The "Lipstick interchange"

[MCRoads]

what is SYNCHRO and where can i get it? im interested in these types of illistrations.

[jakeroot]

what is SYNCHRO and where can i get it? im interested in these types of illistrations.

Synchro Studio is a software suite that includes the Simtraffic program. It costs $3299 for a single-machine licence.

No idea if Trade acquired it some other way.

Synchro does have a few issues that I've noticed. It's not "variable" enough, from what I've seen. For example, not all drivers turn right on red (or via a slip lane) when the closest lane is open, instead waiting until the closest two lanes are open (safety perception). Cars in Synchro seem to be "ballsier" than real drivers.

Also (this is my bigger gripe), it assumes that drivers at permissive turns take the same turning path as drivers with protected turns. In my experience, drivers at permissive turns take sharper turns, with the turn taking place further out into the intersection. This is because the driver is yielding usually from a point other than the stop line. Protected turns are often more "sweeping", occurring immediately after the stop line rather than from a point beyond it.

Why is this important? The waiting point for turning drivers is usually the point right before the turning and non-turning paths overlap. If traffic waits beyond the stop line, that point is potentially far enough beyond the stop line for one, two, or more cars to turn after the red light comes up. Synchro has no way of calculating this because it does not permit such behaviour. From my perspective, that is a serious number of cars that are not being considered when calculating capacity, especially left turn capacity.

[jakeroot]

To add on to my post above, here's an intersection in Vancouver where we can see cars doing something that Synchro does not understanding...waiting beyond the stop line.

The blue line is the path for protected-left traffic. The fuchsia line is permissive-left traffic. Note they are two different paths.

[MCRoads]

ah. Thank you for the info. somhow i doubt im going to get synchro. any other programs that are free to use, but function the same as (if not better than) synchro?

Sorry to derail the topic.