Modeling urban traffic: A cellular automata approach

Abstract

In this article we introduce a new cellular automata approach to construct an urban traffic mobility model. Based on the developed model, characteristics of global traffic patterns in urban areas are studied. Our results show that different control mechanisms used at intersections such as cycle duration, green split, and coordination of traffic lights have a significant effect on intervehicle spacing distribution and traffic dynamics. These findings provide important insights into the network connectivity behavior of urban traffic, which are essential for designing appropriate routing protocols for vehicular ad hoc networks in urban scenarios.