S-Paramics User Group Meeting Report(2008)

ardiss

For those who missed the 2008 meeting the proceedings are available on CD from Paramics Microsimulation. Remember to include your postal address!
mailto:paramics@sias.com ;www.sparamics.cn

The next S-Paramics user group is already planned for October 2009.

On 9th October, Paramics Microsimulation welcomed 130 delegates to the 8th S-Paramics User Group meeting. As in previous years, the programme was a mixture of presentations on microsimulation modelling, networking with other modellers and mini-master classes on effective use of the S-Paramics software.


Programme Summary
Paramics Microsimulation described two software developments:
PEARS (Program for Economic Assessment of Road Schemes) has been adopted by Transport Scotland after a successful audit and is now available from SIAS Limited. It undertakes economic assessment following WebTAG guidelines using the output from microsimulation rather than the more traditional assignment methodologies. Click here for more information on PEARS.
The forthcoming link to the DfT supported variable demand management software suite, DIADEM. This link is presently being tested and will be used on a major scheme bid in the SW of England. It also described its methodology for micro time period choice to complement the mode and trip changes modelled by DIADEM.
Lynsay Hughes from Arup talked about appropriate techniques for modelling emissions and how using aggregated trip data can lose the detail of the variation between individuals, vital to accurate emissions calculations. This was reinforced in the presentation on PEARS, which is capable of using fuel consumption figures calculated on a second by second basis for each vehicle, hence including the full effects of congestion.
ITS systems:
James Lindsay and Kit-Ying Wong from Atkins have been modelling the M4 in Wales with a speed control system based on MIDAS.
Xander Rijkee from Grontmij, Utrecht described his ITS work in car park guidance systems reducing the volume of circulating traffic, directing vehicles to car parks and in doing this also modelling the commuter or shopping trip by matching the car park arrivals and subsequent departures.
Mark Pleydell described Telent’s new link between its Sentinel Signal Controller and S-Paramics, and its very successful first use in Southampton on a congested roundabout with significant docks traffic.
Event management:
Gemma Thomas of Surrey County Council described how her team evaluated a set of strategies to manage traffic going to the Hampton Court Flower Show. This included modelling using the S-Paramics link to SCOOT. Perhaps the most telling remark in this presentation was that during the week of the show while the queues were being scrutinised in the CCTV control room, no changes were deemed necessary to the strategy that had been determined during the modelling exercise.
Paolo Dejana and Elisabetta Bassi from Systematica described how they have re-designed the access and car park arrangements for the Milan Exhibition Centre in preparation for ever growing numbers of visitors.
It would not be a microsimulation user group without a discussion on use and guidelines. Two S-Paramics mini-master classes covered model validation and comparison with survey data and a discussion on appropriate network assessment measures. Shaun Hardcastle of baseplus in Christchurch, New Zealand gave a remote presentation on the work of NZMUGS – the New Zealand Modelling User Group which is an industry led effort to provide documented standards and guidelines for all forms of transport modelling.
Finally, Dave Wafer from Durham County Council shared his experiences of what happens when Channel 4 makes a documentary about local authority efforts to get people to give up their cars and walk or cycle instead. He observed that a film crew asking the question elicits a much more positive response than the council would ever receive. He also observed that the best way to get footage of a large number of people using a cycle path is to ask them to wait for the camera. It seems everyone wants to be on television.

[ 本帖最后由 ardiss 于 2008-10-18 01:17 编辑 ]