Traffic simulation and optimization tools are classified, according to their practical applicability, into two main categories: theoretical and practical. The performance of the optimized signal timing derived by any tool is influenced by how calculations are executed in the particular tool. Highway Capacity Software (HCS) and Vistro implement the procedures defined in the Highway Capacity Manual, thus they are essentially utilized by traffic operations and design engineers. Considering its capability of timing diagram drafting and travel time collection studies, Tru-Traffic is more commonly used by practitioners. All these programs have different built-in objective function(s) to develop optimized signal plans for intersections. In this study, the performance of the optimal signal timing plans developed by HCS, Tru-Traffic, and Vistro are evaluated and compared by using the microsimulation software Vissim. A real-world urban arterial with 20 intersections and heavy traffic in Fort Lauderdale, Florida served as the testbed. To eliminate any bias in the comparisons, all experiments were performed under identical geometric and traffic conditions, coded in each tool. The evaluation of the optimized plans was conducted based on average delay, number of stops, performance index, travel time, and percentage of arrivals on green. Results indicated that although timings developed in HCS reduced delay, they drastically increased number of stops. Tru-Traffic signal timings, when only offsets are optimized, performed better than timings developed by all of the other tools. Finally, Vistro increased arrivals on green, but it also increased delay. Optimized signal plans were transferred manually from optimization tools to Vissim. Therefore, future research should find methods for automatically transferring optimized plans to Vissim.

交通模拟和优化工具根据其实际适用性分为两大类：理论和实践。由任何工具得出的最佳信号时序的性能受特定工具中执行计算的方式影响。公路通行能力软件（HCS）和Vistro实施了《公路通行能力手册》中定义的程序，因此它们实际上是交通运营和设计工程师所利用的。考虑到其时序图起草和旅行时间收集研究的能力，Tru-Traffic被从业者更普遍地使用。所有这些程序都有不同的内置目标函数，可为交叉路口开发优化的信号计划。在这项研究中，使用微仿真软件Vissim对由HCS，Tru-Traffic和Vistro开发的最佳信号时序计划的性能进行了评估和比较。在佛罗里达州劳德代尔堡，一条具有20个交叉路口且交通拥挤的真实世界的城市主干用作试验台。为了消除比较中的任何偏差，所有实验均在相同的几何条件和交通条件下进行，并在每个工具中进行了编码。根据平均延迟对优化计划进行评估，停靠点数，性能指标，旅行时间和绿色到达的百分比。结果表明，尽管HCS中开发的计时减少了延迟，但它们却大大增加了停车次数。当仅对偏移量进行优化时，Tru-Traffic信号时序的性能要优于其他所有工具开发的时序。最终，Vistro增加了果岭上的进场次数，但同时也增加了延误时间。已将优化的信号计划从优化工具手动传输到Vissim。因此，未来的研究应该找到将优化的计划自动转移到Vissim的方法。比其他所有工具开发的计时性能要好。最终，Vistro增加了果岭上的进场次数，但同时也增加了延误时间。已将优化的信号计划从优化工具手动传输到Vissim。因此，未来的研究应该找到将优化的计划自动转移到Vissim的方法。比其他所有工具开发的计时性能要好。最终，Vistro增加了果岭上的进场次数，但同时也增加了延误时间。已将优化的信号计划从优化工具手动传输到Vissim。因此，未来的研究应该找到将优化的计划自动转移到Vissim的方法。