Capacity Analysis of Traffic Flow Over a Single-Lane Automated Highway System

The paper calculates bounds on per-lane Automated Highway System (AHS) capacity as a function of vehicle capabilities and control system information structure. It assumes that the AHS lane is dedicated for use by fully automated vehicles. Capacity is constrained by the minimum inter-vehicle separation necessary for safe operation. A methodology for deriving the safe minimum inter-vehicle separation for a particular safety criterion is presented. The inter-vehicle separation, which depends on the vehicle braking capability, control loop delays and operating speed, is then used to compute site-independent upper bounds on AHS capacity for a given mix of vehicle classes. The sensitivity of the capacity with respect to the degree of inter-vehicle cooperation, check-in policies (governing minimum acceptable vehicle braking capability), highway speed limits, and lane-use policies (governing the sharing of a lane by multiple vehicle classes) is also investigated.

[1]  Datta N. Godbole,et al.  Safety and capacity analysis of automated and manual highway systems , 1998 .

[2]  J. K. Hedrick,et al.  Vehicle longitudinal control using an adaptive observer for automated highway systems , 1995, Proceedings of 1995 American Control Conference - ACC'95.

[3]  John Lygeros,et al.  A verified hybrid controller for automated vehicles , 1996, Proceedings of 35th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control.

[4]  J. A. Haddon.  Evaluation of AHS throughput using SmartCap , 1997, Proceedings of the 1997 American Control Conference (Cat. No.97CH36041).

[5]  R. W. Hall,et al.  Capacity of automated highway systems: merging efficiency , 1997, Proceedings of the 1997 American Control Conference (Cat. No.97CH36041).

[6]  S C Warnick,et al.  BRAKE SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS FOR PLATOONING ON AN AUTOMATED HIGHWAY , 1995 .

[7]  John Lygeros,et al.  Tools for safety-throughput analysis of automated highway systems , 1997, Proceedings of the 1997 American Control Conference (Cat. No.97CH36041).

[8]  Anthony Hitchcock.  Casualties in Accidents Occurring During Split and Merge Maneuvers , 1993 .

[9]  Steven E Shladover,et al.  OPERATION OF AUTOMATED GUIDEWAY TRANSIT VEHICLES IN DYNAMICALLY RECONFIGURED TRAINS AND PLATOONS. VOLUME I. PART I. APPLICATIONS ANALYSIS. PART II. VEHICLE DYNAMICS , 1979 .

[10]  Datta N. Godbole,et al.  Tools for safety analysis of vehicle automation systems , 1997, Proceedings of the 1997 American Control Conference (Cat. No.97CH36041).

[11]  Randolph W. Hall,et al.  Analytical Models for Vehicle/Gap Distribution on Automated Highway Systems , 1997, Transp. Sci..

[12]  Pravin Varaiya,et al.  A Theory of Traffic Flow in Automated Highway Systems , 1996 .

[13]  D. Swaroop,et al.  String Stability Of Interconnected Systems: An Application To Platooning In Automated Highway Systems , 1997 .

[14]  Petros A. Ioannou,et al.  Spacing and capacity evaluations for different AHS concepts , 1997, Proceedings of the 1997 American Control Conference (Cat. No.97CH36041).

[15]  Randolph W. Hall,et al.  Longitudinal and Lateral Throughput on an Idealized Highway , 1995, Transp. Sci..