These phenomena are being studied as part of a PhD research project aimed at the development of a more realistic detailing of such interactions in the microscopic simulation model SIGSIM. Differently from most studies of this kind, this project does not look only at the impacts of bus operations on general traffic: the resulting model will also allow the assessment of the interference of traffic flows in the operation of bus services. This paper identifies the gaps between the features of current models and the phenomena that actually take place in traffic networks. It then presents the theoretical basis for the enhancements expected to make SIGSIM a more powerful tool in representing traffic behaviour.
The paper shows how these enhancements have been incorporated into SIGSIM
and discusses the method of validating the work. The manoeuvres performed
by vehicles getting around stopped buses are the first of the new features
already implemented in the model. A number of bus stop layouts have been
identified and the behaviour of vehicles in their surroundings modelled.
The comparison between the simulation outputs and some real situations
is questioned as the adequate method of testing the model.
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