Approaches for Modelling User’s Acceptance of Innovative Transportation Technologies and Systems

The gradual penetration of new transport modes and/or new technologies (advanced information systems, automotive technologies, etc.) requires effective theoretical paradigms able to interpret and model transportation system users’ propensity to purchase and use them. Along with the traditional approaches mainly based on random utility theory, it is a common opinion that numerous nonquantitative variables (such as psychological factors, attitudes, perceptions, etc.) may affect users’ behaviors. Different traditional approaches and more advanced ones (e.g. hybrid choice model (HCM) with latent variables, theory of planned behaviour, regret theory, prospect theory, etc.) may be identified and properly applied in the literature. In particular, the chapter will focus on the hybrid choice modeling with latent variables, aiming to incorporate users’ perceptions, attitudes and concerns in order to model the user’s propensity to use and the willingness to buy a new technology. The methodology overview and the results of the application at real data are discussed

Centralised Traffic Control and Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory Procedure in Mixed Traffic Flow: An Integrated Modelling Framework

The paper aims to develop an integrated modelling framework for urban network traffic control in the presence of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs). The framework is further composed of two sub models: the first of which focuses on the traffic control problem in the case of hybrid flow conditions (unequipped vehicles and connected vehicles) and the second aims to control the automated vehicles in terms of speed optimisation. The traffic control strategy drew on the hybrid combination between the centralised approach based on a multi-objective optimisation and a link metering based on a single control function; whilst with reference to the speed guidance, the GLOSA (Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory) procedure was considered. Furthermore, the presence of connected vehicles has also been considered to support the estimation procedure of location and speed of unequipped vehicles. In terms of traffic flow modelling the microscopic approach has been applied. The proposed framework was applied by considering a simple real network (in the city centre of Naples, in the Southern of Italy) that was composed by one origin–destination pair and two alternative paths. The network layout is characterised by one diversion node and two alternative paths connecting the same origin - destination pair; three scenarios were tested: the first was only based on a centralised traffic control procedure, the second on speed guidance optimisation and the third was based on the combination of both sub-models. Finally, the framework effectiveness was analised in terms of within-day dynamics with respect to the travel times and queue length performance indices

A hybrid traffic flow model for traffic management with human-driven and connected vehicles

This paper proposes a hybrid traffic flow model able to support the implementation of traffic management strategies in the presence of human-driven and connected vehicles. The model is based on the combination of two models: an aggregate model (the cell transmission model) and a disaggregate model (the cellular automata model). The model was tested considering three main layouts, namely a ring-shaped arc, a signalised link, and a grid network with four origins and four destinations, and then calibrated on real data. The model was also applied in the presence of connected vehicles. Our results point out the model’s local consistency in terms of wave propagation and its suitability with respect to the benchmark models as well as in the presence of connected vehicles

Hardware-in-the-Loop and Traffic-in-the-Loop for Testing Cooperative Intersection Management

A simulation is a useful tool for evaluating the impacts of various changes in a transportation system, especially in the case of real-time traffic-adaptive control systems, which must undergo extensive laboratory testing before being implemented in a field environment. Various simulation environments are available, from software-only to hardware-in-the-loop simulations, each of which plays a specific role in implementing a traffic control system. This study applied a CA-MPC (Model Predictive Control based on a Cellular Automata model) for a real-time traffic-adaptive control framework as it progressed from a laboratory project to actual field implementation. The traditional software-only simulation environment and extensions to a hardware-in-the-loop simulation are presented, describing the migration of CA-MPC onto the traffic controller hardware itself. In addition, a new enhancement to the standard software-only simulation is described, which allows remote access such that the simulation and traffic control scheme are not required to reside locally

Analysis and comparison of traffic flow models: a new hybrid traffic flow model vs benchmark models

Background: This paper compares a hybrid traffic flow model with benchmark macroscopic and microscopic models. The proposed hybrid traffic flow model may be applied considering a mixed traffic flow and is based on the combination of the macroscopic cell transmission model and the microscopic cellular automata. Modelled variables: The hybrid model is compared against three microscopic models, namely the Krauß model, the intelligent driver model and the cellular automata, and against two macroscopic models, the Cell Transmission Model and the Cell Transmission Model with dispersion, respectively. To this end, three main applications were considered: (i) a link with a signalised junction at the end, (ii) a signalised artery, and (iii) a grid network with signalised junctions. Results: The numerical simulations show that the model provides acceptable results. Especially in terms of travel times, it has similar behaviour to the microscopic model. By contrast, it produces lower values of queue propagation than microscopic models (intrinsically dominated by stochastic phenomena), which are closer to the values shown by the enhanced macroscopic cell transmission model and the cell transmission model with dispersion. The validation of the model regards the analysis of the wave propagation at the boundary region

Calibration and validation of a macroscopic traffic flow model based on platoon dispersion and queue propagation

This paper proposes a preliminary calibration and validation of a macroscopic traffic flow model for signalised junctions. In fact, on the network signal setting design problem, a reliable modelling approach must be adopted to acknowledge the traffic flow effects, considering two phenomena: queue dispersion and spillback. The proposed model is an extension of the space-time discrete Cell Transmission Model (CTM), which can simulate dispersion and horizontal queue. This preliminary calibration and validation use real-world data collected on an arterial of the city of Salerno (south of Italy). Results showed that the estimated parameters are consistent with the literatur

A traffic responsive control framework for signalized junctions based on hybrid traffic flow representation

The paper proposes a traffic responsive control framework based on a Model Predictive Control (MPC) approach. The framework focuses on a centralized method, which can simultaneously compute the network decision variables (i.e., the green timings at each junction and the offset of the traffic light plans of the network). Furthermore, the framework is based on a hybrid traffic flow model operating as a prediction model and plant model in the control procedure. The hybrid traffic flow model combines two sub-models: an aggregate model (i.e., the Cell Transmission Model; CTM) and a disaggregate model (i.e., the Cellular Automata model; CA), using a transition cell to connect them. The whole framework is tested on a signalized arterial, performing several analyses to calibrate the MPC strategy and evaluate the traffic control approach using fixed and adaptive control strategies. All analyses are made in terms of total time spent, network total delay, queue lengths and degree of saturation.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Team Bart De Schutte