Empirical Estimation of Desired Speed Distributions for Microscopic Traffic Simulation. Issue 1 (January 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Geistefeldt, Justin
• Is Part Of: Transportation research record. Volume 2490:Issue 1(2015)
• Page Start: 41
• Page End: 46
• Publication Date: 2015-01
• Subjects: Transportation -- Periodicals; Roads; Transport -- Périodiques; Routes -- Périodiques; Routes -- Conception et construction -- Périodiques; Roads; Transportation; 388.05
• DOI: 10.3141/2490-05
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0361-1981

Abstract

The desired speed is an important parameter for microscopic traffic simulation. The desired speed can only be directly measured for free-flowing vehicles. However, the average speeds of unimpeded vehicles are systematically lower than the desired speeds of all vehicles. Recently, a new estimation technique in which the speeds of impeded vehicles were considered as censored values was introduced. Here, this method was applied with empirical traffic data in a modified version to estimate desired-speed distributions for two freeway sections in Germany. On the basis of simulation studies the method was shown to deliver consistent desired-speed distributions that allowed for a realistic representation of driver speed behavior within microscopic traffic simulation models.