SATURN User Group Meeting: Epsom, October 31 2008

Presentation by Dirck Van Vliet

BATTING ORDER

• 10.8 Version Releases

• Bugs in 10.7 and/or 10.8 (App. E)

• 10.8 Simulation improvements

• Specific 10.8 Program Upgrades (App D.17)

• Proposals and Ideas for 08/09 (Work0809.doc)

Release(s) of 10.8

• 10.8.15 – March 2008 general release• 10.8.16 – Early June, limited release to

correct problems with merges (mostly)• 10.8.17 – July 2008 release for download

from the web• 10.8.20 – Current development version, for

release shortly• 10.9 – For significant simulation upgrades

10.7: Post Sept 2007 Bugs (E.5)

• (22) Filter turns in a shared lane – now Fatal

• (23) Roundabout circle times > 64 seconds

10.8: Post March 2008 Bugs (E.6)

• (6) Major errors with RTP108 = T - avoid

• (8) Two signalised X-turns sharing a lane and one is being blocked – crash

• (14) Various problems with merging, especially with M108 & FUNNEL = T.

• (15) SATPIJA/SATME2 – problems with SUBPQ

Improvements to the Simulation in 10.8 (pre October 2007)

• Choke Factors (Mid-link capacity constraint) – discontinuity removed and oscillations damped by LCR108 = T

• Better lane choice rules for V > C

• Multiple X-turns in a single lane: improved

• MONACO = T extra head of Q accepts

• RTP108 = T: random delays by “estuary”

Shared Lanes (MONACO)

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New Advice on NUC

• Large values of NUC (ie small time units) give benefits for signals with short stages and/or X-turns.

• Upper limit raised to 125• NUC set:

– Globally– By junction type (NUCJT)– By individual node– Automatically (AUTNUC = T)

Improvements to the Simulation in 10.8 (post October 2007)

• Array dimensions for CFP’s increased to accommodate larger NUC

• Major changes in the treatment of merges to allow for “funnelling” on both arms

• Various minor changes to lane choice

Simulation Changes: Summary

• Relatively small changes in calculated delays and capacities

• Simulation becomes less “clunky” and discontinuous

• Improved simulation-assignment loop convergence

• BUT …

… 10.8 Summary

• 10.8 gives different results to 10.7

• A good excuse to correct network coding errors!

SATNET

• Several new error checks

• More WRIGHT semi-fatal errors!

• Curved link data in a .GIS file can be used to set crow-fly distances

• “Wildcard” KNOB entries to define, e.g., tolls on zone O’s or D’s

• Parameter “examination” included in .LPN

SATALL

• New defaults:

NITA_M = 3, NITS_M = 5, NITA_S = 99

Output screen window prints gaps, not GEH

P1X (A)

• Network filename displayed on top bar• Network editing of “data fields” from ascii

files; e.g., A B dist records to update distances (See 11.9.17 in Manual)

• Automatic node graphics loop over, e.g., selected, highlighted or “10 worst” nodes

• Ditto under network editing of simulation nodes

P1X (B)

• “Undo” during the editing of Joyride, bus routes etc.

• Dump Joyrides in suitable format for SATLOOK• Direct input of 77777 count data files• Data from network 2 displayed in node graphics• “Navigation” choices in the windows bar• Output screen to .JPG format

SATLOOK

• Print out of simulation-assignment loop convergence parameters per node

• Simulation Summary Stats disaggregated by a SATDB data base column (e.g., traffic boroughs) Section 11.11.4 in Manual.

MX

• More recognition of “levels”, e.g., in selection or setting row/column totals

• MXFACTOR mat1 mat2 1.2 LEVEL 3

• MXAGG m_stack m_square 3

• Higher precision in output .CSV format

SATME2 / SATPIJA

• Weighted PIJA values over multiple user classes from same vehicle class (IVC) …

• … with (TURBO) option to proportionately update by level within stacked matrices

• Tests for violation of Kirchoff’s Rule by input counts

• Important warning messages grouped at the end of each program and included in .UFP files

• SUBPQ added in SATME2• AVERK: Average out Kirchoff violations

SATDB

• SATRAP and One Song … explicitly output UC flows

• Option to dump all KNOBS data into an ascii file to be input alternatively as a network KNBFIL

CLICKS: Differential Motorway Speeds by User Class

• CLIMAX = T applies a maximum speed for vehicle class

• Variable penalty set as per simulation

OBA

• Better integration of OBA with AUTOK

• “Finished” MUC version of OBA

Ideas/Objectives: 08/09 (A)

• Complete CUMULO algorithms for better warm starts

• Phase in blocking back at, e.g., 95% • “Virtual” spigot nodes• P1X option for right-button clicks/knurled

knob• More choices for link flow display in

P1X, eg by vehicle class

Ideas/Objectives: 08/09 (B)

• Finish 5X Roundabouts with lane choice• Better understanding of COBA-11 speed-flow

curves, esp. MUC and CLIMAX• Document micro-simulation links • More applications to individual levels in MX

(e.g., Furness)• SATNET to explicitly store link entry direction

cosines and calculate from .GIS curves

Ideas/Objectives: 08/09 (C)

• Improved identification of “combined links” for blocking back stack capacities

• Eliminate discontinuities in simulation delays

• Variable PPK by UC/Cap Index to make Motorways more attractive to HGVs

• CLICKS pcu-hrs in standard tables

Ideas/Objectives: 08/09 (D)

• Default UNCRTS to 0.05 from 0.2

• Include TAX values at the end of link records under 11111

• Random delays exclude blocking back

SATPIJA/ME2 IDEAS

• Upper/lower limits on cell values

• Constrained trip length distribution

• Run at sector-sector level

Projects at Atkins

• Multicore

• MUC OBA

• SATURN Manager

• Advanced Courses

Recent Advanced Courses: Glasgow

• SATME2

• Spotting and Correcting Errors

• Advanced uses of P1X

• Variable Demand Assignment

• Network Editing (PMAKE)

• Tolls and Road Charges

• SATMECC

Recent Advanced Courses: Leeds

• GIS & ITN Data Bases

• Error Checking

• Network Editing (PMAKE)

• Tolls and Road Charges + SATMECC

• Microsimulation

• Evaluation using TUBA

• Variable Demand models (Diadem)

EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

• Project on assignment – PB et al

• Project on COBA speed-flow curves – Denvil Coombe, PB et al

• UK Modelling Forum (a la TMIP)

• 1-day Meeting on Matrix Estimation

• SATURN Discussion Forum