Greg Winfree, agency director of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), explains why he believes the guesswork is being almost totally removed from the task of modeling future traffic patterns
In the rapidly shifting world of transportation, one of the most valuable tools we have at our disposal is a simple question, “What if?”
What if we change the one-way configuration of downtown streets? What if we install a left-turn lane at a busy intersection? We can answer the question in each case by applying the simulation and modeling exercises fueled by real-time data, allowing us to test myriad options before devoting the time and money needed to implement one. But the benefits of simulation and modeling aren’t limited to untangling traffic woes. At TTI, we’re exploring three that hold bright promise.
In our Center for Transportation Safety, researchers have worked to predict how drivers may respond in given driving situations. With that knowledge, vehicle designers can develop technologies to support driver behaviors and improve safety. Our work involves using driver data collected in a simulator and then testing different modeling approaches to determine which are the best. We have also studied the concepts (mental models) that drivers have about automated driving, how those concepts change after using an automated driving system, and to what extent persistent changing mental models support driving when using the systems. What we learn can be used by OEMs to improve system design and safety.
“The benefits of simulation and modeling aren’t limited to untangling traffic woes”
We also employ simulation in designing roadside safety devices that enhance survival chances in the event of roadway departure crashes. Researchers in our Center for Transportation Computational Mechanics use vehicle and roadside hardware models to perform predictive simulations and gauge the effectiveness of those models, allowing our experts to evaluate design alternatives.
We are also modeling environmental stewardship for our cities where the air we breathe fails to meet federal air quality standards. TTI’s Center for Advancing Research in Transportation Emissions, Energy, and Health enhances the modeling of transportation emissions and health impacts using high-resolution datasets and advanced computation methods. Along with other issues, we are keenly focused on the proliferation of EVs, which is coupling two major infrastructure systems: transportation and the electric power grid. TTI addresses this emerging area through modeling and simulation of EV charging, and the impacts on vehicular and grid emissions and energy consumption.
Not all that many years ago, predictive decision-making was a bit long on guesswork and short on data. Not anymore. With the right transportation simulation and mobility modeling tools, all we must do is frame the “what if” question in the proper way, and we’ll pick a winner every time.
This article first appeared in the March 2024 edition of TTi magazine
