ESTIMATION OF TRAFFIC VARIABLES USING A LINEAR MODEL OF TRAFFIC FLOW

Estimation of traffic velocity and the number of vehicles on adjacent sections of a limited access highway is examined. The method evaluated is based upon application of Kalman filtering methods to a linear state variable model of traffic flow. The estimator utilizes velocity and flow measurements at selected points along the highway. The flow measurement is a nonlinear function of the state variables and necessitates linearization about the one step ahead prediction of the state (extended Kalman filter) or about nominal values of the state variables. It is shown that performance using Lincoln tunnel data is comparable in either case to that of methods previously reported and provides a substantial savings in storage requirements. Also demonstrated is the fact that flow at an internal measurement point may be deleted from the observation vector without a serious effect on performance. This would arise, for example, if control of traffic were to be exercised at such a point. /Author/TRRL/

• Corporate Authors:

  Pergamon Press, Incorporated

  Maxwell House, Fairview Park
  Elmsford, NY  United States  10523
• Authors:
  • GHOSH, D
  • Knapp, C H
• Publication Date: 1978-12

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 395-402
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research /UK/
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: Pergamon Press, Incorporated

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Calculation; Freeways; Mathematical models; Measurement; Speed; Traffic; Traffic control; Traffic counting; Traffic counts; Traffic flow; Traffic simulation; Variables
• ITRD Terms: 6464: Calculation; 6473: Mathematical model; 6136: Measurement; 5408: Speed; 755: Traffic; 654: Traffic control; 689: Traffic count; 671: Traffic flow; 9086: Variability
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00194998
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 11 1979 12:00AM