DEVELOPING POWERFUL INTERSECTION & NETWORK ANALYSIS SOFTWARE

Transcription

1 DEVELOPING POWERFUL INTERSECTION & NETWORK ANALYSIS SOFTWARE YOUTUBE.COM/SIDRASOLUTIONS New tutorial and support videos on all SIDRA SOLUTONS software Image: Nearmap.com SIDRASOLUTIONS.COM

2 A message from DR RAHMI AKÇELIK We have been privileged with the support given to us as a software developer by professionals in numerous countries around the world who are keen on applying a scientific approach to analysing and finding technical solutions to the traffic problems facing our communities. During the last thirty plus years (the first 20 years at the Australian Road Research Board and the last 12 years at our company Akcelik & Associates), we have been developing our software in response to user needs, introducing innovations based on the latest research results and most recent technologies available is an exciting year for our company as we are now developing our SIDRA INTERSECTION software to an even higher level with substantially new functionalities including a network analysis model. We thank you for your continued support and advice towards achieving successful software products which serve our profession worldwide. With best wishes Rahmi Akçelik SIDRA INTERSECTION 5.1 SIDRA SOLUTIONS Roundabout Capacity Analysis 08 SIDRA TRIP 1.1 INPUT COMPARISON SIDRA UTILITIES our customers 14

3 30+ YEARS OF INNOVATION IN INTERSECTION MODELLING FOR POWERFUL TRAFFIC ANALYSIS SIDRA INTERSECTION 5.1 We have spent over 30 years developing SIDRA INTERSECTION software with one core philosophy in mind to provide a powerful tool that helps you to save time and effort, and enables production of effective solutions for your local traffic conditions. 03 SIDRA INTERSECTION is an advanced micro-analytical traffic evaluation tool used by transport professionals in 90+ countries across the globe. New Zealand traffic and transport professionals have used SIDRA INTERSECTION extensively since the 1980s, and contributed to the development of the software with valuable ideas. The latest version of SIDRA INTERSECTION 5.1 is loaded with more powerful and time-saving features: Change New Zealand Rule function introduced in the Priorities dialog for the New Zealand model. The function is provided for the purpose of changing between the New Zealand Rule (left -turning vehicles give way to oncoming right -turning vehicles) and the rule used in the Standard Left model (right-turning vehicles give way to oncoming left-turning vehicles). The function can be applied to all Sites in the Project. New HCM 2010 Level of Service methods, parameter defaults and delay models adopted (relevant to all intersection types). Templates for all intersection types including roundabouts, signals and sign control updated for the HCM version of SIDRA INTERSECTION. New Apply to All Sites feature to make changing data and model settings at Project level easy. Significant improvements to roundabout and other intersection layout displays. Roundabout layout options for circulating road line marking and lane arrows. Entry Radius and Entry Angle parameters incorporated into the SIDRA standard roundabout capacity model. Operating Cost parameters (fuel price and value of time) updated. Percentile Queue model revised (probability of blockage will be affected). Various other traffic model and user interface improvements. Updated User Guide. SIDRA UTILITIES (various small programs and applications available from our website free of charge) updated for SIDRA INTERSECTION 5.1: VOLUMES Excel application ANNUAL SUMS Excel application OUTPUT COMPARISON program VARIABLE RUN program User access to more model calibration parameters including downstream lane utilisation and vehicle mass parameters. A new INPUT COMPARISON utility, available from our online store, for comparing input data files or comparing input data against defaults. Application Programming Interface (API) has been expanded and significant progress has been made with linking to other major transport software packages. TORUS 3 roundabout design software (available through TRANSOFT SOLUTIONS) offers a link to SIDRA INTERSECTION 5.1. This enables users to synchronize key geometric data, import capacity and performance analysis results (capacity, delay, queue length, fuel consumption, emissions) from SIDRA INTERSECTION into TORUS, and export a SIDRA INTERSECTION project file with geometry data based on TORUS design. No other software employs a powerful lane-by-lane capacity and performance analysis method and drive-cycle modeling like SIDRA INTERSECTION. Powerful environmental modeling to help you design green intersections. Leading analytical methodology based on Dr Akçelik s award-winning research and development. Buy online at sidrasolutions.com FREE 14-DAY trial at sidrasolutions.com PRO Licence from $2350 AUD* EDU Licence from $350 AUD* Get FREE 12-month COVER!

