The role of traffic flow modeling in solving current problems of transport planning in Ukraine

Abstract

The main current problems of the transport and planning infrastructure of Ukraine are identified. A brief description of traffic flows as an object of the street-road network is given including all off the factors that are affecting its functionality and the main reasons for the difficulty of studying them are listed and divided in. Modelling is proposed as one of the most effective tool in dealing with modern traffic problems with application of informational technologies. A brief history of the development of urban transport planning and modelling is given, highlighting its four most significant time periods with the description of notable changes during that time. Description of basic principles of transport modelling is structured and formalized. Four-stage computerized transport model is highlighted as the most common used and flexible, its basic assumptions and principles is mentioned. Various transport modeling techniques are proposed for consideration as one of the ways to aid in traffic flows managing. Definition of macromodelling, micromodelling, mesomodelling with its area of research, types of problems it is used to solve, basic advantages and disadvantages is given. The main software packages used today to solve various transport and planning tasks are listed, divided by the level of modelling it is capable to effectively perform. The main transport modelling software packages development companies is named with mentioning of its country-of-origin year of establishing and the most popular products. Along with that, a brief overview for the company's production is given taking into account their advantages and disadvantages and ability to be capable of working in different modelling levels at the same time. Conclusions are drawn summarizing the modern state of urban transport modelling in Ukraine with application of classical paradigm of traffic flow management and regarding further directions of research in this area for the most optimal use of modeling in issues of transport planning, such as creati ng of hybrid systems that make it possible to simultaneously study various characteristics of traffic flows at several levels of abstraction.