TransModeler is the name of a based traffic simulation platform for doing wide-area traffic planning, traffic management, and emergency evacuation studies that is developed by Caliper Corporation. It can animate the behavior of multi-modal traffic systems to show the flow of vehicles, the operation of traffic signals, and the overall performance of the transportation network.
About TransModeler
TransModeler is a traffic simulation package applicable to a wide array of traffic planning and modeling tasks. TransModeler can simulate many kinds of road networks, including freeways and downtown areas, and can analyze wide-area multimodal networks. It can be used to model and visualize the behavior of traffic systems in a 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional GIS environment to illustrate and evaluate traffic flow dynamics, traffic signal and ITS operations, connected and automated vehicles (CAVs), and overall network performance.
Like other Caliper Corporation products, TransModeler is a native GIS environment. TransModeler integrates with TransCAD, the travel demand forecasting software. TransModeler includes a proprietary BASIC-like programming language (Caliper Script) within a development interface (GISDK) that allows automation of the TransModeler environment. TransModeler includes a relational database and a matrix engine for native matrix operations.
TransModeler simulates public transportation as well as bicycle, car, and truck traffic. Transit route system travel demand can be specified as either schedule or headway based. Pedestrian crossing demand can also be simulated.
TransModeler is inherently a trip-based microscopic simulation package. Demand can also be simulated using turning movement volumes. The trip-based routing handles a wide variety of intelligent transportation system (ITS) features such as managed lanes (such as HOV and HOT lanes), electronic toll collection, route guidance, and traffic detection and surveillance. Simulation-based dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) can be used to inform vehicle's route choices. Calibration methods like Origin-Destination Matrix Estimation (ODME) are also available.
TransModeler's road editor natively supports two-way links and roads, which enables automatic handling for two-way left-turn lanes (TWLTL) and automatic handling of overtaking/passing on two-lane highways. Vehicle conflict points and yield points are automatically calculated inside of intersections. Road networks can be imported from Synchro, CORSIM, and TransCAD line layers. TransModeler is integrated with the Highway Capacity Software (HCS) in that it can be used to simulate Urban Streets, Freeway Facilities and Stop-Controlled Intersection (TWSC/ASWC) files created in HCS.
TransModeler includes various tools for managing a simulation project and the associated scenarios. Project databases, traffic signal timing plans, and other input data can be shared between multiple projects and scenarios.
TransModeler Projects
TransModeler is used for projects throughout the world.
Wide Area, High Fidelity Traffic Simulation for MAG
For the Maricopa Association of Governments, Caliper developed the largest high-fidelity microsimulation model ever attempted. Using TransModeler, vehicle traffic was simulated within a 500 square mile area of Phoenix using a microscopic model with a .1 second time step. The network includes more than 1800 traffic signals which were simulated at the same time. The network is represented at the lane level with accurate intersection placement and geography. An equilibrium dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) was performed using the microscopic loading.
Lake County Area Microsimulation Model
TransModeler was used to calibrate a model spanning most of Lake County, CA. The focus of the model was the management of traffic demand between routes north and south of Clear Lake. The corridor is more than 50 miles in length, is made up of State Routes 20, 29, and 53, and includes most local roads in the towns through which the routes pass. After calibrating and validating the model, alternative strategies for traffic calming and access management in the towns were considered with a view toward attracting traffic to the route south of the Lake, which impacts local communities to a much lesser degree.