Strategic Framework for Sustainable Urban Mobility in Odisha: Insights from Traffic Simulation and Capacity Analysis

Abstract

Rapid urbanization in Odisha’s key cities—Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and Rourkela—has led to complex traffic challenges marked by high vehicle heterogeneity, inadequate signal coordination, and infrastructural constraints. This study proposes a strategic framework for sustainable urban mobility through simulation-based analysis of traffic flow and capacity. Using field data, GIS mapping, and the microscopic traffic simulation platform VISSIM, we model and assess traffic behavior under varying scenarios: base, peak hour, seasonal (monsoon), and optimized signal conditions. The study integrates critical parameters such as lane width, saturation flow, pedestrian activity, and side friction to develop speed–flow curves and fundamental diagram models (Greenshields, Greenberg, and Underwood) specific to each city. Simulation results indicate that optimized signal settings significantly improve network performance, with reductions in average delay (51.8%), queue lengths (47.4%), and travel time (36%), along with a 54.5% increase in average speed and an overall LOS improvement of up to two levels. Seasonal analysis reveals that monsoon conditions lead to the worst performance due to reduced visibility and increased side friction. The framework provides actionable insights for urban traffic planners, emphasizing adaptive signal control, side friction management, and mixed-traffic-aware modeling. The methodology is replicable for other Indian cities facing similar urban mobility challenges.