Macro-simulation of ramp metering using SIMUL8

In this paper we investigate about the benefits and the drawback of ramp metering as a mechanism to control the traffic congestion in the highway system. A model is developed using SIMUL8 to simulate two conditions for entry of vehicles into highway namely, with metering and without metering. For the metering condition, traffic responsive ramp meter is modelled. Due to the software limitations, the level of simulation that can be developed is to the macroscopic level. The metering effectiveness is studied by investigating some parameters such as average total travel time, total throughput and ramp delay. The model is calibrated, verified and validated before analysis. The outcomes of the study show that SIMUL8 could produce results which are close to the findings by other studies as well as actual field data.