METACOR: A macroscopic Modeling
Tool for Urban Corridor

N.ELLOUMI, INRETS, France
H. HAJ-SALEM, INRETS, France
M. PAPAGEORGIOU, Technical University of Munich, Germany

ABSTRACT

The paper describes a new integrated macroscopic modeling tool for simulating traffic flow phenomena within urban corridors including both motorway and urban road subnetworks of arbitrary topology. The new modeling tool METACOR emerged from expansion and integration of two existing modeling tools METANET and SSMT for traffic flow on motorway networks and on urban networks respectively. In this paper, the basic equations including traffic assignment modeling of the two traffic models are described and the main characteristics of METACOR are outlined. METACOR has been validated on the basis of real traffic flow measurements selected under a broad spectrum of traffic conditions. The mathematical model is capable of describing complicated traffic phenomena with acceptable accuracy. A simulation program which is developed on the basis of the modeling equations, mays be used as a tool for testing of control strategies related to ramp metering, signal control and Variable Message Sign (VMS)