ON A RAMP-FLOW ASSIGNMENT PROBLEM

THE FORMULATION OF THE RAMP-FLOW ASSIGNMENT PROBLEM IN THE OPERATIONS OF CONTROLLED EXPRESSWAYS DURING THE RUSH-HOUR PERIOD IS PRESENTED HERE. IN ORDER TO DISCUSS THE PROBLEM ON A QUANTITATIVE BASIS, A SIMPLE UNIDIRECTIONAL EXPRESSWAY SYSTEM WITH MULTIPLE ENTRANCE- RAMPS HAS BEEN SELECTED AS THE MODEL. WHEN THE FLOW THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM CAN BE MAINTAINED BELOW THE BOTTLENECK CAPACITY OF THE EXPRESSWAY, THE CONDITION OF FLOW PREVAILS, AND THE MODEL MAY BE REGARDED AS A DYNAMIC PROCESS IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW. THE RAMP- FLOW REGULATION PROBLEM IN AN EXPRESSWAY SYSTEM IS THEN FORMULATED AS A MULTISTAGE DECISION PROCESS BY CONSIDERING THE RAMP-FLOWS AS DECISION VARIABLES. VARIOUS CRITERIA FOR SELECTING THE OPTIMUM RAMP-FLOW ASSIGNMENT ARE DISCUSSED, AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS IN THE REGULATION OF RUSH-HOUR TRAFFIC ARE ILLUSTRATED THROUGH A SIMPLE EXAMPLE. IN THE EXAMPLE, THE TECHNIQUE OF DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING WAS USED SUCCESSFULLY TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMUM POLICY MINIMIZING THE SYSTEM CONGESTION PERIOD. THE RESULTS LED TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE TWO-SWITCHING POLICY IS THE BEST OPTIMUM POLICY WITH RESPECT TO THE STATE OBJECTIVE FOR A THREE- STAGE PROCESS. /AUTHOR/

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1767714
• Authors:
  • Wang, C F
• Publication Date: 1972-5

Media Info

• Pagination: no 2
• Serial:
  • Transportation Science
  • Volume: 6
  • Publisher: Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS)
  • ISSN: 0041-1655
  • Serial URL: http://transci.journal.informs.org/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Dynamic programming; Expressways; Freeways; Mathematical models; On ramps; Optimization; Peak hour traffic; Ramp metering; Ramps; Traffic assignment; Traffic congestion; Traffic flow
• Uncontrolled Terms: Models
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00226415
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 13 1972 12:00AM