QUEUE OBVIATION BY VARIABLE
DIRECTION AND INFORMATION SIGNS

DRIVE II PROJECT V2042

DELIVERABLE No.6B
WORKPACKAGE No.5

VALIDATED NETWORK MODELS FOR USE IN
NETWORK CONTROL - FINAL

DELIVERABLE TYPE: R
CONSTRACT DATE: NOVEMBER 1993
SUBMISSION DATE: SEPTEMBER1994

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
R&D PROGRAMME: TELEMATICS SYSTEMS IN THE AREA OF TRANSPORT
DRIVE II

CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. INTRODUCTION

2. OBJECTIVES

3. ASSIGNMENT MODELLING

4. SCOTTISH MCONTRM NETWORK

4.1 Network Modelling
4.2 Demand
4.3 Calibration
4.4 Validation

5. AALBORG MCONTRM NETWORK

5.1 Network Modelling
5.2 Demand
5.3 Validation

6. METANET MODEL EXTENSION AND VALIDATION FOR THE SCOTTISH NETWORK

6.1 Introduction
6.2 Model Enhancements for the Scottish Site

6.2.1 Roundabouts
6.2.2 Non-Motorway Roads
6.2.3 Toll Facilities

6.3 Calibration and Validation

6.3.1 Link Parameter Calibration
6.3.2 Roundabout Capacity Validation

7. SIMRES MODEL

7.1 General Description
7.2 Calibration of the FEDICS Subnetwork

7.2.1 Choice of a subnetwork and network coding
7.2.2 Simplified model elaboration

7.3 SIMRES Improvements

7.3.1 Travel-time Calculation
7.3.2 Traffic Modelling
7.3.3 Incident and VMS Management

7.4 Simplified Model Validation

8. METACOR NETWORK MODELLING IN AALBORG

8.1 Introduction
8.2 Criteria Used for the Control Strategies in Urban Areas

8.2.1 Travel Tme Algorithm description
8.2.2 Algorithm Calibration and Validation

8.3 Aalborg Network Description
8.4 Real traffic data available
8.5 Model Calibration and Validation

8.5.1 Parameters estimation
8.5.2 Validation

8.6 Conclusions and Next Steps

9. RESULTS

10. NEXT STEPS

ANNEXES

A. SCOTTISH NETWORK

B. AALBORG NETWORK

C. METANET MODEL EXTENSIONS AND VALIDATION

D. SIMRES MODELLING

E. ON-LINE TRAVEL TIME CALCULATION FOR VMS CONTROL STRATEGIES

F. METACOR IN THE AALBORG NETWORK

Executive Summary

On-line computer control of traffic networks by the display of variable message signs is an order of magnitude more complex than control of individual carriageways. Detailed off-line computer modelling of networks under various conditions can be used to assess the interactions of appropriate control strategies. On-line network modelling can be used to monitor network conditions and to aid the selection of potential strategies. Two networks, one in Scotland and the other in Denmark, have been selected for on-site testing, in the QUO VADIS Project, of specially developed control techniques.

This deliverable describes the work done in Activity 5.2 of Work Package 5.

MCONTRM computer models of the large, complex interurban traffic network in Scotland and the large, highly detailed urban network in Aalborg, Denmark, have been constructed. Origin-destination traffic demand matrices have been compiled, and validated, using observed data. For both networks considerable quantities of data have been collected and analysed. Experience has been gained in the general availability of traffic information and the difficulties in the obtaining data of the quality required for detailed modelling.

The METANET traffic model, in the form resulting from its use in CHRISTIANE, has been extended to cope with interurban conditions such as roundabouts, non-motorway roads and toll facilities. A model of a subset of the Scottish network has been created, and the extensions have been calibrated and validated against available data.

The on-line SIMRES network simulation model has been enhanced from the version existing at the end of the CHRISTIANE Project. The extensions developed for METANET to model interurban conditions have been incorporated, and other improvements have been developed. These include enhancing the aid-to-decision procedures and the derivation of traffic journey times from automatically collected data.

The desirability of the ability to use multiple criteria in assessing strategy choice and for evaluation of the response to specific strategies is generally agreed. However, because of the difficulty of measuring some criteria, an algorithm has been developed for deriving travel times from the data produced by magnetic detector loops. The algorithm will be used in Aalborg in association with METACOR. It has been validated at two separate locations.