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This paper proposes a convolutional neural network (CNN) model of the signal distribution control algorithm (SDCA) to maximize the dynamic vehicular traffic signal flow for each junction phase. The aim of the proposed algorithm is to determine the reward value and new state. It deconstructs the routing components of the current multi-directional queuing system (MDQS) architecture to identify optimal policies for every traffic scenario. Initially, the state value is divided into a function value and a parameter value. Combining these two scenarios updates the resulting optimized state value. Ultimately, an analogous criterion is developed for the current dataset. Next, the error or loss value for the present scenario is computed. Furthermore, utilizing the Deep Q-learning methodology with a quad agent enhances previous study discoveries. The recommended method outperforms all other traditional approaches in effectively optimizing traffic signal timing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the connected vehicle's messages are used to create an enhanced adaptive traffic signal control (ATSC) system for improved traffic flow. Few existing studies use connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) to develop traffic signal control algorithms under hybrid connected and autonomous conditions. The proposed approach focuses on a four‐phase traffic intersection with both CAVs and human‐driven vehicles (HVs). CAVs share real‐time state information, and a model called Roads Dynamic Segmentation estimates queuing procedures and vehicle fleet numbers on dynamic road sections. This information is used in the Store and Forward Model (SFM) to predict intersection queuing length. The ATSC system, based on model predictive control (MPC), aims to minimize intersection queue length while considering traffic constraints (undersaturated, saturated, and oversaturated) and avoiding free‐flow problems due to queue overflow. To reduce computational complexity, a linear‐quadratic‐regulator (LQR) is used. Real‐world vehicle trajectories and the SUMO tool are used for experimental purposes. Results show that the proposed method reduces average delay by 38.50% and 33.42% compared to fixed timing and traditional MPC in cases of oversaturated traffic flow with 100% CAV penetration. Even with a penetration rate of only 20%, average delay decreases by 13.65% and 6.50%, respectively. This study showcases not only the potential benefits of CAV in enhancing traffic, but also enables the optimal utilization of green duration in signalized intersection control systems. This helps prevent traffic congestion and ensures the efficient and smooth movement of traffic flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about spatial distribution (OD flows) is a key element in traffic management systems in urban transport networks that enables efficient traffic control and decisions to redirect traffic to less congested sections of the network in emergencies. With the development of modern techniques of remote sensing, more and more advanced methods are used to measure traffic and determine OD flows. However, they may produce results with different levels of errors caused by various factors. The article examines the impact of traffic volume and its variability on the error values of short-term prediction of the OD matrix in the urban network. The OD flows were determined using a deep learning network based on data obtained from video remote sensing devices. These data were recorded at earlier intervals concerning the forecasting time. The extent to which there is a correlation between the size of OD flows and the prediction error was examined. The most frequently used measure of prediction accuracy, i.e., MAPE (mean absolute percentage error), was considered. The analysis carried out made it possible to determine the ranges of traffic flow rate for which the MAPE stabilizes at the level of approximately 6%. A set of video remote sensing devices was used to collect spatiotemporal data. They were located at the entrances and exits from the study area on important roads of a medium-sized city in Poland. The conclusions obtained may be helpful in further research on improving methods to determine OD matrices and estimate their reliability. This, in turn, involves the development of more precise methods that allow for reliable traffic forecasting and improve the efficiency of traffic management in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machine learning (ML) methods, particularly Reinforcement Learning (RL), have gained widespread attention for optimizing traffic signal control in intelligent transportation systems. However, existing ML approaches often exhibit limitations in scalability and adaptability, particularly within large traffic networks. This paper introduces an innovative solution by integrating decentralized graph-based multi-agent reinforcement learning (DGMARL) with a Digital Twin to enhance traffic signal optimization, targeting the reduction of traffic congestion and network-wide fuel consumption associated with vehicle stops and stop delays. In this approach, DGMARL agents are employed to learn traffic state patterns and make informed decisions regarding traffic signal control. The integration with a Digital Twin module further facilitates this process by simulating and replicating the real-time asymmetric traffic behaviors of a complex traffic network. The evaluation of this proposed methodology utilized PTV-Vissim, a traffic simulation software, which also serves as the simulation engine for the Digital Twin. The study focused on the Martin Luther King (MLK) Smart Corridor in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA, by considering symmetric and asymmetric road layouts and traffic conditions. Comparative analysis against an actuated signal control baseline approach revealed significant improvements. Experiment results demonstrate a remarkable 55.38% reduction in Eco_PI, a developed performance measure capturing the cumulative impact of stops and penalized stop delays on fuel consumption, over a 24 h scenario. In a PM-peak-hour scenario, the average reduction in Eco_PI reached 38.94%, indicating the substantial improvement achieved in optimizing traffic flow and reducing fuel