Traffic Flow Theory - A State-of-the-Art Report: Revised Monograph on Traffic Flow Theory

Gartner, Nathan H.; Messer, Carrol J.l; Rathi, Ajay · 2002 · ROSA P / Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center

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Summary

This document is a comprehensive state-of-the-art report on traffic flow theory, organized by the Committee on Traffic Flow Theory and Characteristics (AHB45) and revised in 2001. It serves as a definitive reference for the theoretical foundations, empirical observations, and modeling techniques used to understand vehicular movement. The report addresses the need for a unified understanding of traffic dynamics, ranging from individual driver behaviors to macroscopic network flows, providing a structured overview of the field’s evolution and current methodologies. The report is structured into eleven chapters, each focusing on a specific aspect of traffic theory. It begins by defining fundamental traffic stream characteristics, including time-space diagrams, speed-flow-density relationships, and measurement issues such as the distinction between time-mean and space-mean properties. It then examines human factors, detailing discrete and continuous driver performance metrics like perception-response times, braking inputs, steering responses, and gap acceptance behaviors. The theoretical core of the report covers car-following models, analyzing their stability and steady-state flow, and continuum flow models, including the Lighthill-Whitham-Richards (LWR) kinematic wave model and higher-order models that account for traffic sound waves and instabilities. Further sections address macroscopic flow models, such as travel time functions and two-fluid theories that incorporate driver behavior and network features. The report also reviews traffic impact models, linking flow characteristics to safety, fuel consumption, and air quality emissions through various empirical and theoretical frameworks. Specific intersection theories are detailed, covering both unsignalized intersections (using gap acceptance and headway distribution models) and signalized intersections (analyzing delay models, platooning effects, and adaptive signal control). The document concludes with sections on traffic simulation techniques, including random number generation and statistical analysis of simulation data, and kinetic theories, specifically evaluating the Prigogine-Herman model and its criticisms. The significance of this report lies in its role as a consolidated knowledge base for transportation engineers and researchers. By synthesizing decades of research into a single monograph, it clarifies the relationships between microscopic driver actions and macroscopic traffic patterns. It highlights the limitations of existing models, such as the LWR model’s inability to capture certain instabilities, and outlines the state of simulation and kinetic theories. This comprehensive review provides the necessary theoretical grounding for developing advanced traffic management systems, improving roadway design, and enhancing the accuracy of traffic simulation tools used in urban planning and infrastructure development.

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Topics

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• traffic density
• mental model of traffic
• following distance
• gap acceptance
• speed choice

Information type

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• Theoretical Contribution: computational model, theory or model