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1UEMX 3823 Highway Engineering and Traffic System Analysis

Laboratory Work 1: Traffic Modeling with Paramics


Introduction

Traffic microsimulation describes the process of creating a virtual model of a city's
transportation infrastructure in order to simulate the interactions of road traffic, and other
forms of transportation, in microscopic detail. This involves treating each vehicle, bus,
train, tram, cyclist, pedestrian etc. in the model as a unique entity with it's own goals and
behavioural characterises; each possessing the ability to interact with other entities in the
model.

Quadstone Paramics is a modular suite of microscopic simulation tools providing a
powerful, integrated platform for modelling a complete range of real world traffic and
transportation problems. The Paramics modules combine together to improve usability,
integration and productivity allowing users and clients to get added value from the
modelling process. The Paramics software is fully scaleable and designed to handle
scenarios as wide-ranging as a single intersection through to a congested freeway or the
modelling of an entire citys traffic system. There are a total of 8 modules in Paramics, as
stated below:
1. Paramics Modeler: a modular suite of microscopic simulation tools providing a
powerful, integrated platform for modelling a complete range of real world traffic
and transportation problems. The Paramics modules combine together to improve
usability, integration and productivity allowing users and clients to get added
value from the modelling process. The Paramics software is fully scaleable and
designed to handle scenarios as wide-ranging as a single intersection through to a
congested freeway or the modelling of an entire citys traffic system.
2. Paramics Processor: a batch simulation productivity tool used for easy sensitivity
and option testing. Processor can be used to automate simulation and analysis
processes, reducing user down time and speeding up the model development
lifecycle.
3. Paramics Analyser: the powerful post data analysis tool used for custom analysis
and reporting of model statistics. Analyser can be used to interrogate a single set
of data or it can be used to compare or average multiple datasets from multiple
sources e.g. base layout, alternatives, and observed field data helping to speed up
the model calibration and validation process.
4. Paramics Designer: a 3D model building and editing tool provided for use with
Paramics Modeller. It can be used to prepare complex and life-like 3D models to
aid visualisation for presentation and movie capture. Designer is free to any
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licensed user of the Paramics applications and is provided with over 900 ready-to-
use 3D models.
5. Paramics Programmer: a comprehensive development API for the Paramics suite.
It is the most powerful research and customisation tool available for users
interested in microscopic traffic simulation. Programmer allows users to augment
the core Paramics simulation with new functions, driver behaviour and practical
features.
6. Paramics Estimator: a revolutionary OD Matrix estimation tool designed to
integrate seamlessly with the core Paramics modules. Estimator utilises all aspects
of the core Paramics simulation, ensuring maximum compatibility between the
OD matrix, model structure, and underlying assignment techniques.
7. Paramics Converter: designed to take existing geometric network data from a
range of sources and "convert" it into a basic Paramics network. Converter can
work with data from various sources including, emme/2, Mapinfo, ESRI, Synchro,
Corsim, Cube/TP+/Viper, flat ASCII, and CSV.
8. Paramics Monitor: calculates the levels of traffic emission pollution on a road
network. The pollution levels are collected for every link in the network by
summing the emissions for all vehicles on the link. These levels can be written to
a statistics file at regular intervals.

Objective
1. To develop a simple network using Paramics Modeler.
2. To carry out simple scenarios testing.
3. To carry out simple analysis for various scenarios tested.

Equipment
1. Paramics Modeler software
2. Computer

Procedure

A. How to create network
1. Using the New Network Wizard, input basic configuration details value. Change
the values of the following parameters:
Units: metrics
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Orientation: Left hand drive
mean target headway to 10s
change the red time to 2s
change the mean driver reaction time to 2.5s

2. Assign the vehicle types of the network to:
Car, type 1, Proportion: 80%
Others car type: 0%
LGV: 5%
OGV1: 5%
OGV2: 5%
coach: 5%

3. Set the output data that you wish to obtain at the Measurements Tab. Change the
following setting:
Click Link Delay
Click Trip Analysis
Click Signal flow
Click vehicle types: All vehicles
Under Periodic, Link Counts: 01:00:00
Under Periodic, Queues: 01:00:00
4. Save your network to D:\Jan2014Lab folder.
5. Assign the network name as your group number.
6. Delete all the default zones, links, and nodes before starting.
7. Create the nodes and the links of the network as shown in Figure 1.
8. Set the correct priority ranks for the lanes for Junction 1 according to the layout
plan shown in Figure 2.
9. Create a traffic signal for Junction 2 according to the layout plan and phase
diagram shown in Figure 3.
10. Create the origin and destination zones.
11. Assign the OD traffic demand to the zones according to the following OD matrix.
Zone 1 2 3 4
1 2000 1000 1000
2 500 200 500
4
3 1000 500 200
4 2000 600 200

12. Click to run the simulation for 1 hour simulation time.

B. How to collect data
1. Go to your network folder D:\Jan2014Lab\GroupXX, open the Log\run-001
folder.
2. Choose trips-linkdelay-01-00-00 file to obtain the link delay. Choose any 1 trip on
any link.
3. Choose link-counts-01-00-00 file to obtain the link flow. Choose any link.
4. Close all the folders. Back to Paramics Modeler. Change the seed number (any
number you like) and click start the simulation again. After the simulation has
stopped, go to open Log\run-002, and record all the necessary values in Table 1.
5. Repeat step 1 again. This time go to Log\run-003 to record all the values.

C. Change Scenario
1. Click on Edit Core Model Attributes. Under the Configuration Tab, change the
Demand Factor to 200%.
2. Repeat Part B, the values have to be recorded from Log\run-004 to Log\run-006.
3. Record all the results in Table 2.

Results
Please label the unit of the parameters

Table 1: Simulation results for benchmark case
Parameters\Runs 1 2 3 Average
Link 3:4 Delay
Link 5:4 Count
Link 2:4 Queue


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Table 2: Simulation results for 200% Demand Factor
Parameters\Runs 1 2 3 Average
Link 3:4 Delay
Link 5:4 Count
Link 2:4 Queue

Discussions:
1. What is the mean target headway? What changes do you expect if the value of
this parameter change?
2. Are the results presented in Table 1 statistically significant? By using the links
flow value, compute the required sample size if a 95% confidence level, with the
maximum error accepted is 10% is required. You can use t-distribution analysis.
3. Define the terms: validation, verification and calibration. How importance is these
processes to the simulation models?
4. What are the changes observed when the traffic demand is increased 200%? What
strategy will you propose in order to maintain the value as in Table 1?
5. What could you suggest to improve the quality of the simulation results in this
experiment?

Conclusions











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Appendix



Figure 1: Network layout


Category 22
Category 21

Figure 2: Priority Setting at Junction 1
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Phase 1:
Green: 20s
Red time: 0s
Phase 2:
Green: 15s
Red time: 2s
Phase 3:
Green: 25s
Red: 0s
Cycle time: 80s

Figure 3: Traffic Signal Setting for Junction 2