4 Why is SIDRA INTERSECTION the best software for roundabout capacity analysis? You may have seen a claim from another software developer that the new version of their roundabout capacity software package is the only commercially available tool to offer full geometric and gap acceptance modelling capability within a single product. For at least two decades now, SIDRA INTERSECTION software has used the gap-acceptance methodology for roundabout capacity estimation where gap-acceptance parameters are estimated from the roundabout geometry. In short, SIDRA INTERSECTION has employed a combined (hybrid) geometry and gap-acceptance modelling approach in order to take into account the effect of roundabout geometry on driver behaviour directly through gap-acceptance modelling. This approach accepts the importance of roundabout geometry but states that roundabout geometry alone is not good enough and modelling of driver behaviour is needed for roundabout capacity estimation, just as it is needed for modelling the capacity of any other intersection type (signals, sign control). There has been a lot of debate about the relative benefits of models based on gap acceptance theory vs empirical models in the past, with claims that gap-acceptance modelling does not work for roundabouts. Much of this debate has been misleading due to simplistic model categorization based on the suggestion REFERENCES that these modelling approaches are mutually exclusive. Opinion has also been expressed that it does not matter which one of these modelling approaches is used. This has overlooked the fact that SIDRA INTERSECTION has used the gapacceptance method not only for capacity but also for performance estimation including unique equations for back of queue and stop rate based on modelling of gap-acceptance cycles. SIDRA INTERSECTION has employed a combined (hybrid) geometry and gap-acceptance modelling approach in order to take into account the effect of roundabout geometry on driver behaviour directly through gap-acceptance modelling. With the aim to enhance understanding of the fundamental aspects of the different roundabout capacity models available around the world, Dr Rahmi Akçelik presented two papers at the TRB International Roundabout Conference in Carmel, Indiana, USA in May 2011, discussing three well-known analytical models of roundabout capacity, namely the Australian SIDRA INTERSECTION model, the US Highway Capacity Manual 2010 (HCM 2010) model and the UK TRL (linear regression) model. Dr Akçelik pointed out the common features as well as differences of these models, and presented a detailed table comparing the features of these roundabout capacity models. The features compared include methodology, model level of detail considering entry and circulating lanes, parameters used in the model to represent driver behaviour and roundabout geometry, and model calibration methods. A short version of the model comparison table is presented on the opposite page. Roundabout examples comparing these three models are given in the papers by Dr Akçelik and are available for download from our website: sidrasolutions.com/resources/articles AKÇELIK, R. (2011). Some common and differing aspects of alternative models for roundabout capacity and performance estimation. Paper presented at the TRB International Roundabout Conference, Carmel, Indiana, USA, AKÇELIK, R. (2011). An Assessment of the Highway Capacity Manual 2010 Roundabout Capacity Model. Paper presented at the TRB International Roundabout Conference, Carmel, Indiana, USA, TRB. Highway Capacity Manual. Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, Washington, DC, USA, ( HCM 2010 ) KIMBER, R.M. (1980). The Traffic Capacity of Roundabouts. TRRL Laboratory Report 942. Transport and Road Research Laboratory, Crowthorne, Berkshire, UK. Disclaimer: In order to avoid misleading statements about particular software packages, the third model in the table has been referred to as the UK TRL model to distinguish it as the original published model as opposed to the ARCADY and RODEL software packages which have implemented it since the software may include some differences from the original model. Comparison of SIDRA, HCM 2010 and TRL Roundabout Capacity Models SIDRA MODEL HCM 2010 MODEL UK TRL MODEL METHODOLOGY Based-on gap-acceptance theory with empirical (regression) equations to model gap-acceptance parameters. Lane-based model: capacity and performance of individual entry lanes modelled. DRIVER BEHAVIOUR Gap-acceptance