Application of NETSIM in modeling B-signals

Abstract

NETSIM is a powerful microscopic simulation model and has been applied to numerous traffic studies. However, it appears that there are few attempts to use it to study bus operations. One of the possible reasons may be the difficulty in modeling some of the unique characteristics in bus operations. A similar challenge was faced when a recent evaluation on bus operations involving priority signals (B-signals) was undertaken in Singapore. This paper describes the difficulties faced when NETSIM was applied in modeling bus priority signals and the techniques adopted to overcome them. This study shows that, by incorporating innovative techniques, NETSIM can be effectively used to model bus operations along with other traffic in a network.