Shock Wave in Traffic Flow

Yohahn Jo
Systems Engineering
Class of 2011
Background
 Traffic waves work very similar to shock
waves
 In a traffic jam, traffic wave moves
backward

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Suugn-p5C1M
 How Do We Determine Shock
Wave Speeds?

 Usw = speed of shock wave (km/h or mph)

 qi = density (vehicles per hour)
 ki = flow (vehicles per kilometer(or miles))
 Positive usw = shock wave moving in the same
direction as flow
 Negative usw = shock wave moving opposite
Example
 traffic instantaneously changes from state B
to state A where state B is up stream and
has a volume of 1200 vph and 40 mph and
state A is 2000 vph at 20 mph. The resulting
shock wave (the difference between the
speed of the forward moving traffic and the
backward moving platoon of traffic is defined
by the equation
 Apply the equation:
◦ Qa = 2000 vph, ka = 2000 vph/20 mph = 100 vph
◦ Qb = 1200 vph, kb = 1200 vph/40 mph = 30 vph
◦ Usw = (2000 – 1200)/(100 - 30) = 11.4 mph
Greenshield’s Model
 Bruce D. Greenshields (1935)
 Linear relationship between speed and
density

u = velocity
uf = velocity of free flow
kj = jam density
k = density
Example
 a traffic stream on the approach to a
signal has an approach speed of 40 mph
and density of 45 vpm and a jam density
of 130 vpm. Find a speed of the shock
wave.
 k = 45 vpm
 kj = 130 vpm
 u = 40 mph
 40 = uf(1 – 45/130)
 uf = 61.2 mph
 u = q/ k
 q = 45 * 40 = 1800 vph
 usw = (0 – 1800)/(130 – 45) = -21.2 mph
Problems with Greenshield’s Model
 Does not consider human factors or look
at individual cars
 Based on single lane roads
Questions
Sources
 www.cee.mtu.edu/~balkire/ce3401tc/ce3401Lec39.doc
 http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13402
 http://www.webs1.uidaho.edu/niatt_labmanual/Chapters/traffi
cflowtheory/theoryandconcepts/ShockWaves.htm
 http://mikeywally.wordpress.com/category/traffic-flow/
 http://nptel.iitm.ac.in/courses/Webcourse-contents/IIT-
KANPUR/transport_e/TransportationII/lecture8/text/4slide.h
tm
 http://books.google.com/books?id=Zut3O7jVIiUC&pg=PA11
&lpg=PA11&dq=greenshield%27s+model+traffic&source=bl&
ots=fbwtDUcxVt&sig=Ar8M0sTSQIhZ_VvredrXa2nlqMs&hl
=en&ei=6pD5SsKsJY7CNt656M0K&sa=X&oi=book_result&
ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CBAQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=
&f=false