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-p5
C1M

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

Greenshields 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 Greenshields

Model
Does

not consider human factors

or look at individual cars
Based on single lane roads

Questions

Sources
www.cee.mtu.edu/~balkire/ce3401tc/ce3401Lec3

9.doc
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13402
http://www.webs1.uidaho.edu/niatt_labmanual/Ch
apters/trafficflowtheory/theoryandconcepts/Sho
ckWaves.htm
http://mikeywally.wordpress.com/category/trafficflow/
http://nptel.iitm.ac.in/courses/Webcourse-content
s/IIT-KANPUR/transport_e/TransportationII/lecture
8/text/4slide.htm
http://books.google.com/books?
id=Zut3O7jVIiUC&pg=PA11&lpg=PA11&dq=gree
nshield
%27s+model+traffic&source=bl&ots=fbwtDUcxV
t&sig=Ar8M0sTSQIhZ_VvredrXa2nlqMs&hl=en&ei