Proposed methodology for a data-driven simulation for estimating performance measures along signalized arterials in real-time

Congestion is one of the major issues facing today¿s transportation sector. Recent efforts have been geared toward providing traffic information to travelers, to facilitate better travel decisions, and transportation facility managers, to allow them to better manage traffic operations. Currently, real-time traffic information is primarily limited to freeways and a small subset of major arterials. This research effort explores the feasibility of an online data-driven simulation based methodology to address the lack of real-time arterial performance measures. The core of this methodology is the development of an online simulation tool that relies on commonly available arterial point sensor data, such as that from loop detectors or video cameras. Preliminary analysis indicates that the approach being considered is feasible as a model of the "real-world" was capable of reflecting performance measures with relatively high levels of accuracy. Limitations of the current research design and more immediate future directions are also presented.