Optimizing passenger vehicle travel time with model predictive control in multi-region traffic networks

This study investigates the impact of truck traffic on passenger vehicles in an urban network. Utilizing the Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram (MFD), a methodology to calculate the travel time spent by passenger vehicles has been developed. To address this issue, an optimal control problem was formulated and solved using a Model Predictive Control (MPC) approach. The MPC framework has been applied in a centralized manner, to manage accumulation for various modes. To explore different traffic management strategies, the centralized MPC technique was implemented in two distinct configurations: region-based and vehicle-based approaches. It has been tested for various vehicle mixes and multiple control scenarios to assess the effectiveness in reducing passenger travel time spent and vehicle accumulation. The results demonstrate that the vehicle-based MPC approach tends to minimize the number of vehicles more effectively compared to the region-based approach. However, in terms of reducing passenger travel time, the region-based approach outperforms the vehicle-based strategy. This is attributed to enhanced coordination among traffic flow controllers, highlighting the importance of strategic controller interactions in urban traffic management systems. This research enhances both the theoretical framework for optimizing traffic flow and provides valuable practical insights for city planners and engineers aiming to deploy advanced traffic management strategies. Future studies could explore the scalability of these control systems and their capability to integrate real-time traffic data.