, 2006.
• Daiheng, N. Transportation Modelong and
  Simulation Past, Present, and Future. PowerPoint
  Presentation University of Massachusetts Amherst,
  July 20, 2006
• Martino, M. Miura, D. Introduction to
  Simulation in Cube. An overview of micro
  simulation and the unique features available only
  in Cube Dynasim.