Comparison of Greenshields, Pipes, and Van Aerde Car-Following and Traffic Stream Models

Three car-following models were compared: the Greenshields single-regime model, the Pipes two-regime model, and a four-parameter single-regime model that amalgamates both the Greenshields and Pipes models. The four-parameter model proposed by Van Aerde and Rakha is less known but is currently implemented in the INTEGRATION 2.30 software. The Greenshields and Pipes models were considered because they represent state-of-the-practice models for several types of microscopic and macroscopic software. The Greenshields model is widely used in macroscopic transportation planning models. In addition, the Pipes model is implemented in a number of microscopic traffic simulation models including CORSIM and VISSIM. Steady-state car-following behavior is also related to macroscopic traffic stream models to develop calibration procedures that can be achieved using macroscopic loop detector data. The study concluded that the additional degree of freedom that results from including a fourth parameter (Van Aerde model) overcomes the shortcomings of the current state-of-the-practice traffic stream models by capturing both macroscopic and microscopic steady-state traffic behavior for a wide range of roadway facilities and traffic conditions. Also developed was a procedure for calibrating the Pipes car-following model using macroscopic field measurements that can be obtained from loop detectors. Although this calibration procedure does not overcome the inherent shortcomings of the Pipes model, it does provide an opportunity to calibrate the CORSIM and VISSIM car-following behavior to existing roadway conditions more efficiently and without the need to collect microscopic traffic data.