Fundamentals of Traffic Simulation (International Series in Operations Research & Management Science, 145)

The increasing power of computer technologies, the evolution of software en- neering and the advent of the intelligent transport systems has prompted traf c simulation to become one of the most used approaches for traf c analysis in s- port of the design and evaluation of traf c systems. The ability of traf c simulation to emulate the time variability of traf c phenomena makes it a unique tool for capturing the complexity of traf c systems. In recent years, traf c simulation – and namely microscopic traf c simulation – has moved from the academic to the professional world. A wide variety of traf- c simulation software is currently available on the market and it is utilized by thousands of users, consultants, researchers and public agencies. Microscopic traf c simulation based on the emulation of traf c ows from the dynamics of individual vehicles is becoming one the most attractive approaches. However, traf c simulation still lacks a uni ed treatment. Dozens of papers on theory and applications are published in scienti c journals every year. A search of simulation-related papers and workshops through the proceedings of the last annual TRB meetings would support this assertion, as would a review of the minutes from speci cally dedicated meetings such as the International Symposiums on Traf c Simulation (Yokohama, 2002; Lausanne, 2006; Brisbane, 2008) or the International Workshops on Traf c Modeling and Simulation (Tucson, 2001; Barcelona, 2003; Sedona, 2005; Graz 2008). Yet, the only comprehensive treatment of the subject to be found so far is in the user’s manuals of various software products.

The increasing power of computer technologies, the evolution of software engineering and the advent of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) worldwide has helped make traffic simulation one of the most used approaches for traffic analysis in support of the design and evaluation of traffic systems. The ability of traffic simulation software to emulate the time variability of traffic phenomena makes it a uniquely useful tool for capturing the complexity of traffic systems. While a wide variety of simulation software is available, no one book has presented a unified treatment of the subject.

Fundamentals of Traffic Simulation is the first book to provide practitioners and researchers with a comprehensive treatment of the state of the art of traffic simulation. Leading researchers worldwide provide up-to-date information on:

- Simulation as a well established and grounded OR technique and its specificities when applied to traffic systems.

- The main approaches to traffic simulation and the principles of traffic simulation model building.

- The fundamentals of traffic flow theory and its application to traffic simulation in Microscopic traffic modeling, Mesoscopic traffic modeling, and Macroscopic traffic modeling.

- The principles of Dynamic Traffic Assignment and its application to traffic simulation.

- The calibration and validation of traffic simulation models.

This important work will appeal to professionals, including transport consultants, managers in design firms and government, and even simulation software developers. It will also provide researchers with the first comprehensive overview of the subject, and can serve as a text or recommended reading in courses on traffic simulation and transportation analysis.