Assessing Complete Street Strategies Using Microscopic Traffic Simulation Models

Liu, Bernice; Shams, Alireza; Howard, Jonathan; Alexander, Serena; Hughes, Alexandre; Pande, Anurag

doi:10.31979/mti.2020.1712

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…The second set of (automobile travel demand reduction) scenarios is based on the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the US followed by the "shelter-in-place" and "stay-athome" orders by governments and the possibility of similar events in the future. Note that a UC Davis study by Shilling [18] found that several states experienced as high as 60% reduction in local travel. However, this reduction was not sustainable, and demand bounced back to some degree, according to the INRIX US National Traffic Volume Synopsis [19].…”

Section: Scenarios Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Microscopic Traffic Simulation as a Decision Support System for Road Diet and Tactical Urbanism Strategies

et al. 2021

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Urban street networks in the United States have been primarily designed for automobile traffic with negligible considerations to non-motorized transportation users. Due to environmental issues and quality of life concerns, communities are reclaiming street spaces for active modes and slowing the speeds in their downtown. Moreover, tactical urbanism, i.e., the use of street space for innovative purposes other than moving automobile traffic, is becoming attractive due to reduced automobile travel demand and the need for outdoor activities in the age of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study provides details of the modeling of an urban downtown network (in the City of San Jose) using microscopic traffic simulation. The model is then applied to evaluate the effectiveness of street design changes at varying demand scenarios. The microsimulation approach was chosen because it allows for the detailed modeling and visualization of the transportation networks, including movements of individual vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians. The street design change demonstrated here involves one-way to two-way street conversion, but the framework of network-wide impact evaluation may also be used for complete street conversions. The base conditions network was also tested under different travel demand reduction scenarios (10%, 20%, and 30%) to identify the corridors in the city network in which the tactical urbanism strategies (e.g., open-air dining) may be best accommodated. The study provides framework for the use of a microscopic model as part of a decision support system to evaluate and effectively implement complete streets/tactical urbanism strategies.

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Section: Scenarios Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The validation described above was also considered in past studies with similar VISSIM modeling process [17]. For more information on the data and modeling details, the readers are referred to Liu et al [18].…”

Section: Vissim Network Calibration and Validationmentioning

confidence: 99%