Criterion for traffic phases in single vehicle data and empirical test of a microscopic three-phase traffic theory

A microscopic criterion for distinguishing synchronized flow and wide moving jam phases in single vehicle data measured at a single freeway location is presented. Empirical local congested traffic states in single vehicle data measured on different days are classified into synchronized flow states and states consisting of synchronized flow and wide moving jam(s). Then empirical microscopic characteristics for these different local congested traffic states are studied. Using these characteristics and empirical spatiotemporal macroscopic traffic phenomena, an empirical test of a microscopic three-phase traffic flow theory is performed. Simulations show that the microscopic criterion and macroscopic spatiotemporal objective criteria lead to the same identification of the synchronized flow and wide moving jam phases in congested traffic. It is found that microscopic three-phase traffic models can explain both microscopic and macroscopic empirical congested pattern features. It is obtained that microscopic distributions for vehicle speed difference as well as fundamental diagrams and speed correlation functions can depend on the spatial co-ordinate considerably. It turns out that microscopic optimal velocity (OV) functions and time headway distributions are not necessarily qualitatively different, even if local congested traffic states are qualitatively different. The reason for this is that important spatiotemporal features of congested traffic patterns are it lost in these as well as in many other macroscopic and microscopic traffic characteristics, which are widely used as the empirical basis for a test of traffic flow models, specifically, cellular automata traffic flow models.Comment: 27 pages, 16 figure

Modelling Widely Scattered States in `Synchronized' Traffic Flow and Possible Relevance for Stock Market Dynamics

Traffic flow at low densities (free traffic) is characterized by a quasi-one-dimensional relation between traffic flow and vehicle density, while no such fundamental diagram exists for `synchronized' congested traffic flow. Instead, a two-dimensional area of widely scattered flow-density data is observed as a consequence of a complex traffic dynamics. For an explanation of this phenomenon and transitions between the different traffic phases, we propose a new class of molecular-dynamics-like, microscopic traffic models based on times to collisions and discuss the properties by means of analytical arguments. Similar models may help to understand the laminar and turbulent phases in the dynamics of stock markets as well as the transitions among them.Comment: Comments are welcome. For related work see http://www.helbing.or

Economics-Based Optimization of Unstable Flows

As an example for the optimization of unstable flows, we present an economics-based method for deciding the optimal rates at which vehicles are allowed to enter a highway. It exploits the naturally occuring fluctuations of traffic flow and is flexible enough to adapt in real time to the transient flow characteristics of road traffic. Simulations based on realistic parameter values show that this strategy is feasible for naturally occurring traffic, and that even far from optimality, injection policies can improve traffic flow. Moreover, the same method can be applied to the optimization of flows of gases and granular media.Comment: Revised version of ``Optimizing Traffic Flow'' (cond-mat/9809397). For related work see http://www.parc.xerox.com/dynamics/ and http://www.theo2.physik.uni-stuttgart.de/helbing.htm

The comfortable driving model revisited: Traffic phases and phase transitions

We study the spatiotemporal patterns resulting from different boundary conditions for a microscopic traffic model and contrast it with empirical results. By evaluating the time series of local measurements, the local traffic states are assigned to the different traffic phases of Kerner's three-phase traffic theory. For this classification we use the rule-based FOTO-method, which provides `hard' rules for this assignment. Using this approach, our analysis shows that the model is indeed able to reproduce three qualitatively different traffic phases: free flow (F), synchronized traffic (S), and wide moving jams (J). In addition, we investigate the likelihood of transitions between the three traffic phases. We show that a transition from free flow (F) to a wide moving jam (J) often involves an intermediate transition; first from free flow F to synchronized flow S and then from synchronized flow to a wide moving jam. This is supported by the fact that the so called F->S transition (from free flow to synchronized traffic) is much more likely than a direct F->J transition. The model under consideration has a functional relation between traffic flow and traffic density. The fundamental hypothesis of the three-phase traffic theory, however, postulates that the steady states of synchronized flow occupy a two-dimensional region in the flow-density plane. Due to the obvious discrepancy between the model investigated here and the postulate of the three-phase traffic theory, the good agreement that we found could not be expected. For a more detailed analysis, we also studied the vehicle dynamics at a microscopic level and provide a comparison of real detector data with simulated data of the identical highway segment.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figure