Integrated anticipatory control of road networks

Abstract

In The Netherlands, dynamic traffic management is an important approach to minimise the negative effects of increasing congestion. Measures such as ramp metering and route infor-mation, but also conventional traffic signal control, are used for this. Traditionally, the focus in designing traffic control plans has been on local control. There is however a tendency to come to a more centralised way of traffic control. For a centralised approach the interaction with route choice behaviour and other traffic management measures becomes an important aspect in the design of control strategies. The research described in the thesis shows that integrated anticipatory control can contribute to a better use of the infrastructure in relation with policy objectives. Integrated control means that the network is considered to be one multi-level network, consisting of motorways and urban roads. Anticipatory control means taking into account not only the current, but also fu-ture traffic conditions in relation with route choice behaviour. A framework was developed, which can be used to design and evaluate traffic management strategies. With the use of the framework it was shown for some simple networks that anticipatory control leads to less de-lay, also if more than one road authority is involved. The framework can be used as a next step towards real network traffic management.