Real-Time Traffic Information System Using Microscopic Traffic Simulation

This paper describes the online, real-time traffic information system OLSIMv4 which is the updated version of the traffic information platform for the large-scale, real-world highway network of North Rhine-Westphalia. OLSIMv4 gathers its traffic information from microscopic traffic simulations that are based on loop detector data. The simulations take advantage of the topological road traffic network information such as speed limits, lane closings or mergings, and overtaking restrictions. As a result OLSIMv4 is prepared to use dynamic traffic information as provided by variable traffic signs and traffic or road works messages. Additionally, OLSIMv4 exploits thread-level parallelism on multi-core machines using a coarse-grained parallel simulation model. Moreover, it substitutes nonexistent and faulty loop detector data with calculated values in order to provide failure-safety. Its simulation results are available for four varying time horizons and they are in good accordance with empirical findings even in scenarios with larger distances between subsequent loop detectors.