INVESTIGATION OF NETWORK-LEVEL TRAFFIC FLOW RELATIONSHIPS: SOME SIMULATION RESULTS

Results of an exploratory study of networklevel relationships in an isolated network with a fixed number of vehicles circulating according to the microscopic rules embedded in the NETSIM traffic simulation model are presented. The primary concern was to assess the usefulness of such simulation-based approaches in the investigation of macroscopic network-level traffic relationships. Three specific objectives were addressed: (a) identification of network-level descriptors that are related in operationally useful and simple ways, (b) exploration of some aspects of the two-fluid theory of town traffic, and (c) examination of the traffic flow distribution over the network components. A number of simulations were conducted on the same network under two different sets of control schemes and traffic characteristics at widely varying vehicle concentrations. The results were analyzed with respect to the three objectives, yielding useful insights into network-level traffic phenomena and suggesting promising avenues for further research.