Universal Recurrent Traffic Flow Model for Urban Traffic Simulation

Abstract

This paper presents a universal recurrent traffic flow model designed to simulate traffic flows and solve the problem of finding the optimal durations of traffic light phases. The model belongs to the class of microscopic and is based on the theory of controlled networks. The road network is presented as a configurable graph. The nodes of the graph are the road sections, and the edges are the maneuvers between the sections. The graph configuration is changed by turning the graph edges on or off, which corresponds to the permission or prohibition of certain maneuvers. Traffic flows are controlled by traffic lights at regulated intersections. To apply this model it is assumed that the information about the parameters of flows and the road network is available. The description of the model, its properties, and a methodological example of calculation are given.