1.

225J (ESD 205) Transportation Flow Systems

Lecture 1
1

Cumulative Plots & Time-Space Diagrams

Diagrams

Prof. Ismail Chabini and Prof. Amedeo Odoni

 Cumulative Plots

‰ Observer: count the total number of vehicles, N(t), that passed in

front of him/her during time interval [0,t].
Link entry Link exit
Lane 1
Lane 2
Observer

N(t) ~
N (t )
5
4 N(t)
3 q(t)
2
1
0 time
t1 t2 t t3 t4 t5
1.225, 10/29/02 Lecture 1, Page 2
 Observations on N(t)

‰ N(t) is a step function. (not smooth)

~ ~
‰ (t ) is a smooth approximation of N(t)
N dN (t )
exists.
dt
~
dN (
t )
‰ q (t ) = : instantaneous flow at time t.
dt
~
N (T ) − N (0) N (T ) − N (0)
‰ Average flow = ≅
T T

1.225, 10/29/02 Lecture 1, Page 3

 Arrival-Departure Cumulative Plots

Single lane
Observer A: A(t) Observer D: D(t)

A(t)
N(t)
D(t)
n1

n
?

0 time
0 t0 A-1(n) t D-1(n) t1
1.225, 10/29/02 Lecture 1, Page 4
 Accumulated Items: Q(t) = A(t) - D(t) ?

‰ Q(t): number of items (cars, planes) accumulated between the two

observers.

‰ Q(t) = Q(0) + [A(t) - A(0)] - [D(t) - D(0)]

= (Q(0) + D(0) - A(0)) + A(t) - D(t)
= A(t) - D(t) ( if Q(0)+D(0)-A(0) = 0 )

1.225, 10/29/02 Lecture 1, Page 5

 Waiting Under FIFO Order

‰ Vehicles depart in the same order as they entered a link (i.e. segment
of road) ≡ (First-In-First-Out) FIFO

‰ Item n is observed at the entrance of a link at time A-1(n).

‰ Item n is observed at the exit of a link at time D-1(n).

‰ Waiting time of the item n: w(n) = D-1(n) - A-1(n)

1.225, 10/29/02 Lecture 1, Page 6

 Q(t), w(n), and Elemental Waiting

N(t)
A(t)
D(t)
n1
Q(t)

n+dn
n w(n)
elemental waitings

time
0 t0 A-1(n) t D-1(n) t1
t+dt
1.225, 10/29/02 Lecture 1, Page 7
 Total Waiting Time

‰ Elemental waiting during [t, t+dt]: Q(t)dt

t t
‰ Total waiting during [t0, t1]: Area = ∫ 1 Q(t )dt = ∫ 1 ( A(t ) − D (t ))dt
t0 t0

‰ Elemental waiting during [n, n+dn]: w(n)dn

n1
‰ Total waiting during [0, n1]: Area = ∫ w(n)dn
0

‰ Average wait suffered by vehicle arriving between t0 and t1

Area Area t1 − t0 1
W = = × =Q×
A(t1 ) − A(t0 ) t1 − t0 A(t1 ) − A(t0 ) λ
Q = λ ×W (Queuing formula)

1.225, 10/29/02 Lecture 1, Page 8

 Time-Space Diagram: Analysis at a Fixed Position

position

h1 h2 h3 h4
x

0 time
t0 T
1.225, 10/29/02 Lecture 1, Page 9
 Flows and Headways

‰ m(x): number of vehicles that passed in front of an observer at

position x during time interval [0,T]. (ex. m(x)=5)

m( x )
‰ Flow rate: q ( x) =
T

‰ Headway hj(x): time separation of consecutive vehicles

m( x)
∑ h j (x)
j =1
‰ Average headway: h (x) =
m(x) − 1

‰ What is the relationship between q(x) and h (x) ?

1.225, 10/29/02 Lecture 1, Page 10

 Flow Rate vs. Average Headway
m( x)
‰ If T is large, T ≈ ∑ h (x)
j =1
j

m( x)

1 T
∑ h (x)

j =1
j

‰ Then, = ≈ = h (x)

q ( x ) m( x ) m(
x)
1

q (x) ≈ This is intuitively correct.

h (x)

‰ q(x) is also called volume in traffic flow systems circles (i.e. 1.225)

‰ q(x) is also called frequency in scheduled systems circles (i.e.

1.224)

1.225, 10/29/02 Lecture 1, Page 11

 Time-Space Diagram: Analysis at Fixed Time

position

s1

s2

0 time
t0 t
1.225, 10/29/02 Lecture 1, Page 12

 Density and Spacing

‰ n(t): number of vehicles in a stretch of length L at time t.

n(t )
‰ Density k (t ) =
L

‰ si(t): spacing between vehicle i and vehicle i+1.

n (t )
‰ L ≈ ∑ s (t)
i=1
i
n (t )

1 L i ∑ s (t)
‰ = ≈ i=1
= s (t )
k ( t ) n(t ) n(t )

‰ k (t ) ≈ (Is this intuitive?)

s (t )

1.225, 10/29/02 Lecture 1, Page 13

 Lecture 1 Summary

‰ Cumulative plots: A(t), D(t), Q(t), w(n) Q = λ ×W

‰ Time-Space Diagram: Analysis at a fixed position

1
q( x) ≈
h (x)

‰ Time-Space Diagram: Analysis at a fixed time

1
k (t ) ≈
s (t )

1.225, 10/29/02 Lecture 1, Page 14