Modellling tools
TRT has developed a particular experience in the modelling of the transport demand analysis, the study of the interaction between the transport system and economic and territorial system, and the strategic evaluation of policies and investment in the transport sector. The used models work at different scales: urban, metropolitan, regional, national and European.
The main modelling tools used in TRT are the following:
MEPLAN.
The transport and territory integrated model MEPLAN is a
package of models for the analysis and evaluation of territorial and
transport policies. MEPLAN is used by TRT as a multimodal
transport model for the transport demand analysis. Due to its
flexible structure, MEPLAN is able to suit to very different
applications in terms of demand segments, economic sectors,
transport modes, number of areas, etc., simulating explicitly
intermodality and with the sophisticated level of details as
desired. MEPLAN is used by TRT both as a multimodal transport model
and for the analysis of road traffic demand.
AIMSUN.
This software belongs to the category of microsimulation models,
i.e. models able to reproduce the vehicular mobility at microscopic
scale up to each vehicle detail, allowing also to show in and
extremely detailed way the geometric characteristics of the road
network, roadway width, number of lanes, traffic signal timing,
diameter of roundabouts, etc. The simulation of traffic demand,
dynamically performed for a certain period of time, allows to
highlight phenomena as the tailback making up and to calculate
waiting times at crossroads, turning points etc. This software is
therefore of particular interest for the evaluation of detailed
design solutions for planning. AIMSUN also allows the creation of
models at scale 'meso', that means with a level of detail in between
microsimulation and the traditional strategy models.
VENSIM. VENSIM® software allows to realize System Dynamics models, which are models able to simulate the temporal evolution of systems comprising several elements related to each other and especially when those connections attain feedback phenomena. This type of models can be easily adapted to a variety of applications in different fields. In particular, TRT contributed to realize ASTRA model with VENSIM®, in order to analyze in an integrated way the relation among the transport system, the economic system and the environmental effects. The model was created and is updated as part of research projects at European level, for which it is used to analyze issues such as the impact of infrastructural or technological investments in transport sector or the impact of energy costs. TRT is developing a version of the model with a greater level of detail at national level in order to be able to also analyze policies at regional level.
HYPERPLAN. model allows to evaluate the organization of a transport network (public and private) in terms of effectiveness and efficiency, and evaluate targeted changes to its optimization. The model allows to simulate the demand permeability in big metropolitan areas where there are exchange parks and see the effect of mobility policies, both on the public network and the private one. HYPERPLAN was developed by MAIOR Srl company (Management Artificial Intelligence Operations Research) from Lucca and is constantly updated in order to meet clients’ requests and needs. TRT uses HYPERPLAN to analyze and plan urban and extraurban mobility and to draw up Urban Traffic Plan.
TRANS-TOOLS
is a European transport network model, developed in a research
project co-funded by the European Commission within the 6th
Framework programme activities. TRANS-TOOLS is similar to a
traditional four-stage model that simulates both passenger and
freight transports; it has a modular structure that includes the
Computable General Equilibrium economic model, which produces as
output an estimate of impacts on GDP of a given region of the
policies implemented in the scenario analysis, and a module able to
calculate energy consumption, emissions, external costs, accidents
according to the output of the assignment model.
VISUM. VISUM software is used by TRT for transport planning, demand modelling and network management. TRT cooperated with PTV company in the implementation of the freight model with VISUM software within the European project TRACECA.
