This paper presents a cooperative traffic control strategy to increase the capacity of nonrecurrent bottlenecks such as work zones by making full use of the spatial resources upstream of work zones. The upstream area is divided into two zones: the regulation and the merging areas. The basic logic is that a large gap is more efficient in accommodating merging vehicles than several small and scattered gaps with the same total length. In the regulation area, a nonlinear programming model is developed to balance both traffic capacity improvements and safety risks. A two‐step solving algorithm is proposed for finding optimal solutions. In the merging area, the sorting algorithm is used to design lane‐changing trajectories based on the regulated platoons. A case study is conducted, and the results indicate that the proposed model is able to significantly improve work zone capacity with minor disturbances to the traffic.

The variable speed limit (VSL) is a kind of active traffic management method. Most of the strategies are used in the expressway traffic flow control in order to ensure traffic safety. However, the urban expressway system is the main artery, carrying most traffic pressure. It has similar traffic characteristics with the expressways between cities. In this paper, the improved link transmission model (LTM) combined with VSL strategies is proposed, based on the urban expressway network. The model can simulate the movement of the vehicles and the shock wave, and well balance the relationship between the amount of calculation and accuracy. Furthermore, the optimal VSL strategy can be proposed based on the simulation method. It can provide management strategies for managers. Finally, a simple example is given to illustrate the model and method. The selected indexes are the average density, the average speed and the average flow on the traffic network in the simulation. The simulation results show that the proposed model and method are feasible. The VSL strategy can effectively alleviate traffic congestion in some cases, and greatly promote the efficiency of the transportation system.

The expressway traffic incidents have the characteristics of high harmful, strong destructive and refractory. Incident detection can guarantee smooth operation of the expressway, reduce traffic congestion and avoid secondary accident by informing the accident, detection and treatment timely. In this paper, an incident detection method is proposed using the toll station data that takes into account the traffic ratio at the entrances and crossway in the network. The expressway traffic simulation model is improved and a simulation algorithm is established to describe the movement of the vehicles. A numerical example is experimented on the expressway network of Shandong province. The proposed method can effectively detect the expressway incidents, and dynamically estimate the traffic network states so as to provide advice for the highway management department.

As a new cross-discipline, the complexity science has penetrated into every field of economy and society. With the arrival of big data, the research of the complexity science has reached its summit again. In recent years, it offers a new perspective for traffic control by using complex networks theory. The interaction course of various kinds of information in traffic system forms a huge complex system. A new mesoscopic traffic flow model is improved with variable speed limit (VSL), and the simulation process is designed, which is based on the complex networks theory combined with the proposed model. This paper studies effect of VSL on the dynamic traffic flow, and then analyzes the optimal control strategy of VSL in different network topologies. The conclusion of this research is meaningful to put forward some reasonable transportation plan and develop effective traffic management and control measures to help the department of traffic management.

No abstract