Space–time correlation analysis of traffic flow on road network

Abstract

Space–time correlation analysis has become a basic and critical work in the research on road traffic congestion. It plays an important role in improving traffic management quality. The aim of this research is to examine the space–time correlation of road networks to determine likely requirements for building a suitable space–time traffic model. In this paper, it is carried out using traffic flow data collected on Beijing’s road network. In the framework, the space–time autocorrelation function (ST-ACF) is introduced as global measure, and cross-correlation function (CCF) as local measure to reveal the change mechanism of space–time correlation. Through the use of both measures, the correlation is found to be dynamic and heterogeneous in space and time. The finding of seasonal pattern present in space–time correlation provides a theoretical assumption for traffic forecasting. Besides, combined with Simpson’s rule, the CCF is also applied to finding the critical sections in the road network, and the experiments prove that it is feasible in computability, rationality and practicality.