Federal Highway Administration analysis, modeling, and simulation interoperability topics

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is conducting research in the simulation interoperability required to support complex transportation decision making and, in doing so, is examining best practices and paradigms of non-transportation domains. Analysis of multimodal transportation networks often requires linking or integrating different types of analysis and simulation tools, primarily due to differences in domain and scale, but the outputs from different simulation models typically do not match. Examples would include: [1] determining the impact of corridor and/or regional level operational strategies, such as corridor signal timing and regional coordination, upon system performance, safety, and greenhouse gases and [2] connecting a macro-travel demand model to a meso-dynamic traffic assignment model with a microscopic model to determine regional-level operational impacts across the network. This paper presents interim results of findings in applying selected Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization (SISO) concepts and practices to the highway transportation analysis, modeling and simulation (AMS) domain. This paper is also intended to explore the feasibility, utility and community interest in a transportation modeling track or forum.