parameters (Follow-up Headway, Critical Gap), entry lane-use model and circulating stream bunching represent driver behavior. Driver response times determined. Follow-up Headway and Critical Gap depend on roundabout geometry. Follow-up Headway and Critical Gap values are reduced (more aggressive driver behavior) with increased circulating flow rate. ROUNDABOUT GEOMETRY Empirical (exponential regression) capacity model with clear basis in gap-acceptance theory. Lane-based model: capacity and performance of individual entry lanes modelled. Gap-acceptance parameters (Follow-up Headway, Critical Gap) and entry lane-use model represent driver behavior. Follow-up Headway, Critical Gap values are constant. Follow-up Headway, Critical Gap values are constant. Empirical (linear regression) capacity model with no stated basis in traffic theory. Approach-based model: lane capacity and performance not available. No direct representation of driver behavior. Capacity is sensitive to the circulating flow rate only. Average entry lane width. Total entry width. Number of entry lanes. Number of entry lanes. Approach lane disciplines and configuration including bypass lanes. Approach lane disciplines and configuration including bypass lanes. Number of circulating lanes. Number of circulating lanes. Inscribed diameter. Inscribed diameter. Entry radius. Entry radius. Entry angle. Entry angle. Approach short lanes: capacity and overflow into adjacent lane modelled using gap-acceptance cycles and back of queue modeling. Exit short lanes (merge lanes) and number of exit lanes: effect on upstream approach lane use modelled. Extension to the HCM 2010 model in SIDRA INTERSECTION. MODEL LEVEL OF DETAIL ENTRY AND CIRCULATING LANES Variations in lane disciplines (exclusive and shared lanes, slip and continuous lanes) can be modeled. Dominant and subdominant entry lanes identified. Variations in lane disciplines can be modeled. Dominant and subdominant entry lanes identified. Approach flaring (approach half width and flare length). Variations in lane disciplines cannot be modeled. Entry lanes not identified. Entry lane flow rates are calculated. Entry lane flow rates are calculated. Lane flows cannot be modelled. De facto exclusive lanes are identified. De facto exclusive lanes are identified. De facto exclusive lanes cannot be identified. Unequal lane use can be modelled by specifying lane utilization ratios. Critical lane v/c ratio (degree of saturation) for a multilane approach is determined. Unequal lane use can be modelled by specifying lane volume percentages. Critical lane v/c ratio for a multilane approach is determined. Unequal lane use cannot be modelled. Critical lane v/c ratio cannot be determined (only the average v/c ratio for the approach is available). Number of circulating lanes affects capacity. Number of circulating lanes affects capacity. Number of circulating lanes does not affect capacity. Circulating lane flow rates used allowing for unbalanced flows. Amount of queuing before entering circulating stream affects capacity. Uses a bunched arrival headway model for the circulating stream. Extra bunching to model upstream signal effects allowed. UNBALANCED FLOWS Capacity is sensitive to Origin-Destination demand flow pattern, lane use and level of queuing on entry lanes. Roundabout modeled with high level of interaction between traffic using all intersection approaches. Adjustment options exist for high Entry Flow / Circulating Flow ratio (increased entry capacity at very low circulating flow rates due to increased driver aggressiveness level). MODEL CALIBRATION Intersection-level or approach-level calibration using Environment Factor. Movement-level calibration using Follow-up Headway and Critical Gap parameters. Total circulating flow rate used. Circulating lane flows not used. Uses a random arrival headway model for the circulating stream. Extension to the HCM 2010 model in SIDRA INTERSECTION. Extension to the HCM 2010 model in SIDRA INTERSECTION. Extension to the HCM 2010 model in SIDRA INTERSECTION. Method described to calibrate the model parameters using known Follow-up Headway and Critical Gap values. Total circulating flow used. Circulating lane flows not used. No explicit assumptions about circulating stream headways. Not used (roundabout modeled as a series of T- intersections with no sensitivity to Origin-Destination flow patterns). The y-intercept value of the linear regression capacity function can be adjusted. Some issues exist. 05

