Connected Variable Speed Limits Control and Vehicle Acceleration Control to Resolve Moving Jams

Wang, Daamen, Hoogendoorn, and van Arem 2 The vision of intelligent vehicles traveling in road networks has prompted numerous concepts to control future traffic flow, one of which is the in-vehicle actuation of traffic control signals. The key of this concept is using intelligent vehicles as actuators for traffic control systems, replacing the traditional road-side systems. Under this concept, we design and test a control system that connects5 a traffic controller with in-vehicle controllers with Vehicle-to-Infrastructure communications. The link-level traffic controller regulates traffic speeds through variable speed limits (VSL) gantries to resolve stop-and-go waves, while intelligent vehicles control accelerations through vehicle propul-sion and brake systems to optimize their local situations. It is assumed that each intelligent vehicle receives VSL commands from the traffic controller and uses them as variable parameters for the10 local vehicle controller. Feasibility and effectiveness of the connected control paradigm are tested in simulation on a two-lane freeway stretch with intelligent vehicles randomly distributed among human-driven vehicles. Simulation shows that the connected VSL and vehicle control system im-proves traffic efficiency and sustainability, i.e. total time spent in the network and average fue