Introduction To The Theory Of Traffic Flow

This book describes a coherent approach to the explanation of the movement of individual vehicles or groups of vehicles. To avoid possible misunderstandings, some preliminary remarks are called for. 1. This is intended to be a textbook. It brings together methods and approaches that are widely distributed throughout the literature and that are therefore difficult to assess. Text citations of sources have been avoided; literature references are listed together at the end of the book. 2. The book is intended primarily for students of engineering. It describes the theoretical background necessary for an understanding of the methods by which links in a road network are designed and dimensioned or by which traffic is controlled; the methods themselves are not dealt with. It may also assist those actually working in such sectors to interpret the results of traffic flow measure ments more accurately than has hitherto been the case. 3. The book deals with traffic flow on links between nodes, and not at nodes themselves. Many readers will probably regret this, since nodes are usually the bottlenecks which limit the capacity of the road network. A book dedicated to the node would be the obvious follow-up. A separation of link and node is justified, however, partly because the quantity of material has to be kept within reasonable bounds and partly because the treatment of traffic flow at nodes requires additional mathematical techniques (in particular, those relating to queueing theory).

The understanding of empirical traf?c congestion occurring on unsignalized mul- lane highways and freeways is a key for effective traf?c management, control, or- nization, and other applications of transportation engineering. However, the traf?c ?ow theories and models that dominate up to now in transportation research journals and teaching programs of most universities cannot explain either traf?c breakdown or most features of the resulting congested patterns. These theories are also the - sis of most dynamic traf?c assignment models and freeway traf?c control methods, which therefore are not consistent with features of real traf?c. For this reason, the author introduced an alternative traf?c ?ow theory called three-phase traf?c theory, which can predict and explain the empirical spatiot- poral features of traf?c breakdown and the resulting traf?c congestion. A previous book “The Physics of Traf?c” (Springer, Berlin, 2004) presented a discussion of the empirical spatiotemporal features of congested traf?c patterns and of three-phase traf?c theory as well as their engineering applications. Rather than a comprehensive analysis of empirical and theoretical results in the ?eld, the present book includes no more empirical and theoretical results than are necessary for the understanding of vehicular traf?c on unsignalized multi-lane roads. The main objectives of the book are to present an “elementary” traf?c ?ow theory and control methods as well as to show links between three-phase traf?c t- ory and earlier traf?c ?ow theories. The need for such a book follows from many commentsofcolleaguesmadeafterpublicationofthebook“ThePhysicsofTraf?c”.

Introduction to Network Traffic Flow Theory: Principles, Concepts, Models, and Methods provides a comprehensive introduction to modern theories for modeling, mathematical analysis and traffic simulations in road networks. The book breaks ground, addressing traffic flow theory in a network setting and providing researchers and transportation professionals with a better understanding of how network traffic flows behave, how congestion builds and dissipates, and how to develop strategies to alleviate network traffic congestion. The book also shows how network traffic flow theory is key to understanding traffic estimation, control, management and planning. Users wills find this to be a great resource on both theory and applications across a wide swath of subjects, including road networks and reduced traffic congestion. Covers the most theoretically and practically relevant network traffic flow theories Provides a systematic introduction to traditional and recently developed models, including cell transmission, link transmission, link queue, point queue, macroscopic and microscopic models, junction models and network stationary states Applies modern network traffic flow theory to real-world applications in modeling, analysis, estimation, control, management and planning

Recent contributions to traffic flow theory are presented in a related manner and with a consistent set of notations.

Mathematical Theories of Traffic Flow

The core of ths book presents a theory developed by the author to combine the recent insight into empirical data with mathematical models in freeway traffic research based on dynamical non-linear processes.

Creating Traffic Models is a challenging task because some of their interactions and system components are difficult to adequately express in a mathematical form. Traffic Flow Theory: Characteristics, Experimental Methods, and Numerical Techniques provide traffic engineers with the necessary methods and techniques for mathematically representing traffic flow. The book begins with a rigorous but easy to understand exposition of traffic flow characteristics including Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and traffic sensing technologies. Includes worked out examples and cases to illustrate concepts, models, and theories Provides modeling and analytical procedures for supporting different aspects of traffic analyses for supporting different flow models Carefully explains the dynamics of traffic flow over time and space