Stability and Equilibrium Analysis of Laneless Traffic with Local Control Laws

TL;DR

This paper develops a model for lane-less traffic with local control laws, analyzing stability and equilibrium in various traffic scenarios, supported by simulations.

Contribution

Introduces a novel multi-directional traffic model without lane discipline, analyzing stability and equilibrium using influence graphs and local control laws.

Findings

Stable formation conditions derived for steady flow and obstacles

Maintains desired intercar spacing during lane changes

Simulations confirm theoretical stability conditions

Abstract

In this paper, a new model for traffic on roads with multiple lanes is developed, where the vehicles do not adhere to a lane discipline. Assuming identical vehicles, the dynamics is split along two independent directions: the Y-axis representing the direction of motion and the X-axis representing the lateral or the direction perpendicular to the direction of motion. Different influence graphs are used to model the interaction between the vehicles in these two directions. The instantaneous accelerations of each car, in both X and Y directions, are functions of the measurements from the neighbouring cars according to these influence graphs. The stability and equilibrium spacings of the car formation is analyzed for usual traffic situations such as steady flow, obstacles, lane changing and rogue drivers arbitrarily changing positions inside the formation. Conditions are derived under which the formation maintains stability and the desired intercar spacing for each of these traffic events. Simulations for some of these scenarios are included.