consumption during high-demand periods. These findings underscore the effectiveness of the integrated DGMARL and Digital Twin approach in optimizing traffic signals, contributing to a more sustainable and efficient traffic management system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization has led to accelerated traffic congestion, posing a significant obstacle to urban development. Traditional traffic signal scheduling methods are often inefficient and cumbersome, resulting in unnecessary waiting times for vehicles and pedestrians, exacerbating the traffic situation. To address this issue, this article proposes a dynamic traffic signal scheduling system based on an improved greedy algorithm. Unlike conventional approaches, we introduce a reward function and a cost model to ensure fair scheduling plans. A constraint function is also established, and the traffic signal scheduling is iterated through the feasible matrix using the greedy algorithm to simplify the decision-making process and enhance solution efficiency. Moreover, an emergency module is integrated to prioritize special emergency vehicles, reducing their response time during emergencies. To validate the effectiveness of our dynamic traffic signal scheduling system, we conducted simulation experiments using the Simulation of Urban Mobility (SUMO) traffic simulation suite and the SUMO traffic control interface Traci. The results indicate that our system significantly improves intersection throughput and adapts well to various traffic conditions, effectively resolving urban traffic congestion while ensuring fair scheduling plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With recent technological advancements, the commercialization of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is expected to be realized soon. However, it is anticipated that a mixed traffic of AVs and human-driven vehicles (HVs) will persist for a considerable period until the Market Penetration Rate reaches 100%. During this phase, AVs and HVs will interact and coexist on the roads. Such an environment can cause unpredictable and dynamic traffic conditions due to HVs, which results in traffic problems including traffic congestion. Therefore, the routes of AVs must be controlled in a mixed traffic environment. This study proposes a multi-objective vehicle routing control method using a deep Q-network to control the driving direction at intersections in a mixed traffic environment. The objective is to distribute the traffic flow and control the routes safely and efficiently to their destination. Simulation results showed that the proposed method outperformed existing methods in terms of the driving distance, time, and waiting time of AVs, particularly in more dynamic traffic environments. Consequently, the traffic became smooth as it moved along optimal routes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic light optimization is known to be a cost-effective method for reducing congestion and energy consumption in urban areas without changing physical road infrastructure. However, due to the high installation and maintenance costs of vehicle detectors, most intersections are controlled by fixed-time traffic signals that are not regularly optimized. To alleviate traffic congestion at intersections, we present a large-scale traffic signal re-timing system that uses a small percentage of vehicle trajectories as the only input without reliance on any detectors. We develop the probabilistic time-space diagram, which establishes the connection between a stochastic point-queue model and vehicle trajectories under the proposed Newellian coordinates. This model enables us to reconstruct the recurrent spatial-temporal traffic state by aggregating sufficient historical data. Optimization algorithms are then developed to update traffic signal parameters for intersections with optimality gaps. A real-world citywide test of the system was conducted in Birmingham, Michigan, and demonstrated that it decreased the delay and number of stops at signalized intersections by up to 20% and 30%, respectively. This system provides a scalable, sustainable, and efficient solution to traffic light optimization and can potentially be applied to every fixed-time signalized intersection in the world. Without relying on any infrastructure-based vehicle detectors, the authors present a scalable traffic signal re-timing system that uses a small percentage of connected vehicle trajectories as the only input. Real-world tests demonstrate that the system decreases both delays and number of stops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing number of urban vehicles, as well as the current situation of non-intelligent traffic control systems, spatiotemporal non-uniform traffic resource occupation, and limited traffic planning and design, existing urban traffic planning methods cannot effectively solve problems such as frequent traffic congestion and uncontrollable commuting time for residents. In order to solve the above problems, this paper first constructs a multi-queue, multi-server queuing model based on the server vacation and a multi-hop cascaded queuing model from the perspective of local intersections and global commuting paths. We analyze the theoretical changes in passage delay costs at local intersections and on global commuting paths as a function of traffic flow and the random duration of traffic signals. On this basis, this article proposes a collaborative intelligent traffic planning algorithm based on artificial intelligence, which utilizes traffic sensors to dynamically perceive traffic congestion status and collaboratively plans the optimal duration of traffic signals and the optimal driving path of vehicles from both local and global perspectives, thereby maximizing the on-time arrival ratio of vehicles while ensuring the required commuting delay. The simulation results show that the proposed method can increase the on-time arrival ratio of vehicles by at least 20% compared to contrast methods while meeting the requirements relating to commuting delays. This verifies that our method can provide support for the improvement in efficiency in future Internet of vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenomenon of traffic congestion started in the second half of the twentieth century. This arose because