Enhancing the Pedestrian Crossing Modeling with Priority Regulations in Vissim Traffic Simulation Software

This study investigates the performance of the traffic simulation software Vissim in the context of pedestrian crossings. The primary aim was to analyze the functioning principles and limitations of priority regulation methods, compare their performance, and propose potential improvement options. Vissim provides two core methods for managing priority—conflict zones and priority rules. However, these approaches do not fully address real-word factors, such as noncompliance with priority rules and pedestrian's crossing decisions based on vehicle proximity. To overcome these limitations, we introduced an innovative methodology utilizing loop detectors placed at 10-meter intervals to monitor vehicle positions. This was combined with signal logic to simulate pedestrians' distance-dependent crossing decisions. The integration of real-world pedestrian decisionmaking processes into the simulation was validated through modifications to the software, and their impacts on key performance indicators - such as execution time and accuracy - were evaluated. The proposed approach provides a more realistic representation of pedestrian-vehicle interactions, significantly improving the accuracy and reliability of traffic simulations.