Multiresolution Modeling for Traffic Analysis: Guidebook

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Traffic Analysis and Simulation Pooled Fund Study sponsored a research project on multiresolution modeling (MRM). The project intended to develop consistent definitions and a unified modeling framework for MRM to help transportation professionals better understand opportunities and challenges associated with MRM. This guidebook assists agencies with developing a fully integrated MRM analysis. The guidebook summarizes MRM terminology and definitions, provides a methodology for MRM analysis, and illustrates in three case studies the benefits of applying MRM. The proposed MRM methodology extends the seven-step methodology provided for simulation analysis in FHWA's Traffic Analysis Toolbox Volume III: Guidelines for Applying Traffic Microsimulation Modeling Software (Wunderlich, Vasudevan, and Wang 2019). This guidebook will help transportation professionals assess the level of effort needed and benefits of developing multiresolution models for their analyses and provide guidance for model development. The full report is available from the FHWA web site at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/operations/22055/22055.pdf