Traffic Flow Optimization at Toll Plaza Using Proactive Deep Learning Strategies

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Global urbanization and increasing traffic volume have intensified traffic congestion throughout transportation infrastructure, particularly at toll plazas, highlighting the critical need to implement proactive transportation infrastructure solutions. Traditional toll plaza management approaches, often relying on manual interventions, suffer from inefficiencies that fail to adapt to dynamic traffic flow and are unable to produce preemptive control strategies, resulting in prolonged queues, extended travel times, and adverse environmental effects. This study proposes a proactive traffic control strategy using advanced technologies to combat toll plaza congestion and optimize traffic management. The approach involves deep learning convolutional neural network models (YOLOv7–Deep SORT) for vehicle counting and an extended short-term memory model for short-term arrival rate prediction. When projected arrival rates exceed a threshold, the strategy proactively activates variable speed limits (VSLs) and ramp metering (RM) strategies during peak hours. The novelty of this study lies in its predictive and adaptive capabilities, ensuring efficient traffic flow management. Validated through a case study at Ravi Toll Plaza Lahore using PTV VISSIMv7, the proposed method reduces queue length by 57% and vehicle delays by 47% while cutting fuel consumption and pollutant emissions by 28.4% and 34%, respectively. Additionally, by identifying the limitations of conventional approaches, this study presents a novel framework alongside the proposed strategy to bridge the gap between theory and practice, making it easier for toll plaza operators and transportation authorities to adopt and benefit from advanced traffic management techniques. Ultimately, this study underscores the importance of integrated and proactive traffic control strategies in enhancing traffic management, minimizing congestion, and fostering a more sustainable transportation system.