Simulating Congestion Pricing Effects on Traffic Patterns in Neighboring Communities

Year: 2025 - 2026

PIs: Camille Kamga, Yiqiao Li, Mahdieh Allahviranloo

Sponsor: US DOT - UTC SEMPACT Center

The project’s core purpose is to develop a highly robust and versatile microscopic traffic network model. This advanced model, built using Simulation of Urban Mobility (SUMO) software, is capable of analyzing a wide range of transportation policies. Its initial, pressing application is to comprehensively evaluate congestion pricing’s nuanced effects on Northern Manhattan, though its flexible design allows for broader policy analysis. The methodology involves meticulous data collection (e.g., traffic volumes, transit ridership, freight activity, pedestrian/bicyclist data), constructing a detailed multi-modal network model, generating a realistic synthetic population, and rigorously calibrating the model to real-world conditions. Once calibrated, the model will be used to analyze policy impacts on traffic flow, parking, transit demand, and freight movement, allowing for precise quantification of changes.