Selecting the Best Links for Lane-reversal in Wide-area Evacuation Based on the Critical Edge Model of Dynamic Maximum Flow Increase

Abstract

Based on the theory of dynamic flow, we study the optimization problem of dynamic reverse lane, that is, the selection of the road section and the optimization of the time period of lane reverse operation. We abstract an evacuation road network as a directed network with variable capacity, and define the critical dynamical edge for increasing the dynamical maximum flow value of such network. We can get alternative links and corresponding time period for lane-reversal operation by searching critical dynamical edges for increasing the dynamical maximum flow value. We present a modified algorithm to find such critical dynamical edges on the basis of the maximal capacity path algorithm for the static maximum flow problem. We also give a numerical example and test the effects through traffic simulation. The results show that evacuation time can be effectively decreased through taking dynamical reversal lane scheme in regional evacuation.