Integration of Transportation System Analyses in Cube

1. Integration of Transportation SystemAnalyses in Cube Wade L. White, AICP Citilabs Inc

2. A comprehensive transportation planning system • Cube has two parts: • Cube Base: the user interface comprised of 3 sections: • Application Manager : flow-chart style tool for building model systems • Scenario Manager: tool for applying the model to multiple scenarios • Graphics: editing of all data in text, tabular and graphical form • ‘Functional Libraries: • VOYAGER • TP+ • TRANPLAN • TRIPS • CARGO • AVENUE • DYNASIM • Analyst • LAND (in development) • LOGIT (in development) Cube Avenue

3. Transportation modeling tools • Macroscopic Modeling • Mesoscopic Modeling • Microscopic Modeling

4. Macroscopic Modeling • Macroscopic Models generally consider the entire system and estimate routing and flows through a network for a time period. • Currently used for almost all strategic (long-range) planning. • FSUTMS Models • Very fast analysis of very large areas. • Models the behavior of people taking into account: • Why people are making trips • Why they select a particular mode • Why they select a particular route

5. Cube Voyager • the latest technology for the forecasting of personal travel. • a modular and script-based structure allowing the incorporation of any model methodology • HCM junction-based capacity restraint for highway analysis • includes highly flexible network and matrix calculators for the calculation of travel demand and for the detailed comparison of scenarios. • designed to provide an open and user-friendly framework for modeling at any level • This makes the management of data a snap, and the coding of complex methodologies simple via a step-by-step approach.

6. Cube Voyager Model

7. Highway Traffic Flow

8. Mesoscopic Models • MESOscopic are MORE detailed than MACROscopic travel demand models but are LESS detailed than MICROscopic simulation models.  • Cube Avenue, a mesoscopic dynamic assignment model is available for CUBE.  • With mesoscopic models, it is still possible to quickly analyze larger areas with a more detailed model which overcomes the pitfalls of the macroscopic travel demand models. • Takes into account intersection configurations and controls • More detailed estimates of delay, travel time, and capacities • Enforces capacity limitations and the effects of queues ‘blocking back’ • Models flow curves and changing demand throughout an analysis period • Allows vehicles to respond to traffic conditions and change their route

9. Cube Avenue • representing vehicles as discrete packets or individual vehicles • assigning a specific time of departure from the origin point in the network to each packet or vehicle • routing the vehicles along multiple paths in response to dynamic traffic conditions • representing queues and bottlenecks including ‘blocking back’ or the formation of queues on a roadway segment or at an intersection which spill back up-stream to block roadway segments which feed into the roadway segments • Region-wide, corridor-level • Evacuation modeling, greater analysis of geometrics, traffic control and ITS strategies • Quantify impacts of upstream traffic congestion • Summary of Avenue: • Measure queuing at intersections and merge points in a network • Isolate secondary impacts from one intersection through another • Evaluate the benefits of ITS (intelligent transportation system) projects • Simulate alternative infrastructure, operational, and policy changes to optimize emergency evacuation plans and strategies • Test strategies to improve arrival and departure from stadiums and other special-event facilities

10. NERPM Dynamic Traffic Assignment Build TOD Vehicle Trips Establish Dynamic Assignment Parameters Dynamic Traffic Assignment

11. NERPM DTA Animation

12. Microscopic Modeling • Microscopic models are VERY detailed and take into account vehicle’s interactions with the following aspects: • The roadway geometry (lanes, turning lanes, weaving areas, exclusive lanes) • Physical size of different types of vehicles • Details of traffic control (signal timing, phasing, geometric configurations) • Microsimulations are Stochastic (contain random processes) which emulates: • The fluctuating nature of traffic flows • Variations in human behavior and responses • Microsimulations are Multimodal and can consider the effects of traffic interacting with all other users of the transportation system: • Pedestrians, Bicyclists, Motorcyclists • Trucks and other Heavy Vehicles • Transit vehicles, Taxis, Light and Heavy rail vehicles

13. Cube Dynasim • Integration with demand models • Polygon select of an area and export of data to the microsimulation. Saves enormous time • Stand alone microsimulation • Layered approach much more intelligent than other software • 2d and 3d animation • Export of shape layers and images • Use of industry standard 3ds files for high quality 3d • True sharing of results via exportable animations • Scenario-based Simulation • Only one Dynasim project for all simulation alternatives • Eliminates redundancy • Ensures consistency • Analysis of Multiple Runs inherent to the system • Automatically performs multiple runs and summarizes results • Ensures a robust analysis with no additional burden on the user • Interactive Results • Completed simulations may be exported to a DynaViews program • Interactive Animations with the same features as Dynasim • Freely distributable

14. Building a Dynasim Simulation

15. Dynasim Simulation Roundabout Simulation Bus Terminal Simulation

16. Summary • Modern software platform providing: • integrated environment for regional planning • regional traffic simulation • corridor level detailed project evaluation Cube Dynasim for corridor simulation = animations Cube Voyager for regional planning – traffic flows Cube Avenue (DTA) for region-wide simulation – queues/ delays

17. Questions