Next Generation Simulation
(NGSIM) Overview
NGSIM Stakeholders Meeting
March 24-25, 2003
John Halkias
FHWA Office of Transportation
Management
Gene McHale FHWA Office of Operations R&D
Outline
 FHWA’s Traffic Analysis Tools Program
 Leading to NGSIM
 NGSIM Core Algorithms and Data Sets
 NGSIM Stakeholder Groups
FHWA Traffic Analysis Tools Program
Program
Goals
Wider Use / Acceptance
of Tools
More Trusted Results
Program
Tracks
Types of
Activities
Deployment
Development
 Guidance & training
 Developing new
materials
 Promotion of current
tools
 Support of current
tools
tools
 Improving
analytical
foundation of
existing tools
FHWA Recent Activities in Simulation
 Assessing User Needs
 Assessing Current Simulation Market
 Results
• Viable market in traffic simulation packages
• Still gaps in functionality that require algorithm
development
• Users not sure how valid the models are, or how they
compute their results – “black box”
FHWA’s Decision
 Maintain a strong presence and role in traffic simulation
 Do not compete with private sector software development
market, instead act as market facilitator
 Provide open, freely distributed products (data sets &
algorithms) to benefit entire traffic community – users,
vendors, researchers
Benefits of NGSIM
 Fosters commercial market, instead of Federal competition
 Exploits inherent strengths of public & private sectors
 Enhances state-of-the-art in simulation modeling
 Enables users to better understand (& justify) modeling results
NGSIM Strategies
 Stakeholder interaction and involvement
• User, Modeler, Developer Groups
 Incremental product development
• Deliver algorithms & data sets as they become available
 Use of open processes
• Products and activities
 Ongoing impact assessment
• Monitor market reaction
Contract – “NGSIM Core Algorithms and Data
Sets”
Contract Objective (from RFP):
“… to develop a core of open behavioral algorithms in
support of traffic simulation…
…that describe the interactions of multi-modal
travelers, vehicles and highway systems…
…openly distributed and made freely available to the
broad transportation community.”
Contract Products
 Develop openly distributed:
• Algorithms, validated with real world data
• Data sets, for validating existing tools and core algorithms
• Documentation of algorithms and data sets
How we envision NGSIM affecting market
 Software developers use NGSIM data sets and algorithms to
improve their products
 Academic community conducts focused research in the
development of improved traffic behavioral models
 Simulation model users can choose the most valid tools for
their applications and gain insight into their methodologies
 Community interacts with the program through the NGSIM
repository and website
How we envision NGSIM affecting market
Software Developers
Improved Software
Tools
Model Users
NGSIM Website and
Repository
Algorithms
Focused
Research
Data Sets
Model Developers / Researchers
Valid
Results
NGSIM Stakeholders
 Involved from the beginning, involved throughout
 Stakeholder Groups created to act as surrogates for the traffic
simulation market sectors
NGSIM Stakeholder Groups
 Objectives:
• Foster strengthened coordination and partnerships between
the FHWA and stakeholders
• Heighten awareness, understanding, and adoption of traffic
simulation concepts and strategies among key decisionmakers
 Establish three stakeholder groups
• Membership of 15 members in each group
• Friends
 Meet once a year, and correspond electronically more
frequently using e-mail and the web site
Stakeholder Groups
 Model Users Group – Chair: Dr. George List
• Focus on the needs and requirements of end-users
• Representatives from state and local transportation
agencies and consultants
 Traffic Modelers Group – Chair: Dr. Dolf May
• Focus on the selection, development, and validation of core
algorithms
• Representatives with demonstrated expertise in the area of
traffic modeling
 Software Developers Group – Chair: Dr. Charlie Wallace
• Help ensure that developed products have the maximum
likelihood of influencing and improving commercial
products
• Developers and distributors of traffic simulation software