An Overview of Agent-based Traffic Simulators

In most countries population in urban areas is growing, while available travel infrastructure and resources are limited. At the same time desires to minimise environmental impact and energy use have led to new requirements in the field of inner-city transportation. As a result, the portfolio of mobility services provided is developing in order to improve the use of the available resources. Computer-based simulation is an accepted means for investigating the effects of new transportation policies and services. Many researchers are faced with the question of choosing a suitable simulator for their specific research question. In this paper, we review a broad spectrum of recent and historically important applications, in order to provide an overview of available work and to help researchers make a more informed decision on the selection of a suitable simulator. We discuss strengths and weaknesses of the applications and identify gaps for which we argue that more detailed work is required.