Evaluating the Benefits of Promoting Intermodality and Active Modes in Urban Transport - A Microsimulation Approach

Learn how microsimulation techniques can analyze urban transportation challenges and sustainable transport innovations in this 23-minute conference presentation. Explore a theoretical urban area model based on Mons, Belgium, featuring concentric and radial roads to study traffic flows, pollutant emissions, and fuel consumption. Discover how a gravitational-like model combined with a monocentric city structure creates realistic traffic patterns, with business activities concentrated in the city center and residential areas in the suburbs. Examine multiple transportation scenarios comparing car-centric base cases against alternatives incorporating public transit and cycling options, revealing significant reductions in congestion (30-35%), fuel usage, and emissions. See how adding dedicated cycle paths to main city routes can further improve outcomes by up to 45%, including reduced CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions, while shortening rush hour periods.