Hierarchical optimal control of urban traffic networks

Abstract

This paper deals with the problem of optimally controlling traffic flows in urban traffic networks. For this, a nonlinear discrete-time model of an urban traffic network is first suggested in order to handle the phenomenon of traffic flows such as oversaturatedneas and undersaturatedness. Then an optimal control problem is formulated and a hierarchical optimization technique is applied, which is based on a prediction-type two-level method of Hirvonen and Hakkala.