Artificial intelligence-based traffic flow prediction: a comprehensive review

Abstract The expansion of the Internet of Things has resulted in new creative solutions, such as smart cities, that have made our lives more productive, convenient, and intelligent. The core of smart cities is the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) which has been integrated into several smart city applications that improve transportation and mobility. ITS aims to resolve many traffic issues, such as traffic congestion issues. Recently, new traffic flow prediction models and frameworks have been rapidly developed in tandem with the introduction of artificial intelligence approaches to improve the accuracy of traffic flow prediction. Traffic forecasting is a crucial duty in the transportation industry. It can significantly affect the design of road constructions and projects in addition to its importance for route planning and traffic rules. Furthermore, traffic congestion is a critical issue in urban areas and overcrowded cities. Therefore, it must be accurately evaluated and forecasted. Hence, a reliable and efficient method for predicting traffic is essential. The main objectives of this study are: First, present a comprehensive review of the most popular machine learning and deep learning techniques applied in traffic prediction. Second, identifying inherent obstacles to applying machine learning and deep learning in the domain of traffic prediction.