Incident Duration Modelling and System Optimal Traffic Re-Routing

Traffic incidents are among the most significant contributory factors to congestion, particularly in metropolitan areas. In this dissertation, we have developed state-of-the-art statistical models to provide in-depth insights into how various incident-specific characteristics and the associated temporal and spatial determinants impact freeway incident durations. Next, we have proposed, developed and tested two novel and computationally efficient System Optimal incident traffic re-routing algorithms that provide optimal traffic flow patterns, for minimized total system travel time. Specifically, a single-destination System Optimal Dynamic Traffic Assignment model and a multi-destination System Optimal Quasi-Dynamic Traffic Assignment model are proposed, developed and demonstrated to improve total system travel times, both under incident-free and incident scenarios