Introduction to Traffic Analyst

Once you use the Traffic Simulation tool in InfraWorks to analyze traffic flow through intersections, display color-coded traffic analysis results, and generate traffic simulation animations to play in your model, you can also open the Traffic Analyst panel in a separate application window to specify advanced demand matrices, profiles, vehicle types, driver types, and other variables. Or, use default traffic demand for a quick demonstration.

The Traffic Analyst panel is designed for simulation of vehicles moving on a network of roads. By changing parameters and variables, predictions may be made about the behavior of the road network. Computer simulation is often used to model systems for which simple closed form analytic solutions are not possible. A simulation generates a sample of representative scenarios for a model in which a complete enumeration of all possible states would be prohibitive or impossible. Graphical computer simulations provide the added benefit of visualization of the system as it changes over time.

In the analysis of vehicle traffic, we use simulation:

• To analyze the effect of congestion on throughput, delay and smoothness (number of stops).
• To measure queue lengths, especially when queues extend back to the previous road or pathway junction.
• As a presentation and education tool: the graphical display makes it easier to visualize the behavior of the system, even counter-intuitive effects such as backwards-traveling shock waves.

In the analysis of traffic, simulation is particularly useful in congested conditions, where the free-flow relationships between flow, speed and density no longer apply.