National Urban Transport Modelling Workshop March 2008 Traffic Management and Microsimulation Rod Tudge RTA and Chris Wilson MWT.

M A S S O N W I L S O N T W I N E Y T R A F F I C A N D T R A N S P O R T C O N S U L T A N T S

National Urban Transport Modelling Workshop

March 2008

Traffic Management and Microsimulation

Rod Tudge RTA and Chris Wilson MWT

M A S S O N W I L S O N T W I N E Y T R A F F I C A N D T R A N S P O R T C O N S U L T A N T S

Goals of Workshop

To identify how modelling can inform and maximise the success of urban congestion management interventions (infrastructure and non-infrastructure)

To identify key issues for modelling each of the intervention areas identified above (including joint interventions), including impediments to their meeting their potential, and possible solutions/strategies for addressing these issues

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Goals Cont’d

To establish how we can use modelling to devise complementary infrastructure and non-infrastructure intervention packages to maximise long-term congestion benefits

To formulate key recommendations for COAG

To identify how modelling can inform and maximise the success of urban congestion management interventions (infrastructure and non-infrastructure)

M A S S O N W I L S O N T W I N E Y T R A F F I C A N D T R A N S P O R T C O N S U L T A N T S

Congestion

The definitional Issue

• What is it?

• Where is it?

• Why is it there?

• What do we measure?

M A S S O N W I L S O N T W I N E Y T R A F F I C A N D T R A N S P O R T C O N S U L T A N T S The Modelling

Disconnect

Demand models good at estimating total travel and mode share – but can’t model congestion effects and the direct cost

Simulation and traffic (Operational) models can estimate cost and attributes of congestion but not the feed back to travel demand response to congestion

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Modelling

If you can model it you can measure it!

• Any data is a model

• A little data can inform a lot of modelling

• Never mind the source; feel the extent

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What are we measuring congestion for?

• Car and Truck

• Travel times

• Stops

• Fuel

• Variability

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Congestion?

• Waiting time

• Waiting time for late bus

• Waiting time after full bus

• In vehicle sitting

• In vehicle standing

M A S S O N W I L S O N T W I N E Y T R A F F I C A N D T R A N S P O R T C O N S U L T A N T S The Relevance of

Other Modes

• Taxis

• Hybrids

• Pedestrians

• Bikes

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Rural Congestion

When considered as a freight network – congestion can be a significant cost

How long does it take a semi-trailer to overtake a B-Double?

How do you measure - percentage vehicles bunching?

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Time of Day

What is important?

• Peak hour – journey to work

• Inter peak – high value business travel

• Counter peak – often dominated by freight vehicles (battling against peak direction traffic signal co-ordination)

M A S S O N W I L S O N T W I N E Y T R A F F I C A N D T R A N S P O R T C O N S U L T A N T S

Trip Purpose 

• Journey to work business

• Business travel

• Freight

• Recreation

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Sustainability

Congestion Management for What Objective?

• Environmental

•  Noise

• Pollution

Are these measured differently?

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Levels

Understanding Necessary and Unnecessary Congestions

• Necessary congestion – gives the correct pricing signals for demand management

• Unnecessary congestion – a cost to the community (time, environmental, fuel etc)