STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE FLOW OF HIGHWAY TRAFFIC THROUGH A SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION

SOME CALCULATIONS ARE PRESENTED OF THE STATISTICAL DISTRIBUTION OF DELAY TIMES DUE TO A FIXED-TIME TRAFFIC SIGNAL ON A SINGLE LANE HIGHWAY. A MODEL OF A TRAFFIC LIGHT IS PROPOSED LEADING TO A SET OF DYNAMIC EQUATIONS DESCRIBING A RELATION BETWEEN THE TIMES AT WHICH CARS LEAVE THE LIGHT IN TERMS OF THE TIMES AT WHICH THEY ARRIVE. SOME EQUATIONS ARE DERIVED FOR THE CONDITIONAL PROBABILITIES THAT A CAR WILL LEAVE AT ANY SPECIFIED TIME IF IT ENTERS AT SOME GIVEN TIME. FOR THIS, IT IS ASSUMED THAT THE TIME INTERVALS BETWEEN INCOMING CARS FORM A SET OF INDEPENDENT RANDOM VARIABLES AND THAT ONE SEEKS ONLY THE EQUILIBRIUM SOLUTIONS FOR WHICH THE ARRIVAL TIME OF ANY INDIVIDUAL CAR HAS A CONSTANT PROBABILITY DENSITY. A PROCEDURE FOR OBTAINING APPROXIMATE SOLUTIONS OF THESE EQUATIONS IS DERIVED WHICH ACTUALLY GIVES EXACT SOLUTIONS FOR THE SPECIAL CASE IN WHICH THE CARS ARRIVE AT EQUALLY SPACED TIME INTERVALS. THIS PROCEDURE IS APPLIED TO OBTAIN FIRST AND SECOND APPROXIMATIONS IN THE SPECIAL CASE IN WHICH CARS ARRIVE WITH THE MAXIMUM DISORDER IN SPACING POSSIBLE FOR THIS MODEL. IT IS FOUND THAT TO A FIRST APPROXIMATION, IT MAKES VERY LITTLE DIFFERENCE WHAT STATISTICAL ASSUMPTIONS ARE MADE IF ONE WISHES TO CALCULATE THE AVERAGE DELAY. /AUTHOR/

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Vol 13, No 4, PP 353-369
  • Corporate Authors:

    N/A

    ,   United States 
  • Authors:
    • Newell, G F
  • Publication Date: 0

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  • Accession Number: 00227116
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Aug 13 2004 6:13PM