TECHNICAL PAPERS
Mar 1, 1997

Review of Models Combining Traffic Assignment and Signal Control

Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 123, Issue 2

Abstract

This paper reviews a class of models that combine equilibrium traffic assignment and intersection control into a single analysis framework under the assumption of flow-responsive signal settings. The most significant feature of these models is their capacity to take into account explicitly the mutual interactions between signal control policies and user route choices; such interactions are usually disregarded both in ordinary traffic assignment models and in traditional traffic engineering practice. After defining the combined traffic assignment and control problem, and reviewing alternative formulations and solution algorithms, this paper discusses possible approaches to modeling the various types of link interactions that arise from the joint use of intersections by competing traffic movements. Important conceptual issues and implementation aspects are considered, and their potential policy implications are emphasized. The main conclusion of the survey is that, while the theoretical properties of combined traffic assignment and control models have been studied over the last two decades and are now well understood, there seems to be a significant lack of empirical results and real-world applications, that are needed in order to promote the transfer of this modeling approach from research to professional practice.

Get full access to this article

View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.

References

1.
Akçelik, R.(1985). “SIDRA-2 for traffic signal design.”Traffic Engrg. and Control, 26, 256–261.
2.
Akçelik, R.(1988a). “Capacity of a shared lane.”Proc., 14th Australian Road Res. Board Conf., Australian Road Research Board, Nunawading, Australia, 14(2), 228–241.
3.
Akçelik, R.(1988b). “The highway capacity manual delay formula for signalized intersections.”ITE J., 58(3), 23–27.
4.
Akçelik, R.(1989). “Opposed turns at signalized intersections: the Australian method.”ITE J., 59(6), 21–27.
5.
Akçelik, R., and Rouphail, N. M. (1993). “Estimation of delays at traffic signals for variable demand conditions.”Transp. Res.–B., 27B, 109– 131.
6.
Allsop, R. E. (1974). “Some possibilities for using traffic control to influence trip distribution and route choice.”Proc., 6th Int. Symp. on Transp. and Traffic Theory, D. J. Buckley, ed., Elsevier, New York, N.Y., 345–373.
7.
Allsop, R. E., and Charlesworth, J. A.(1977). “Traffic in a signal-controlled road network: an example of different signal timings inducing different routings.”Traffic Engrg. and Control, 18, 262–264.
8.
Bell, M. G. H. (1992). “Future directions in traffic signal control.”Transp. Res.–A, 26A, 303–313.
9.
Berka, S., and Boyce, D. E. (1996). “Generating highway travel times with a large-scale asymmetric user equilibrium assignment model.”Proc., TRISTAN II Conf., Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, Germany.
10.
Dafermos, S.(1980). “Traffic equilibrium and variational inequalities.”Transp. Sci., 14, 42–54.
11.
Dafermos, S.(1982). “Relaxation algorithms for the general asymmetric traffic equilibrium problem.”Transp. Sci., 16, 231–240.
12.
Dickson, T. J. (1981). “A note on traffic assignment and signal timings in a signal-controlled road network.”Transp. Res.–B, 15B, 267–271.
13.
Easa, S. M.(1991). “Traffic assignment in practice: overview and guidelines for users.”J. Transp. Engrg., ASCE, 117(6), 602–623.
14.
Fisk, C. S. (1984). “Game theory and transportation system modelling.”Transp. Res.–B, 18B, 301–313.
15.
Fisk, C. S.(1986). “A conceptual framework for optimal transportation systems planning with integrated supply and demand models.”Transp. Sci., 20, 37–47.
16.
Fisk, C. S., and Nguyen, S.(1982). “Solution algorithms for network equilibrium models with asymmetric user costs.”Transp. Sci., 16, 361–381.
17.
Florian, M., and Nguyen, S.(1976). “An application and validation of equilibrium trip assignment methods.”Transp. Sci., 10, 374–390.
18.
Florian, M., and Spiess, H. (1982). “The convergence of diagonalization algorithms for asymmetric network equilibrium problems.”Transp. Res.–B, 16B, 477–483.
19.
Frank, M., and Wolfe, P.(1956). “An algorithm for quadratic programming.”Naval Res. Logistics Quarterly, 3, 95–110.
20.
Gartner, N. H. (1976). “Area traffic control and network equilibrium.”Proc., Int. Symp. on Traffic Equilibrium Methods, M. Florian, ed., Springer-Verlag, Berlin, West Germany, 382–395.
21.
Ghali, M. O., and Smith, M. J.(1994). “Comparisons of the performances of three responsive traffic control policies, taking drivers' day-to-day route choices into account.”Traffic Engrg. and Control, 35, 555–560.
22.
Hall, M. D., Van Vliet, D., and Willumsen, L. G.(1980). “SATURN—a simulation-assignment model for the evaluation of traffic management schemes.”Traffic Engrg. and Control, 21, 168–176.
23.
Heydecker, B. G.(1983). “Some consequences of detailed junction modeling in road traffic assignment.”Transp. Sci., 17, 263–281.
24.
Highway capacity manual. (1985). Transp. Res. Board, Spec. Rep. 209, Washington, D.C.
