Master thesis: Microscopic simulation of bicycle traffic for infrastructure design
The Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) has an opening for a master thesis student in Stockholm at the Traffic analysis and logistics unit at VTI.
Background
Infrastructure design has a strong influence on the speed of bicyclists, particularly in urban areas where infrastructure may change significantly over a trip, e.g., featuring sharp curves or steep inclines. Improving infrastructure design by e.g., wider lanes, milder gradients, and smoother curves, is often proposed by municipalities to facilitate bicycling, yet quantifying the benefits of such investments remains challenging due to the lack of robust methods linking infrastructure design to traffic performance. Microscopic simulation is a valuable tool that can be used to evaluate traffic performance and the impact of infrastructure design changes, but existing behavioural models oversimplify the speed choices bicyclists make in relation to infrastructure.
Advanced speed modelling, e.g., regression-based speed models or physics-based models that estimate speed from power output preferences, has been proposed to capture the heterogeneous and context-dependency of speed choices of bicyclists without influence from other road users. However, the impact of advanced speed modelling on simulating congested bicycle traffic remains to be explored, particularly regarding the added value for traffic simulation accuracy and informing efficient infrastructure planning. In this thesis, you will work with video-based trajectory data from bicyclists on a high-demand bicycle path in central Stockholm, where the municipality plans to upgrade the infrastructure. This provides an opportunity to explore how traffic simulation can be used to quantify and evaluate the effects of infrastructure improvements.
Project aim and purpose
Using microscopic traffic simulation, the aim is to analyse the impact of improving geometry—widening paths, reducing slope steepness, and increasing curve radii—on traffic performance metrics relevant for bicycling, such as travel times and energy expenditure. By simulating an alternative infrastructure layout for an existing high-demand bicycle path, you will evaluate whether using advanced speed modelling reveals design solutions that more efficiently accommodate bicycle demand. The scope and direction of the thesis can be discussed and adapted based on your interests.
Your work
Your tasks involve planning and running traffic simulations as well as model building and calibration; analysing traffic metrics for both baseline and alternative scenarios; and performing sensitivity analyses to assess the impact of various speed models and infrastructure features on traffic performance.
Your background
- Knowledge of math and programming, particularly Python/Matlab/C++
- Meriting if you also have knowledge in Traffic Engineering (Traffic Flow Theory) and Simulation, particularly with simulation tools like PTV Vissim or SUMO.
Practical information
The master thesis will be carried out at the Traffic Analysis and Logistics Unit at VTI, either at the Stockholm or Gothenburg office. The thesis work is planned to start in January 2026.
Application
For questions and application, contact Guillermo Pérez Castro at guillermo.perez.castro@vti.se.