Simulation modeling of the Santa Monica Freeway

As part of a project investigating the benefits of Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems (IVHS) technology using simulation, two models of the Santa Monica Freeway in Los Angeles were developed. This report describes the work performed to create, test, and apply these simulations. Two independent simulations were coded, using FREQ and INTEGRATION models, from the available data. The report describes the strategies, limitations, and assumptions needed to code the Santa Monica Freeway using the two simulation tools. After coding the models, calibrating the output to match traffic performance from a typical day was needed to insure that the simulations would be useful for IVHS investigations. Three representative studies using the FREQ model of the freeway to perform initial investigations are described. These investigations (considering future demand growth, ramp metering, and HOV lanes) are representative of the potential for study using simulation. The report ends with individual evaluations of the two models for freeway simulations and suggestions for future research.