Usefulness of Traffic Management by Traffic Flow Simulation for the Purpose of Improving the Atmospheric Environment along the Road in the Southern Part of Kawasaki City

Abstract

In this study, we propose a traffic flow simulation model using the cellular automaton method for the purpose of reducing the environmental load along roads in the southern part of Kawasaki City. Specifically, in the case that multiple travel routes are available from a given departure point to a destination, the route is chosen such that the load on the atmospheric environment is small. Additionally, if a route can be found that is economically advantageous, such as one that reduces the required travel time, ensuring that businesses are aware of these routes could encourage changes in the travel routes of large vehicles that have a significant impact on the atmospheric environment, which would in turn improve the roadside environment by controlling the traffic volume and concentration of vehicles in the area. In the proposed model, we reproduce the behaviors of large and medium-sized vehicles using different sets of rules. Numerical experiments are conducted using the attribute data of actual routes as parameters, focusing on a one-hour period with the most traffic. Then, we examined and considered how the change in the number of large vehicles that use the route affects NO_x and CO₂ emissions, travel time, and fuel efficiency.