Predictive feedback routing control strategy for freeway network traffic

Available routing strategies for freeway networks may be classified as feedback and iterative strategies. Feedback strategies base their routing decisions on real-time measurable or estimable information only, via employment of simple regulators, while iterative strategies run a freeway network model repeatedly to achieve exact user equilibrium conditions over a future time horizon. A predictive feedback routing control strategy was developed with the aim of incorporating the advantages of both classes of strategies on the one hand and attenuating their disadvantages on the other hand. The new strategy runs a mathematical model only once at each time step and bases its routing decisions on the predicted instead of the currently prevailing traffic conditions. The investigations indicate that satisfactory routing results are achieved by use of this strategy. The corresponding performance evaluation was conducted in detail by comparison with the feedback and iterative strategies.