WEAVSIM: A MICROSCOPIC SIMULATION MODEL OF FREEWAY WEAVING SECTIONS

Intense lane-changing maneuvers at weaving sections create turbulences that often lead to congestion. The study of the dynamics of traffic flow at weaving sections thus has the potential to generate benefits. This paper describes a microscopic simulation model, WEAVSIM, developed for such studies. Freeway Data Collection for Studying Vehicle Interaction, a project of the FHWA, produced data sets at weaving sections and other problem areas to facilitate the study of freeway operations and the enhancement of freeway simulation models. Some of these data sets have been used in testing WEAVSIM. The application of the model was demonstrated by a small-scale simulation study of weaving sections.