Traffic Light Strategies in Optimizing the Traffic Flow

Abstract

The behavior of traffic system controlled by traffic lights on a single lane is presented using the optimal velocity model. The effect of differrent traffic light control strategies on the traffic flow is discussed using three different strategies, i.e. the synchronized, green wave, and random offset strategies. The flow-density diagrams are analyzed using these strategies. It is found that the saturation of the flow occurs at the critical density, which depends on the cycle time of the traffic light and the strategy being used. On the other hand, the value of saturated flow does not depend on the cycle time or on the strategies. The numerical investigation is carried out using cellular automata model to get a better understanding of the microscopic behavior of the three different traffic light strategies.