Enhancing the Usability of the TEXAS Model for Intersection Traffic

The TEXAS Model for Intersection Traffic is a high-quality single-intersection microscopic traffic simulation model developed at the University of Texas at Austin. It analyzes in sub microscopic detail the behavior of driver-vehicle units as they go through an intersection and intermix with other traffic flows. It has detailed intersection geometry, path following, microscopic car following, lane changing, visibility restriction features, and surrogate safety measures allowing it to be used for intersection collision analysis. However, its user interface is card-oriented and thus it is extremely difficult to use. Making it easy to use would encourage its use for design of intersections that consider traffic collision and safety potential. Additional changes to the model and new features are needed to enhance the model's usefulness for collision avoidance simulation. This project will use object-oriented structured programming techniques and JAVA to develop a comprehensive interactive graphics interface to the model for all user input and graphical output. The user interface will be programmed in JAVA to achieve platform independence and additional features and capabilities will be programmed in FORTRAN to enhance its usefulness for collision avoidance simulation. These features and capabilities will run on at least Windows XP and LINUX.