Introduction to modern traffic flow theory and control

The understanding of empirical traf? c congestion occurring on unsignalized mul- lane highways and freeways is a key for effective traf? c management, control, or- nization, and other applications of transportation engineering. However, the traf? c ? ow theories and models that dominate up to now in transportation research journals and teaching programs of most universities cannot explain either traf? c breakdown or most features of the resulting congested patterns. These theories are also the - sis of most dynamic traf? c assignment models and freeway traf? c control methods, which therefore are not consistent with features of real traf? c. For this reason, the author introduced an alternative traf? c ? ow theory called three-phase traf? c theory, which can predict and explain the empirical spatiot- poral features of traf? c breakdown and the resulting traf? c congestion. A previous book “The Physics of Traf? c” (Springer, Berlin, 2004) presented a discussion of the empirical spatiotemporal features of congested traf? c patterns and of three-phase traf? c theory as well as their engineering applications. Rather than a comprehensive analysis of empirical and theoretical results in the ? eld, the present book includes no more empirical and theoretical results than are necessary for the understanding of vehicular traf? c on unsignalized multi-lane roads. The main objectives of the book are to present an “elementary” traf? c ? ow theory and control methods as well as to show links between three-phase traf? c t- ory and earlier traf? c ? ow theories. The need for such a book follows from many commentsofcolleaguesmadeafterpublicationofthebook“ThePhysicsofTraf? c”.