AReBIC: Autonomous reservation-based intersection control for emergency evacuation

Abstract

Connected vehicle (CV) and autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies are rapidly advancing. Traffic control for future hurricane evacuation can be radically different compared to the current approaches in use. Extensive modeling research and limited field deployments have demonstrated the benefits of CV, AV technologies in achieving higher mobility, safety, and environmentally friendly solutions. One area that has not been explored in prior research is the benefits these technologies may offer to the emergency evacuation performance. Specifically, evacuation traffic control is one area where CV and AV technologies can have a transformative effect. At-grade intersections and grade-separated interchanges on evacuation routes are susceptible to congestion due to the increased demand competing for road usage. Traffic control methods that efficiently route traffic at intersections and interchanges also enhance the overall evacuation performance. This paper proposes an autonomous reservation-based intersection control (AReBIC) system for evacuation traffic control. The AReBIC system receives and processes reservation requests from approaching vehicles in real-time and routes them free of conflict. The results of a case study of Hampton Roads, Virginia, showed that the AReBIC system outperformed the existing traffic control practice in terms of mobility and safety. The average speeds increased by 29% and total delays reduced by 88% when intersection control was changed to the AReBIC system. The number of crossing conflicts decreased by 88% and lane change conflicts decreased by 47%.