Title
Access to Destinations: Twin Cities Metro-wide Traffic Micro-simulation Feasibility Investigation
Publisher
Minnesota Department of Transportation
Abstract
The economic importance of effective traffic management becomes more and more evident as traffic demands
increase. Faced with the negative effects of traffic congestion including higher transport costs, greater energy
consumption, and increased driver delays, transportation agencies around the world areas have responded by
building new roads and enhancing their traffic management systems. However, the high costs associated with these
projects, and the possibility that improvements in different parts of a complex traffic management system may give
rise to unforeseen interactions, have prompted many metropolitan areas to invest in the creation of metro-wide
simulation systems that support the evaluation of alternative traffic management scenarios across an entire traffic
network. Such undertakings are far from simple; even small-scale microscopic simulations require large amounts of
high-quality data. The objectives of this project were to evaluate the feasibility of developing a traffic simulation
system for the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, and to propose the most appropriate methodology for the
design and implementation of such a system, taking into account local needs and capabilities.
Series/Report Number
Access to Destinations Study, Report No. 5
MnDOT 2008-15
Funding information
Minnesota Department of Transportation
Suggested Citation
Hourdos, John; Michalopoulos, Panos.
(2008).
Access to Destinations: Twin Cities Metro-wide Traffic Micro-simulation Feasibility Investigation.
Minnesota Department of Transportation.
Retrieved from the University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy,
https://hdl.handle.net/11299/151337.