A Comparative Study on Traffic Modeling Techniques for Predicting and Simulating Traffic Behavior

The significant advancements in intelligent transportation systems (ITS) have contributed to the increased development in traffic modeling. These advancements include prediction and simulation models that are used to simulate and predict traffic behaviors on highway roads and urban networks. These models are capable of precise modeling of the current traffic status and accurate predictions of the future status based on varying traffic conditions. However, selecting the appropriate traffic model for a specific environmental setting is challenging and expensive due to the different requirements that need to be considered, such as accuracy, performance, and efficiency. In this research, we present a comprehensive literature review of the research related to traffic prediction and simulation models. We start by highlighting the challenges in the long-term and short-term prediction of traffic modeling. Then, we review the most common nonparametric prediction models. Lastly, we look into the existing literature on traffic simulation tools and traffic simulation algorithms. We summarize the available traffic models, define the required parameters, and discuss the limitations of each model. We hope that this survey serves as a useful resource for traffic management engineers, researchers, and practitioners in this domain.