Organized Traffic Interweaving: Cooperative Trajectory Control of Vehicles Merging from Exit Ramps onto Surface Streets

Abstract

Vehicle weaving conflicts at the connecting areas between exit ramps and adjacent intersections pose a significant traffic challenge. These conflicts, precipitated by the influence of lane layout, result in unavoidable lane changing and weaving behavior, escalating the safety risk and decreasing overall driving efficiency. This study introduces a collaborative vehicle trajectory control method based on the rolling horizon control theory. A targeted optimization model is constructed to eliminate dangerous weaving conflicts, thereby enhancing overall driving efficiency. After mathematical linearization, the model is transformed into a mixed-integer linear programming model for the solution. The plausibility of the proposed model is validated using the VISSIM simulation package for fair comparison. Sensitivity analyses are conducted to analyze the model’s applicability, quantify its optimization effects, and discern performance variations under different influencing factors. The results indicate that the proposed model can reduce weaving conflicts and offer general improvements in driving efficiency compared with the self-organization interweaving without the proposed control by 15% on average. The control effect of the model is more significant under more traffic lanes, shorter weaving distances, and higher volume conditions. This study contributes a novel perspective on vehicle weaving coordination in expressway exit ramp connecting areas, offering the potential to enhance traffic safety and efficiency in practical engineering applications.