of our society's constant increase in demand for mobility. The excessive traffic of vehicles attempting to use the same infrastructure at the same time is what causes congestion. The consequences are well-known: delays, air pollution, reduced speed, and dissatisfaction (which may lead to risky maneuvers, reducing pedestrian and other driver safety). Our objective is to simulate the change in traffic patterns brought about by app users in residential areas (using navigational tools like Google Maps and Apple Maps), where the majority of navigational tools provide shortcuts that go through residential areas. In addition to discouraging navigation apps from directing drivers through residential areas during peak hours to mitigate pollution levels, by developing an algorithm based on the technology of Green Light Optimized Speed Advisory (GLOSA) and implementing it in a simulated environment (VISSIM), we can see the effect of changing the duration of red lights while keeping green lights constant. Overall, this solution can be implemented to change the times of traffic lights without the need for supplies, additional equipment, or warning signs because most cities' traffic lights are already remotely controlled. In addition, this procedure is temporary to provide some freedom and does not adhere to the speed specified for drivers who wish to pass through residential areas outside of rush hour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses colored Petri nets (PN) to develop a model of vehicle movement in a city. The modeler defines the number and location of crossroads, the connections between them, and how many vehicles are at the given points of the network. The vehicles are recognized by their license plate numbers, and it is possible to determine where they start their journey and where they are going. The algorithm proposed in this paper suggests the shortest vehicle route based on Dijkstra's algorithm. This study focuses on improving route planning by considering road usage, which is determined by the starting and ending locations of vehicles (as if traffic cameras were identifying license plates). This approach will lead to optimal control of traffic lights (or vehicle navigation) to minimize traffic jams and make good use of all roads. Additionally, this paper shares the results of preliminary simulations using both colored and uncolored Petri nets in the GPenSIM environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The alleviation of traffic congestion relies on efficient traffic control and traffic guidance, which are based on real-time short-term traffic flow prediction. In this paper, the stacked autoencoder (SAE) deep learning model with powerful feature learning capability is selected to predict the traffic flow on road sections. The process of training SAE includes the pre-training phase and the fine-tuning phase, which mainly apply the BP algorithm. However, the process of training SAE is time-consuming and cannot meet the real-time performance of modern application systems. This paper proposes a parallel training strategy for the SAE prediction model based on data parallel mode. The gradient solution process in our algorithm satisfies the conditions of parallel computing, so the training process can be designed in a parallel manner. The original dataset is distributed to some computing nodes, which are work nodes. The work node is responsible for gradient calculation using the local data. The task of the sole master node is to synthesize the gradient calculation results and then broadcast the updated gradient to each work node. The simulation results show that the SAE-based prediction model achieves better results than the traditional model, and the parallel algorithm reduces the running time of training processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In metropolitan areas, traffic jams on city streets are a major source of annoyance and financial losses. Recent advancements in data processing algorithms and the widespread availability of traffic detectors have made it possible to implement data-driven strategies for reducing traffic congestion. In order to benefit from intersection cooperation in this setting, this paper presents a distributed control strategy based on RL. In this scenario, traffic prediction software's embedding that takes into account the state of nearby junctions is used to synthesize an RL controller that controls the traffic lights. Loop detector characteristics are insufficient for precise data imputed in sophisticated traffic control systems. Most current imputation methods only use these extracted characteristics, which leads to the creation of data replicas that lack the necessary precision. The clean data are first given a statistical multi-class label, with classes ranging from C1 to Cn. Then, using a deep recurrent neural network (RNN) model, the best data model is created from the labelled spotless data and applied to the class of models in the missed-volume data. Results from simulations using TRANSYT demonstrate that the suggested strategy outperforms conventional methods in terms of waiting times and other important presentation indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the problem of excessive traffic concentration at signalized pedestrian crossings. The main drawback of such crossings is the inappropriate duration of green signals for vehicles. Too long green times for vehicular traffic significantly increase time lost by pedestrians, while too short ones cause short-term congestion, resulting in long queues of vehicles and a deteriorated level of service. The negative effects of both of these situations also include dangerous behavior of road users, such as red light running or crossing. Recent (June 2021) changes in the road traffic law in Poland have privileged unprotected road users at pedestrian crossings. New models and technical and design standards proposed in this country (March 2021) recommend the installation of pedestrian priority crossings at particularly dangerous spots and in urban areas with a high proportion of pedestrian traffic. All this is done mainly for traffic-calming purposes. However, previously these measures were not a common practice in Poland. Therefore, the objective of this article was to develop a simple method of green signal