Abstract for: Exploring Traffic and Congestion Policies An Entity-Based Micro-Macro System Dynamics Approach

Models are useful tools for policy analysis related to transportation-related issues. There are many modelling techniques to deal with it, including system dynamics. However, it has been mainly used to model transportation systems on a macroscopic level. In such models, traffic dynamics tends to be modeled by means of their macroscopic features that do not capture its full complexity. However, recent software developments enable to model smaller-scale phenomena within a macroscopic model. This paper investigates the extent to which these new developments can be used for traffic modelling and what the advantages are of using the developed approach over more conventional ones. A traffic network of interest is being built in three steps: a single portion of road that includes the effect and the dynamics of congestion, an interchange between two different roads, and the complete network. The complete network is about to be built. Traffic policies will be explored and tested with it in order to assess its performances compared to other modelling techniques.