Fluctuation and transition of vehicular traffic through a sequence of traffic lights

✍ Scribed by Takashi Nagatani

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 553 KB
• Volume: 350
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0378-4371
• DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2004.11.018

✦ Synopsis

We study the dynamical behavior of N vehicles with no passing, but are moving through a sequence of traffic lights on a single-lane highway, where the traffic lights turn on and off periodically with the synchronized strategy. The dynamical model of N vehicles controlled by traffic lights is described in terms of coupled maps with three parameters. The motions of vehicles display a complex behavior, interacting with other vehicles through the sequence of traffic lights. Fluctuation of the leading vehicle is amplified to the following vehicles. The amplification of fluctuation changes with cycle time. The dynamical behavior of vehicles depends highly on their position of grouping vehicles. Signal traffic at a low density changes at specific values of cycle time. The complex dynamical transitions occur by varying three parameters.