timing, ensuring, firstly, priority to pedestrian traffic at such places, and, secondly, sustained capacity of vehicular traffic lanes. The developed models are practical, universal and easy to adapt in other countries. They ensure a very good or good quality of vehicle traffic service, with average lost time not exceeding 25 s in a vast majority of analyzed traffic level cases. The article also describes a traffic control algorithm dependent on traffic detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congestion in large and growing cities is a significant issue that harms the economy, travelers, and the ecosystem. Forecasting the degree of congestion on a road network in advance can help to avoid it and boost the network's capacity and performance. Despite its importance, however, traffic congestion prediction is not a popular topic among researchers and traffic engineers. It's because there aren't enough effective computational traffic forecast techniques or high-quality citywide traffic data. In the existing works, there are several Artificial Intelligence (AI) models are developed for the prediction of traffic congestion in the transport networks. Yet, it facing the problems and challenges relevant to the following parameters: ineffective data handling, prediction error, high time for training and testing operations. Therefore, the proposed work aims to implement a novel AI model for accurately forecasting the traffic congestion in the transportation networks. Here, the Cascaded Transition Recurrent Feature Network (CTRFN) technique is used to extract the best and useful features related to congestion from the traffic dataset. After that, the Paramount Transfer Learning Network (PTLN) model is deployed to predict the traffic congestion based on the extracted features. During this process, the Coherent Lizard Search Optimization (CLSO) algorithm is used to compute the weight factor for constructing the covariance matrix, which supports to obtain the reduced prediction error outputs. Moreover, the congestion prediction performance of the proposed model is validated and compared by using different measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart cities have been widely investigated, and several algorithms, techniques, and protocols have recently been developed to serve smart city environments. Intelligent traffic management is one of the main research fields in this area. It aims to control and monitor the traffic over downtown and highway scenarios. The real-time traffic characteristics on road networks highly affect safety conditions and driving behaviors. Detecting hazardous traffic conditions and congested areas early helps drivers make the best decision to avoid dangerous situations. After extensive training, machine learning algorithms are mainly used for prediction in this field. In the intelligent traffic control target, trained machines are beneficial in obtaining instant and accurate predictions regarding traffic congestion levels and their distributions. Several parameters control the efficiency of the selected machines. This includes the dataset quality, the regression algorithm's parameters, and how they have been tuned. In this work, we first create high-quality datasets representing the moving vehicles for different main roads in various countries, including Bank St in Canada, North Rodeo Drive (NRD) in Los Angeles, USA, Queen Rania Al Abdullah (QRA) road in Jordan, and Sheikh Zayed Road (SZR) in Saudi Arabia. Then, we test the most popular regression algorithms and evaluate their performance in terms of temporal prediction of traffic characteristics and traffic congestion in different geographical road scenarios. We optimized these regression algorithms and tuned the used parameters using the grid search approach. After that, more advanced metaheuristic optimization algorithms were used to improve the prediction accuracy of the selected machine. Experimentally, we have proved the enhancements in predicting traffic characteristics for the tested road scenarios. Both approaches show enhanced results compared to using the regression algorithm without tuning the parameters. It shows advanced results for both approaches for the coefficient of determination measure, named R squared (R 2), with approximately 0.07, 0.04, and 0.08 enhanced values for Bank St., NRD, and SZR roads, respectively. In contrast, it shows approximately 0.95, 0.49, and 3.62 enhanced values for Bank St., NRD, and SZR roads, respectively, for the Root Mean Squared Error (R M S E) measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Develop a novel two-layer coordinated multi-agent reinforcement learning algorithm. • Synergize traffic signals through local cooperation and global coordination. • Optimization of vehicle emissions and traffic congestion as simultaneous goals. • Proposed method is performed in synthetic network and Cologne urban network on SUMO. Intersection traffic signal control considering vehicle emissions has become an important topic, however, the decision complexity of traffic signal control increases dramatically in a dynamic traffic environment with multi-intersections. It is a severe challenge to coordinate traffic signals at multi-intersections based on Internet of Things information to improve the traffic condition of the road network. This paper proposes a two-layer coordination algorithm based on multi-agent reinforcement learning—Multi-agent Coordinated Policy Optimization (MACoPO), for solving traffic signal control at multi-intersections. MACoPO consists of local cooperation, which adjusts the weights of individual rewards and neighborhood agents' rewards by using local cooperation factors (LCF), and global coordination, which updates the LCF to maximize global rewards. The state and reward functions are designed in terms of the current state of the signal, waiting queue length, vehicle density and emission concentration in the lane, vehicle delay, and vehicle emissions, thus making full use of the intersection state information. The proposed method is extensively assessed through simulation experiments using artificial and real road networks and the numerical results confirm its effectiveness in complex and dynamic real-time traffic environments with multi-intersections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]