5 SIDRA SOLUTIONS 07 Akcelik & Associates Pty Ltd is a world leader in the field of traffic management technology. Under the SIDRA SOLUTIONS brand, this forward-thinking company has created powerful traffic engineering software used by transport professionals in 94 countries. These tools have been created to help achieve better solutions to challenges in the areas of road traffic operations, traffic engineering, management and control. Road users around the world have directly benefited from the practical application of two products: SIDRA INTERSECTION and SIDRA TRIP. These have delivered an important innovation the ability to take complex real-life problems and use mathematical modeling and a software interface to effectively analyse and evaluate engineering problems. Akcelik & Associates also support the industry with a schedule of training workshops held across various countries to help educate professionals to solve traffic problems more effectively. We are excited to be developing our software to provide more advanced and comprehensive analysis tools for intersection and network design. Dr Rahmi Akçelik Image: Nearmap.com sidrasolutions.com sidrasolutions.com/store sidrasolutions.com/forums youtube.com/sidrasolutions twitter.com/sidrasolutions

6 VEHICLE TRIP ASSESSMENT SOFTWARE FOR GPS DATA AND QUICK SCENARIO ANALYSIS SIDRA TRIP 1.1 SIDRA TRIP 1.1 helps you model environmental and cost impacts with ease developed using our time-proven traffic modeling techniques common to all SIDRA SOLUTIONS products. SIDRA TRIP is useful for educational purposes as one of its objectives is to improve understanding of the relationship between vehicle movements and traffic performance, emission, fuel consumption, operating cost, user cost and vehicle noise parameters at a microscopic level. 09 SIDRA TRIP 1.1 is a unique software for vehicle trip assessment using GPS Data and for quick scenario analysis. For transport managers to compare travel conditions on alternative routes, for traffic engineers and planners to assess network traffic performance, and for educators to teach about vehicle movements and traffic performance. Assess intelligent transport system applications, driver training programs and vehicle characteristics. SIDRA TRIP OFFERS EASY ANALYSIS When you have travel data collected using GPS units you can import your data into SIDRA TRIP with ease using a variety of data formats and get your results faster. When you need quick scenario analysis you can define trip scenarios effortlessly by simply specifying initial and final speeds to represent vehicle movements. USING DATA GENERATED BY SIDRA TRIP You can compare traffic and travel conditions before and after introduction of traffic management schemes, intersection and road improvements, residential street traffic calming schemes, and similar applications. You can calibrate network microsimulation models, e.g. heavy vehicle accelerationdeceleration profiles, or macroscopic models, e.g. excess fuel consumption and emission factors. SIDRA TRIP OFFERS MANY POWERFUL FEATURES LIKE NO OTHER SOFTWARE determine vehicle operating and user costs including values of time, vehicle costs and toll costs; produce comprehensive travel level of service and performance statistics; estimate fuel consumption and emissions of Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Hydrocarbons (HC) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx); estimate noise levels (dba) using 3 alternative models; analyse light and heavy vehicle acceleration and deceleration characteristics; analyse standard drive cycles used in vehicle fuel consumption and emission testing; animate vehicle movement using dynamic graphs; use Metric or US Customary units; create your own vehicle and driver types using parameters describing vehicle and driver characteristics for simulating passenger car, light vehicle and heavy vehicle movements; calibrate the parameters of the operating and user cost models for your local conditions. Buy online at sidrasolutions.com FREE 14-DAY trial at sidrasolutions.com PRO/EDU Licences From only $400 AUD* Get FREE 12-month COVER!

