An Improved Two-Lane Traffic Lattice Model and Numerical Simulation

Abstract

Based on the review and summarization of related literature, an improved two-lane traffic flow lattice model is proposed by considering the surrounding lattices and lane changing threshold. The stability condition for the new model is obtained using the linear stability theory. It shows that the modified lattice model leads to better stabilization of the system compared with the existing lattice models. The jamming transitions among the freely moving phase, the coexisting phase, and uniform congested phase are studied by nonlinear analysis and numerical simulations. Traffic jams are described by a kink-antikink solution obtained form the MKdV equation which is derived from the lattice model near the critical point. The simulation results are consistent with the theoretical analysis, showing that the stability of traffic flow can be enhanced effectively when the surrounding lattices and lane changing threshold are considered.