Connected and Automated Vehicles on a freeway scenario. Effect on traffic congestion and network capacity

Abstract

In the next decades, road transport will undergo a deep transformation with the advent of Connected and<br> Automated Vehicles (CAVs), which are about to drastically change the way we commute. CAVs promise to<br> increase productivity and comfort and to facilitate a greater inclusion in mobility of specific user groups, which<br> may eventually lead to increased travel demand. Together, CAVs will enable the full potential of self-driving<br> technology and they will completely merge over time. The complexity of transportation systems is high and<br> therefore, efficient tools for the assessment of this disruptive change are important.<br> The objective of this paper is to evaluate the behavior of automation and/or connectivity in vehicles under realistic<br> traffic conditions and provide preliminary indicative results aiming to assess the efficiency of the corresponding<br> technologies in terms of traffic congestions and network capacity. In the present work, the case-study of the ring<br> road of Antwerp was used along with traffic demand generated based on real traffic counts.<br> Preliminary results show that, ceteris paribus, automation alone is less probable to have positive impacts on traffic<br> conditions. The safety constraints that AVs will be designed to fulfill are in fact likely to generate vehicle which<br> are as cautious (if not more cautious), than human drivers. In this picture, the significant step ahead can be brought<br> by connectivity. Vehicles able to communicate in a seamless and secure way can theoretically see an effective<br> reduction in time headways and reaction time with a consequent positive effect on network capacity and thus road<br> congestion until the traffic demand stays constant. This effect is made more evident as their penetration rate over<br> the entire network increases.<br> Preliminary results presented in this paper seem to confirm the effectiveness of the strategy put forward by the<br> European Commission to consider connectivity, cooperation and automation as deeply intertwined aspects of the<br> future transformation in the transportation sector.