7 INCREASE YOUR EFFICIENCY AND QUALITY OF DATA INPUT COMPARISON INPUT COMPARISON is a utility program to help with data auditing for the SIDRA INTERSECTION software. It offers capabilities to determine differences in input data for two selected Sites, or to determine differences between input data and SIDRA INTERSECTION standard defaults. The INPUT COMPARISON utility aims to increase efficiency in input data preparation and improve the quality of data for SIDRA INTERSECTION. The INPUT COMPARISON program can be used by anyone for data auditing purposes without the need to install SIDRA INTERSECTION. ABOUT INPUT COMPARISON The INPUT COMPARISON software is a utility program for use in association with the SIDRA INTERSECTION software. The INPUT COMPARISON utility can be used in order to: compare INPUT DATA for two selected Sites, or compare input data for a selected Site against DEFAULTS. The DEFAULTS option will compare Site data against SIDRA INTERSECTION Version 5.1 standard defaults for the Model used to create the Site data. For Site data based on a Customised model, standard defaults of the base model used to create the Customised model will be used. The associated software SIDRA INTERSECTION is an advanced microanalytical tool for evaluation of alternative intersection designs in terms of capacity, level of service and a wide range of performance measures including delay, queue length and stops for vehicles and pedestrians, as well as fuel consumption, pollutant emissions and operating cost. The INPUT COMPARISON 1.0 utility accesses the SIDRA INTERSECTION database directly. It is not necessary to install SIDRA INTERSECTION on the computer on which the INPUT COMPARISON program is being used. The INPUT COMPARISON software is supplied under the terms of a software licence agreement. Separate licence agreements apply to the SIDRA INTERSECTION software and other utility programs. Buy online at sidrasolutions.com Get FREE 2-years COVER! From only $90 AUD*

8 PROGRAMS & APPLICATIONS TO INTERFACE WITH SI5.1 TOOLS TO INCREASE YOUR EFFICIENCY SIDRA UTILITIES 13 We are developing various API applications and other programs which are being made available as part of the SIDRA UTILITIES group of products. These smallsized C# programs and Excel applications aim to help to enhance capabilities provided for SIDRA INTERSECTION users while some of them may serve as sample applications for programmers who want to develop API applications for SIDRA INTERSECTION. VOLUMES This Excel application allows specification of Volumes and related data within the Excel file, and processes a selected Site in a SIDRA INTERSECTION Project using data given in the Project file or in the Excel file, providing Intersection Summary, Movement Summary, Lane Summary and Pedestrian Movement outputs. Incorporates Peak Flow Factor calculator. The purposes of the VOLUMES utility are: to enable volume data to be written from Excel into a SIDRA INTERSECTION Project file, thus: facilitating the running of several Sites with the same set of volumes, allowing the volume data to be transferred from one Site to another, and ANNUAL SUMS This Excel application allows determination of yearly total values of various performance statistics (cost, fuel consumption, CO2 and other emissions, delay, effective stops, travel time, etc.) for several flow periods and for two design options / scenarios, and gives comparison statistics and charts. OUTPUT COMPARISON This utility processes two Sites providing Intersection Summary output (for vehicle movements only) and comparing the results for the two Sites. Easy to copy and paste the results into a Word document or Excel sheet. Potential for calculating weighted averages in Scenario Analysis after copying the results for the two Sites to Excel. VARIABLE RUN This utility processes a selected Site, providing Intersection Summary output for variable run results when an Optimum Cycle Time, Design Life, Flow Scale, or Sensitivity Analysis option is used. Easy to copy and paste the results into a Word document or Excel sheet. allowing programmatically-generated volumes to be passed into Site data without retyping, and to enable the user to have the output in the Excel file, and also copy and paste the output into a Word document if desired. FREE Download at sidrasolutions.com Programs & Applications for use with SIDRA INTERSECTION 5.1

