Announcing NCITE’s New SimCap Committee

Forgive the MN, SD, ND -centric post.

NCITE has formed a new Simulation and Capacity Committee (SimCap).  I’ll be chairing it this year and Bryan Nemeth from Bolton & Menk will co-chair (he’ll be chair next year and we’ll get into a leadership rotation).  We’ll be developing best practices for using different software programs and sharing tips/tricks with each other.  Basically, a user group to help each other get better at modelling.

Get in touch if you’re an NCITE member and are interested in joining the committee.  Here are some more details:

• 34 people already signed up for the committee
• We’ll use video conferencing technology to increase participation across our region
• Meeting Time
  • 4th Tuesday of each month at 1 p.m.
  • First meeting will be February 25th
  • Meeting location to be determined
    

Here are some of the potential topics members have already brought up for discussion:

• Synchro, HCS, SimTraffic, Vissim, Vistro, Corsim, Rodel, and Arcady parameters
• Overriding defaults in models (Peak Hour Factors, Saturation Flow Rates, Growth Rates)
• HCM/HCS analysis
• New Regional Planning Model (although this may be more appropriate for the NCITE Planning Methods Committee)
• Identification of all of the models used in the region
• Determine the best practices for various models
• Reporting details
• Standard set-ups
• Develop a guidance manual for different software models
• Develop traffic analysis guidelines
• Calibration
• Formal review process

There is some overlap in the above topics.  Our first meeting on February 25^th will lay out what we want to accomplish in the first 12 months. Generally, our meetings will have three components:

1. Update/discussion about projects (such as developing a recommended practice or guidelines).
2. A presentation on a specific software or analysis topic (probably not a formal presentation at every meeting).
3. A round robin discussion where everyone will get a chance to bring up a topic for a brief dicussion.  These will typically be tips, tricks, or small problems/questions related to a specific project you’re working on.