Transient situations in traffic flow: Modelling the Mexico City Cuernavaca Highway

TL;DR

This paper extends a cellular automata traffic model to analyze transient free and congested flow situations on the Mexico City-Cuernavaca Highway, providing insights for traffic improvement strategies.

Contribution

It introduces an extended CA model capable of simulating transient traffic states specific to Mexican highways, aiding in traffic management solutions.

Findings

Model effectively captures free and congested flow transitions.

Simulation results suggest potential strategies for traffic flow improvement.

Applicable to real-world highway traffic management.

Abstract

In this paper a recent variable anticipation cellular automata model for single-lane traffic flow is extended to analyze the situation of free and congested flow in the Highway from Mexico City to Cuernavaca. This highway presents free flow in standard days; but in the returning day of long weekends or holidays it exhibits congested flow and in rush hours jamming appears. We illustrate how our CA model for traffic flow can deal appropriately with transient situations and can be used to search new alternatives that allow to improve the traffic flow in Mexican highways.