A new approach for modelling mixed traffic flow with motorized vehicles and non-motorized vehicles based on cellular automaton model

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel cellular automaton model for mixed traffic flow that integrates motorized and non-motorized vehicle models, capturing their interactions in a unified simulation framework.

Contribution

It develops the combined cellular automata (CCA) model by integrating NaSch and Burgur automata with new lane-changing rules for mixed traffic scenarios.

Findings

Model accurately describes interactions between motorized and non-motorized vehicles.

Simulation demonstrates realistic traffic flow behavior at a bus stop without dedicated lanes.

The approach provides a basis for analyzing mixed traffic dynamics in urban planning.

Abstract

In this study, we provide a novel approach for modelling the mixed traffic flow. The basic idea is to integrate models for nonmotorized vehicles (nm-vehicles) with models for motorized vehicles (m-vehicles). Based on the idea, a model for mix traffic flow is realized in in the following two steps. At a first step, the models that can be integrated should be chosen. The famous NaSch cellular automata (NCA) model for m-vehicles and the Burgur cellular automata (BCA) model for nm-vehicles are used in this paper, since the two models are similar and comparable. At a second step, we should study coupling rules between m-vehicles and nm-vehicles to represent their interaction. Special lane changing rules are designed for the coupling process. The proposed model is named as the combined cellular automata (CCA) model. The model is applied to a typical mixed traffic scenario, where a bus stop without special stop bay is set on nonmotorized lanes. The simulation results show that the model can describe both the interaction between the flow of nm-vehicles and m-vehicles and their characters.