Features of capacity drop: an investigation in macroscopic and microscopic views

Subject

Capacity drop on freeways.

Scientific challenges

How much is the capacity drop, and which dependencies does that have?
How to incorporate the capacity drop into a kinematic wave model with a high accuracy?
What driving behavior results in the features of capacity drop?

Societal relevance

The capacity drop means that on a freeway the queue discharge rate is lower than the capacity. The understanding and quantitative estimation of the capacity drop is crucial for solving traffic jams in a direction of dynamic traffic management. A better understanding on the capacity drop can contribute to both of simulations and optimizations. An investigation into the macroscopic and microscopic features of capacity drop can shed more light on increasing queue discharge rate and decreasing total delays.

Kai Yuan

Start/end date: September 2012 until September 2016
Daily supervisor: Victor L. Knoop
Promotor: Serge P. Hoogendoorn