Modular simulation of environmental-, energy and mobility aspects of the traffic policy.

VUB has an innovative simulation package available, allowing to simulate both vehicle characteristics, traffic flows and the interaction between them. This VUB methodology has been developed to cater the demand for software allowing to simulate complex problems in a realistic way in order to assess proposed policy measures. To this effect, different programs and databases have been linked: COPERT (emission factors), VSP (vehicle dynamics) and TRIPS (traffic simulation).
The COPERT/MEET models describe the properties of vehicles using static emission factors. The advantage of the COPERT models is that they allow to describe the whole vehicle fleet in a static way. Models working with average speed do not take into account driving style and traffic situations. For this reason, the Vehicle Simulation Programme (VSP), developed at VUB, has been used. Starting from vehicle component data and speed cycles, the dynamical behaviour of the vehicle is simulated.
Eventually, these vehicle models are coupled to the traffic simulation programme TRIPS. TRIPS is a commercial software package for transport planning, allowing to perform complex and detailed analysis of different transport systems. This is performed on two levels: private transport (cars, vans, lorries) and public transport (metro, bus, streetcar, train).
This coupling allows a parallel study of environmental and mobility aspects, such as:
+ Impact of new forms of public transport or of frequency changes
+ Effects of 'modal switch' when more car users switch to public transport.
+ Implementation of new initiatives such as 'Park and Ride'.
+ Access restriction of certain city areas, excluding for example clean vehicles.
+ Integration of public transport in co-ordination with a network of automatic rental stations for electric vehicles
+ Commissioning electric vehicles in specialised delivery companies,