Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Traffic Microsimulation Model

Problem: DFW International Airport sought a solution to understand if there are any adverse impacts of the growth of the airport on its terminal access roadways and curbsides and help in proactively resolving any hot spots.

Solution: A traffic microsimulation model was created using PTV VISSIM, a commercially available microsimulation software widely used in the industry. The model inputs were generated using a Trip model which leverages a series of mathematical relationships between passengers, vehicles, mode shares, occupancies, as well as passenger and vehicle transactional behavior to forecast future traffic volumes. The trip model is calibrated and validated to existing conditions and the future traffic is forecast by developing and coding a future airline schedule. The output of the trip model served as the input into the microsimulation model. Entire Central Terminal Area (CTA) between the entry and exit plaza along International Parkway, including parking, curbsides and access ramps were coded into the VISSIM model. Various time distributions, static and parking routes by individual modes were coded and calibrated to existing conditions. The model accounted for various airport specific traffic behavior such as recirculation, commercial vehicle traffic patterns, parking behaviors and such. Once calibrated and validated the model was utilized to determine the impacts of traffic on the curbsides, roadways and entry/exit plazas.

Impact: The traffic microsimulation model helped the airport in understanding potential hotspots in the future which resulted in proactively solving for any anticipated problems. The model also helped in prioritizing the projects in the airport’s Capital Improvement Plans (CIP) and has since provided data and information for various other studies such as NEPA assessments and grant funding studies. The model is now the first step of the process before any major Traffic Control Plans are implemented at DFW. Further, the model is currently helping with revisioning of the entire landside roadways at the airport.