A CA-Based Model for City Traffic Including Bicycles

Questions concerning the possible mechanisms and ultimate utility of a modal shift towards alternatives to motorised transport in the developed world represent an important topic within the context of the very current problem of ‘greening’ urban environments, in addition to their relevance with respect to health and social aspects of transportation. The study of physical properties of traffic through measurements and modelling is essential to forming a comprehensive view of a transportation system’s characteristics for any purpose, from day-to-day traffic management to long-term urban planning, and can play an important role in the planned inclusion of non-motorised traffic in cities. The focus of our work is on cycling in Dublin which is, like other old cities in Europe, characterised by relatively dense networks of narrow streets and little flexibility with regard to infrastructure. This chapter presents a simulation model suitable for the study of heterogeneous traffic on urban networks and its application to conditions similar to those present in Dublin, where bicycle traffic is sparse, road sharing with positional discipline is the most common form of bicycle-traffic inclusion and dedicated infrastructure and bicycle-related controls are absent.