Calibration and Validation of the VISSIM Parameters - State of the Art

As a stochastic, microscopic, time-step, behavior-based model with capabilities to provide application of programming interface (API) and simulation, VISSIM has become one of the most useful and reliable programs utilized by contemporary engineers and researchers in the processes of evaluation of control operations and strategies of transportation. In this paper are given 'state of the art' calibration and validation techniques of VISSIM parameters that derive from the need to accurately match the simulations results of the models with the observed field data. In this context, different practices of different traffic control operations that have been done so far in calibration and validation process are overviewed. For each one of them the aim of calibration, developed methodologies, manner in which are identified "best" parameters for calibration, calibration objective functions, criteria, optimization techniques, evaluation of modeling outputs are emphasized. Finally, a prescription of credibility and reliability of calibrated parameters to the related traffic conditions is given.