A fast simulation algorithm for multiple moving bottlenecks and applications in urban freight traffic management

Michele D. Simoni*, Christian G. Claudel

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

31 Scopus citations

Abstract

Moving bottlenecks are moving capacity restrictions that affect traffic flows, and they can be used to describe the effects of buses and trucks in transportation networks. The computation of solutions associated with the presence of moving bottlenecks is complex, since they both influence and are influenced by surrounding traffic. In this study, we propose a fast numerical scheme that can efficiently compute the solutions to an arbitrary number of moving (and fixed) bottlenecks, for a stretch of road modeled by the Lighthill–Whitham–Richards (LWR) model. Several different moving bottlenecks can be simulated endogenously all together by means of an algorithm based on a semi-analytic Lax–Hopf formula. Since the numerical scheme is semi-analytic and requires a very low number of operations, it can be employed for traffic estimation problems where fast and accurate solutions are required. We demonstrate the capabilities of the method by implementing two alternative traffic management strategies designed to minimize the negative impacts of trucks and buses in urban environments.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)238-255
Number of pages18
JournalTransportation Research Part B: Methodological
Volume104
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2017
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Elsevier Ltd

Keywords

  • Freight traffic management
  • LWR model
  • Moving bottlenecks
  • Semi-analytic algorithm
  • Urban freight traffic

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Civil and Structural Engineering
  • Transportation

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