The transportation planning process in Slovakia

Abstract

The quality traffic-planning process is an important tool for achieving sustainable traffic. The modern platform for modeling and simulating traffic relations has also begun to be utilized in Slovakia. The Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Zilina uses German software PTV VISION. The complex multi-modal traffic model for Zilina town was created with PTV VISION modules (Visem, Visum, Vissim). The article presents the process of formation, calibration and practical utilization of a traffic model for city traffic problem solution. The micro simulation of critical zones amends the traffic model. The classic four-stage disaggregate process was applied for Zilina transport modeling. The town was split into 108 traffic zones. The traffic zones were classified by social and demographic characteristics. Six groups of population were classified within the study area. The matrices of interzonal transport relations were used as output data of the VISEM module and the matrices were used for assignments of the traffic network. Parameters in the infrastructure network and traffic zones were defined in the VISUM module. The result of many years experience in the field of traffic engineering was inserted in the traffic model. The authors have used our large database of traffic surveys and the results of transport-sociological analyses. The data were useful for the setting and calibration of the traffic model. The authors have set up new local parameters for a distribution function. The impact of new developing areas and induced traffic relations on the central part of Zilina was also observed. Next, the new transport relations and traffic problems were analyzed. This chosen part of the transport network was imported into a microsimulation model in the VISSIM. New alternative transport solutions and the impact on the infrastructure loading were explored in microscopic models. The quality of traffic load depends on the input data in the microsimulation. The best way is by using the complex macroscopic point of view.