Two-lane traffic rules for cellular automata: A systematic approach

The authors conclude that the logical structure of the lane changing rules, as proposed here, is at least as important as the microscopic details of the rules for producing realistic results.

Abstract

Microscopic modeling of multi-lane traffic is usually done by applying\nheuristic lane changing rules, and often with unsatisfying results. Recently, a\ncellular automaton model for two-lane traffic was able to overcome some of\nthese problems and to produce a correct density inversion at densities somewhat\nbelow the maximum flow density. In this paper, we summarize different\napproaches to lane changing and their results, and propose a general scheme,\naccording to which realistic lane changing rules can be developed. We test this\nscheme by applying it to several different lane changing rules, which, in spite\nof their differences, generate similar and realistic results. We thus conclude\nthat, for producing realistic results, the logical structure of the lane\nchanging rules, as proposed here, is at least as important as the microscopic\ndetails of the rules.\n