Modelling Traffic Flow at a Multilane Intersection

Abstract

This paper proposes a new model to study traffic flow at a multilane urban intersection, through detailed space considerations, using cellular automata (CA) and Minimum Acceptable sPace (MAP) method. Heterogeneity and inconsistency of driver behaviour and interactions at entrances of two-lane intersections are simulated by incorporation of different categories of driver behaviour and reassignment of categories with given probabilities at each time step. The method is able to reproduce many features of urban traffic, for which gap-acceptance models are less appropriate. Vehicles on entry roads are allocated to lanes based on queue-length on each lane. Two two-lane roundabout models are developed with different vehicle lane-allocation patterns. Various properties of two-lane intersection operations have been explored including throughput, turning rates, critical arrival rates and congestion on the intersections. Vehicle movements in this paper relate to left-side driving, such as found in UK and Ireland. However, rules are generally applicable.