A queueing based traffic flow model

The assessment of uninterrupted traffic flow is traditionally based on empirical methods. We develop some analytic queueing models based on traffic counts and we model the behavior of traffic flows as a function of some of the most relevant determinants. These analytic models allow for parameterized experiments, which pave the way towards our research objectives: assessing what-if scenarios and sensitivity analysis for traffic management, congestion control, traffic design and the environmental impact of road traffic (e.g. emission models). The impact of some crucial modeling parameters is studied in detail and links with the broader research objectives are given. We illustrate our results for a highway, based on counted traffic flows in Flanders.