Calibration of the PARAMICS microscopic traffic simulation model

Abstract

Microscopie traffic simulation models have become widely used tools in transportation engineering because they are able to reproduce queues, shock waves, weaving areas, merging zones, gap acceptance behaviour, fixed and actuated traffic signals, and many other traffic characteristics observed in real life. Testing road designs and traffic control systems, analysis of intelligent transportation systems, evaluating traffic management schemes, and calibrating adaptive control systems are important applications of microscopic models that require a well calibrated model to produce satisfactory results. The principal objective of this research is to document and analyze the sensitivity and global network impacts of parameters used to calibrate PARAMICS, which is one of the most popular and powerful microscopic traffic models. Based on this analysis, recommendations have been made, which