A Logic Tree Based Algorithm for Variable Speed Limit Controllers To Manage Recurrently Congested Bottlenecks

Variable speed limit (VSL) is a controlled instrument of emerging intelligent transportation system (ITS) enabling to help managing motorway traffic. The VSL has a potential to improve traffic safety and reduce traffic congestion and emissions through a better harmonization of traffic flow. It results in a reduction of speed variations among vehicles travelling along the controlled section. This paper proposes a modified logic tree-based algorithm to improve the mobility benefits of VSL controllers. The modified algorithm is assessed using a case study in Auckland, New Zealand. The analysis of the case study is based on a critical bottleneck section of Auckland Motorway using Aimsun micro-simulator. The proposed algorithm is compared with a known algorithm proposed in the literature and used in practice. The simulation results of the case study show that the proposed logic tree-based VSL control algorithm outperforms the existing method. It results with 6%, 11%, 3%, 9% and 3% improvements in the capacity of the bottleneck section, total travel time, CO2, CO and NOx emissions, respectively compared with a no-control scenario.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AHB15 Intelligent Transportation Systems.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Li, Duo
  • Ranjitkar, Prakash
  • Ceder, Avishai
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 93rd Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC
  • Date: 2014-1-12 to 2014-1-16
• Date: 2014

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 14p
• Monograph Title: TRB 93rd Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Algorithms; Automatic controllers; Bottlenecks; Microsimulation; Variable speed limits
• Geographic Terms: Auckland Motorway
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I71: Traffic Theory; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01518192
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 14-2602
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 12 2014 9:33AM