As more vehicles equipped with autonomous and connected technologies (CAVs) enter the road network, they are expected to improve road capacity. But what happens when CAVs share the road network with human-driven vehicles (HVs)? In mixed traffic, the movements of human-driven vehicles are uncertain and unmanageable, which will severely hinder the communication between CAVs. In STRIDE Project O2 - Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram Approach to Traffic Flow with Autonomous /Connected Vehicles , Dr. Robert Whalin and Dr. Guojing Hu of Jackson State University, worked on how to best modify the existing road network to improve travel flow/throughput under a mixed CAV/HV environment. This project generated an algorithm to control CAVs in a mixed traffic environment. It also created two methodologies that 1) determine the reaction time and penetration rates of autonomous vehicles and 2) provides guidance on where to place new roads to ease traffic congestion. State DOTs, city planners, and vehicle industries interested in connected and autonomous vehicles will greatly benefit from the results of this research.
