Modeling Disordered Traffic Flow: A Shift from One-Dimensional to Two-Dimensional Approaches

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mehdi Rafati Fard 1
Afshin Shariat Mohaymany 2
1 Assistant Professor, Faculty of Technical and Engineering, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran.
2 Professor, School of Civil Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/road.2025.487090.2378
Abstract
Disordered traffic systems refer to those where traffic lanes are either undefined or lack observable lane discipline. In disordered traffic flow, vehicles are randomly distributed across the roadway rather than moving in parallel lanes. These vehicles, while traveling longitudinally, frequently change their lateral positions. Under such conditions, vehicle trajectories across the width of the road are more unstable and unpredictable compared to ordered traffic flows, where cars generally stay within designated lanes. This characteristic of disordered flows necessitates that mathematical models used for their analysis account for both longitudinal and lateral dimensions. Observations indicate that geometric features of roadways, such as road width and horizontal curves, significantly influence traffic flow behavior, regardless of whether the flow is ordered or disordered. These findings clearly underscore the necessity of employing two-dimensional models to describe traffic flow comprehensively. However, many existing traffic flow theories have been developed as one-dimensional models focusing primarily on the longitudinal movment aspects. Given the critical nature of this issue, particularly in Iran, where disordered traffic flow is prevalent due to the lack of lane discipline among drivers and the heterogeneity of vehicles, this research emphasizes the need to advance two-dimensional modeling approaches, which are still in their early stages of research and development. Considering recent advancements in computational power, data management capabilities, modeling techniques, and technological tools for high-resolution traffic flow observation, it is time to develop, calibrate, and validate robust and practical two-dimensional models for more accurate traffic flow analysis.
Keywords
Disordered Traffic Flow
Weak Lane Discipline
Microscopic
Macroscopic
Two-Dimensional Model
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