Traffic Flow Simulations
Traffic flow simulations are critical in establishing existing baseline conditions and the potential impacts of future development. Traffic flow simulations provide operational and performance characteristics of the road network including vehicle delay, vehicle queues and volume to capacity ratios. Traffic simulation traditionally falls into two broad categories, Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) methodology (or equivalent Canadian Capacity Guide) and micro-simulation. The HCM methodology is employed in various traffic simulation software packages, most commonly the HCS and Synchro platforms. Advances in micro-simulation has also seen the growth of specialized software packages including Paramics and VISSIM, which are designed to model the movements of individual vehicles at the detailed level rather than the macroscopic level. These data-intense packages are often employed in major studies where the impact of state-of-the-art Intelligent Transportation Systems and transportation demand management measures require a more sophisticated approach to operational assessment.
