Welcome to Traffic Science

I first became interested in traffic science in 1990 when returning from an experiment in Grenoble.  I experienced the pnenomenon of traffic density waves while traveling along the autoroute at the start of a Paris holiday.   These reminded me of the concept of density waves in spiral galaxies.   The more usual term of traffic engineering has been avoided because the problems dealt with involve scientific understanding and computational physics, whereas the term engineering implies the construction and implementation of specific solutions.

My first foray into traffic science was the development of the VEDENS computer code, a microscopic simulation of traffic flow, with the vehicles considered as particles.   The VEDENS code enabled me to determine the limits of accuracy for calculated live traffic flows at the National Traffic Control Centre (NTCC).   This work led to the development of a Long-term Integration Process (LIP) for identifying errors in the data received from loop-based traffic counting equipment by using sets of self-consistent validation equations.   This was further developed into the CAVEMAN process (Continuous Assessment of Validation Equations Monitoring the (Highways) Agency Network).   CAVEMAN was designed to give a continuous assessment of all equipment thoughout the network and became the standard for assessing the overall accuracy of the monitoring process.

The latest development in my traffic science career has been the creation of EDDEE (Event Detection and Delay Estimation Engine), which uses upstream and downstream traffic count data to detect congestion and predict delays for drivers before they reach the problem.  This is musch preferred to the current method, which depends on automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and only gives information about the experience of drivers who have already passed through the problem area.   Such information is only relevant in steady state situations, such as routine congestion caused by insufficient capacity.  

The traffic science pages are changing.   A selection papers on some of the above traffic science topics published in the literature will shortly available here.