@article{ref1,
title="A multi-commodity Lighthill-Whitham-Richards model of lane-changing traffic flow",
journal="Transportation research part B: methodological",
year="2013",
author="Jin, Wen-Long",
volume="57",
number="",
pages="361-377",
abstract="Systematic lane changes can seriously deteriorate traffic safety and efficiency inside lane-drop, merge, and other bottleneck areas. In our previous studies (Jin, 2010a,b), a phenomenological model of lane-changing traffic flow was proposed, calibrated, and analyzed based on a new concept of lane-changing intensity. In this study, we further consider weaving and non-weaving vehicles as two commodities and develop a multi-commodity, behavioral Lighthill-Whitham-Richards (LWR) model of lane-changing traffic flow. Based on a macroscopic model of lane-changing behaviors, we derive a fundamental diagram with parameters determined by car-following and lane-changing characteristics as well as road geometry and traffic composition. We further calibrate and validate fundamental diagrams corresponding to a triangular car-following fundamental diagram with NGSIM data. We introduce an entropy condition for the multi-commodity LWR model and solve the Riemann problem inside a homogeneous lane-changing area. From the Riemann solutions, we derive a flux function in terms of traffic demand and supply. Then we apply the model to study lane-changing traffic dynamics inside a lane-drop area and show that the smoothing effect of HOV lanes is consistent with observations in existing studies. The new theory of lane-changing traffic flow can be readily incorporated into Cell Transmission Model, and this study could lead to better strategies for mitigating bottleneck effects of lane-changing traffic flow.<p />",
language="en",
issn="0191-2615",
doi="10.1016/j.trb.2013.06.002",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.trb.2013.06.002"
}