GIS-based traffic simulation using OSM

Abstract

This chapter demonstrates how to build up a traffic simulation on the base of a Geographic Information System (GIS). Maps from the OpenStreetMap (OSM) initiative have shown to be appropriate for usage in this field. Essential steps from OSM over GIS to a graph data structure for use in traffic simulation are described. The work is done with the focus on urban scenarios. The crucial decision, which types of road users to integrate into a simulation and how to model them, is discussed. A case scenario shows the utility of data mining techniques in the field of traffic simulation. The scenario aims at predicting traffic jams in the city of Frankfurt am Main with help of a learned classifier. Our results show that taking into account simple and partial information about the traffic situation can lead to a huge gain of knowledge when using data mining techniques in the face of predicting of traffic situations.