9 Our customers Who s using our Software? Users of SIDRA SOLUTIONS software range from a broad selection across the Traffic and Transport Industry. From large Government Departments to single operator Consultants and Educational Institutions. The number of SIDRA INTERSECTION software licences issued for latest versions is now over 8000 licences in about 70 countries. The largest user groups are in USA and Canada, Australia and New Zealand, South Africa, Malaysia and Singapore, Arabian Peninsula, Norway, Spain, Slovenia, Italy and Chile. 15 Here is just a small sample of clients who use SIDRA: Private Engineering and Consultancy Firms Government Departments Traffic Design Group Ltd NZ Transport Agency GHD Services Pty Ltd VicRoads Aurecon South Africa (Pty) Ltd Singapore Land Transport Authority Parsons Transportation Group Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development Kittelson & Associates Inc Norwegian Public Roads Administration University of Auckland Kimley-Horn & Associates Inc Educational Institutions Roads & Traffic Authority NSW Durban University of Technology Main Roads Western Australia Istanbul Technical University New York State Department of Transportation Washington State Department of Transportation I have used SIDRA INTERSECTION in USA, Asia and Australia for 20 years. It has continually improved and over the past six years I have found it extremely useful for analysis of roundabouts in California, Arizona, Oregon and Washington. It is quick and easy to use accurately and my clients respect the results. Kevin Fehon DKS Associates, USA SIDRA INTERSECTION is by far the most reliable modeling tool for roundabouts. Sudhir Murthy TrafInfo Communications, Inc., USA I was introduced to SIDRA INTERSECTION in 2001 and attended the Sept 2002 course in Auckland. In the last 6 months, I have used the modelling software approx 10 hours/week. I find it extremely effective in analysing alternatives and use the capacity and performance characteristics such as delay, queue lengths in economic roading studies. Tom Thompson Opus Consultants, New Zealand SIDRA INTERSECTION leads the way! It is easy to use and adaptable to local conditions. The output can easily be used in reports. I would recommend INTERSECTION to all traffic engineers! Liesel Vogel EFG Engineers, South Africa Image: Nearmap.com SIDRA INTERSECTION provides reliable results and presents the results in formats that are great for public understanding and for including within design reports. INTERSECTION provides a very simple, quick and understandable way to analyze nearly all intersection types especially roundabouts. Howard McCulloch NE Roundabouts, USA User-friendly software, combining a sound theoretical background with results verified in the field. Argiris Mamais Athens international airport (ATH), Greece I have found SIDRA INTERSECTION to be a very reliable, versatile and effective tool for analysing intersection performance. The ability to calibrate the model to accurately represent existing intersection characteristics has been of significant benefit for both intersection design and future planning purposes. Rob Day RTA NSW, Australia It is the best software for a traffic engineer like me. With your help I resolve the most complicated analysis. Claude Beaupre Consultant, Canada I have found SIDRA INTERSECTION to be a valuable tool to assist in traffic analysis; the model is able to reflect existing operating site conditions accurately and this in turn gives confidence in the INTERSECTION predictions for future traffic scenarios when assessing project proposals. The professional support from the SIDRA Team adds value to a user friendly product. Terry Keating TPK & Associates Pty Ltd, Australia SIDRA INTERSECTION continues to be my model of choice for intersection analysis and comparison. Warren Lloyd ViaStrada, New Zealand

10 Akcelik & Associates Pty Ltd Trading as SIDRA SOLUTIONS ABN PO Box 1075G Greythorn, Victoria 3104 AUSTRALIA Telephone: Facsimile: info@sidrasolutions.com sidrasolutions.com * All Prices are ex-gst (applies to Australian Customers only) and effective from 1 April Prices are subject to change. sidrasolutions.com/store sidrasolutions.com/forums youtube.com/sidrasolutions twitter.com/sidrasolutions