Research On Traffic Flow Simulation Of Arterial Highway

The characteristics of traffic flow on highways are basic and critical in the study of highway traffic capacity, highway planning and highway management. By studying and determining the characteristics of highway traffic flow and traffic capability, we are able to improve the efficiency and revenues of highway network, alleviate traffic congestion, enhance highway safety, and secure smooth operation of highways, so as to realize the potential value of highway design and operation to the maximum extent.However, the study of characteristics of highway traffic flow has been weak and unsatisfactory for so many years. Though we have done tremendous efforts to study the characteristics of highway traffic flow and traffic capability and have achieved comparatively mature and systematic results, our studies on characteristics of double-lane arterial highways are far from enough to apply in practice. Playing an important role in highway system of China, double-lane arterial highways are different from expressways and regular double-lane highways in road conditions, traffic composition, driver's performance and so forth. Therefore, based on expressway study results and according to the diversity of characteristics of arterial highways, the author of this dissertation adopts computer simulation method to give a through study of characteristics of traffic flow on arterial highways, which are under the project of simulation study on traffic capability of arterial highways in Anhui Province. This dissertation analyzes the individual and inter-related characteristics of three basic factors of highway traffic system ---- driver, vehicle and highway. Based on the field survey on five arterial highways in Anhui Province, the criteria to classify the vehicle types on arterial highways have been determined. This dissertation gives a through analysis of such traffic characteristics as traffic composition, time and space, speed, time headway on double-lane arterial highways. It further analyzes the characteristics of driver's performance and vehicle operation on double-lane arterial highways, take into account influence on vehicle running features by driving mode and vehicle dynamic performance in a micro-view aspect. It also gives a particular study on features of vehicles at low speed, in order to match the practical traffic conditions on arterial highways.Computer simulation method and micro- simulation mode are adopted in this dissertation to build a simulative mode of traffic flow on arterial highway sections such as regular sections, sections through towns, sections under maintenance and rehabilitation, intersections, etc.