25.
Horowitz, A. J. (1992). “Implementing travel forecasting with traffic operational strategies.”Transp. Res. Rec. 1365, Transp. Res. Board, Washington, D.C., 54–61.
26.
Hurdle, V. F. (1984). “Signalized intersection delay models—a primer for the uninitiated.”Transp. Res. Rec. 971, Transp. Res. Board, Washington, D.C., 96–105.
27.
Kimber, R. M., and Hollis, E. M. (1979). “Traffic queues and delays at road junctions.”Laboratory Rep. LR909, Transp. and Road Res. Lab., Crowthorne, U.K.
28.
Koutsopoulos, H. N., and Habbal, M. (1994). “Effect of intersection delay modeling on the performance of traffic equilibrium models.”Transp. Res.–A, 28A, 133–149.
29.
Maher, M. J., and Akçelik, R.(1975). “The re-distributional effects of an area traffic control policy.”Traffic Engrg. and Control, 16, 383–385.
30.
Maher, M. J., Hughes, P. C., Smith, M. J., and Ghali, M. O.(1993). “Accidentand travel time-minimizing routing patterns in congested networks.”Traffic Engrg. and Control, 34, 414–419.
31.
Mahmassani, H. S., and Mouskos, K. C. (1988). “Some numerical results on the diagonalization algorithm for network assignment with asymmetric interactions between cars and trucks.”Transp. Res.–B, 22B, 275–290.
32.
Marcotte, P.(1983). “Network optimization with continuous control parameters.”Transp. Sci., 17, 181–197.
33.
Meneguzzer, C. (1995). “An equilibrium route choice model with explicit treatment of the effect of intersections.”Transp. Res.–B, 29B, 329–356.
34.
Meneguzzer, C. (1996). “Computational experiments with a combined traffic assignment and control model with asymmetric cost function.”Proc., 4th Int. Conf. on Applications of Advanced Technol. in Transp. Engrg., Y. J. Stephanedes and F. Filippi, eds., ASCE, New York, N.Y., 609–614.
35.
Morlok, E. K. (1979). “Short run supply functions with decreasing user costs.”Transp. Res.–B, 13B, 183–187.
36.
Nihan, N., Hamed, M., and Davis, G.(1995). “Interactions between driver information, route choice, and optimal signal timing on a simple network.”J. Advanced Transp., 29, 163–182.
37.
Powell, W. B., and Sheffi, Y.(1982). “The convergence of equilibrium algorithms with predetermined step sizes.”Transp. Sci., 16, 45–55.
38.
Sheffi, Y. (1985). Urban transportation networks: equilibrium analysis with mathematical programming methods. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
39.
Smith, M. J. (1979a). “The existence, uniqueness and stability of traffic equilibria.”Transp. Res.–B, 13B, 295–304.
40.
Smith, M. J. (1979b). “Traffic control and route choice; a simple example.”Transp. Res.–B, 13B, 289–294.
41.
Smith, M. J. (1980a). “The dynamics of urban traffic control.”Proc., World Conf. on Transp. Res., Vol. 3, J. Stuart Yerrell, ed., Gower, London, England, 1472–1489.
42.
Smith, M. J.(1980b). “A local traffic control policy which automatically maximizes the overall travel capacity of an urban road network.”Traffic Engrg. and Control, 21, 289–302.
43.
Smith, M. J. (1981a). “Properties of a traffic control policy which ensure the existence of a traffic equilibrium consistent with the policy.”Transp. Res.–B, 15B, 453–462.
44.
Smith, M. J. (1981b). “A theoretical study of traffic assignment and control.”Proc., 8th Symp. on Transp. and Traffic Theory, V. F. Hurdle, E. Hauer, and G. N. Steuart, eds., University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada, 490–526.
45.
Smith, M. J., and Van Vuren, T.(1993). “Traffic equilibrium with responsive traffic control.”Transp. Sci., 27, 118–132.
46.
Smith, M. J., Van Vuren, T., Heydecker, B. G., and Van Vliet, D. (1987). “The interactions between signal control policies and route choice.”Proc., 10th Int. Symp. on Transp. and Traffic Theory, N. H. Gartner and N. H. M. Wilson, eds., Elsevier, New York, N.Y., 319–338.
47.
Van Vliet, D.(1982). “SATURN—a modern assignment model.”Traffic Engrg. and Control, 23, 578–581.
48.
Van Vuren, T., and Van Vliet, D. (1992). Route choice and signal control: the potential for integrated route guidance. Avebury, Aldershot, U.K.
49.
Wardrop, J. G.(1952). “Some theoretical aspects of road traffic research.”Proc., Instn. Civ. Engrs., London, England, Part II, 1, 325–378.
50.
Webster, F. V. (1958). “Traffic signal settings.”Road Res. Tech. Paper No. 39, Her Majesty's Stationery Ofc. (HMSO), London, U.K.
51.
Yang, H., and Yagar, S. (1995). “Traffic assignment and signal control in saturated road networks.”Transp. Res.–A, 29A, 125–139.

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Journal of Transportation Engineering
Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 123Issue 2March 1997
Pages: 148 - 155

History

Published online: Mar 1, 1997
Published in print: Mar 1997

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Authors

Affiliations

Claudio Meneguzzer
Assoc. Prof., Dipartimento di Costruzioni e Trasporti, Univ. of Padova, Via Marzolo 9, 35131 Padova, Italy.

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Citations

Download citation

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

Cited by

View Options

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Copy the content Link

Share with email

Email a colleague

Share