01478120

Component

This paper shows that traffic hysteresis, a manifestation of driver characteristics, has a profound impact on the development of traffic oscillations. Findings suggest that aggressive drivers (with small response times and jammed spacing) are responsible for spontaneous formations of oscillations. Furthermore, aggressive drivers tend to exhibit large clockwise hysteresis loops, which instigate the transition from precursor to well-developed oscillations that propagate in space. Once formed, the oscillations exhibit four development stages: precursor, growth, stable, and decay stages. Each stage is characterized by distinct hysteresis orientations (e.g., clockwise vs. counter-clockwise loops) and magnitude. Oscillations grow significantly in amplitude in the precursor and growth stages in which clockwise hysteresis is prevalent. Statistical results further confirm high correlation between growth in oscillations amplitude and hysteresis magnitude.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AHB45-1 Traffic Flow Theory and Characteristics Special Paper Review.

01470560

13-4611

English

18p

2013

Transportation Research Board 92nd Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; References; Tables

Behavior; Drivers; Oscillation; Traffic flow

Aggressive driving

Stop and go traffic

Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2013 Paper #13-4611

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Feb 5 2013 12:53PM