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An empirical study of common traffic congestion features based on traffic data measured in the USA, the UK, and Germany

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  • Rehborn, Hubert
  • Klenov, Sergey L.
  • Palmer, Jochen

Abstract

Based on real traffic data measured on American, UK and German freeways, we study common features of traffic congestion. We have found that traffic features [J] and [S] defining traffic phases “wide moving jam” (J) and “synchronized flow” (S) in Kerner’s three-phase theory are indeed common spatiotemporal traffic features observed in the UK, the USA and Germany. For the testing of Kerner’s “line J”, representing the propagation of the wide moving jam’s downstream front, four different methods for a study of moving jam propagation in empirical data are studied and compared for each congested traffic situation occurring in the three countries. A statistical study of velocities of wide moving jam fronts is presented, which has been performed through the analysis of database containing more than 280.000 min of observed wide moving jams measured on about 1200 km long freeway network in Hessen (Germany) during more than two years.

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  • Rehborn, Hubert & Klenov, Sergey L. & Palmer, Jochen, 2011. "An empirical study of common traffic congestion features based on traffic data measured in the USA, the UK, and Germany," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 390(23), pages 4466-4485.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:390:y:2011:i:23:p:4466-4485
    DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2011.07.004
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    Cited by:

    1. Fu, Ding-Jun & Li, Qi-Lang & Jiang, Rui & Wang, Bing-Hong, 2020. "A simple cellular automaton model with dual cruise-control limit in the framework of Kerner’s three-phase traffic theory," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 559(C).
    2. Xiang, Zheng-Tao & Li, Yu-Jin & Chen, Yu-Feng & Xiong, Li, 2013. "Simulating synchronized traffic flow and wide moving jam based on the brake light rule," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 392(21), pages 5399-5413.
    3. Mahmoud Owais & Abdou S. Ahmed & Ghada S. Moussa & Ahmed A. Khalil, 2020. "An Optimal Metro Design for Transit Networks in Existing Square Cities Based on Non-Demand Criterion," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-28, November.
    4. Hu, Xiaojian & Wang, Wei & Yang, Haifei, 2012. "Mixed traffic flow model considering illegal lane-changing behavior: Simulations in the framework of Kerner’s three-phase theory," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 391(21), pages 5102-5111.
    5. Junfang Tian & Bin Jia & Shoufeng Ma & Chenqiang Zhu & Rui Jiang & YaoXian Ding, 2017. "Cellular Automaton Model with Dynamical 2D Speed-Gap Relation," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 51(3), pages 807-822, August.
    6. Tian, Junfang & Treiber, Martin & Ma, Shoufeng & Jia, Bin & Zhang, Wenyi, 2015. "Microscopic driving theory with oscillatory congested states: Model and empirical verification," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 138-157.

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