The Design of a Simulation for the Modeling and Analysis of Public Transportation Systems as Opportunistic Networks

Vehicular ad-hoc networks, when combined with wireless sensor networks, are used in a variety of solutions for commercial, urban, and metropolitan areas, including emergency response, traffic, and environmental monitoring. In this work, we model buses in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) as a network of vehicular nodes equipped with wireless sensors. A simulation tool was developed, using the actual WMATA schedule, to determine performance metrics such as end-to-end packet delivery delay. In addition, a web-based front-end was developed, using the Google Maps API, to provide a user-friendly display and control of the network map, input parameters, and simulated results. This application will provide users with a simplified method for modifying network parameters to account for a number of parameters and conditions, including inclement weather, traffic congestion, and more.