A Simulation Study Found That a Variable Speed Limit System for Connected Vehicles Leveraging Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) Communications Reduced the Average Delay by 14 Percent.
Simulation Study Explored the Mobility Effects of a Rule-Based Variable Speed Limit System.
Naples
Fuzzy-Based Variable Speed Limits System Under Connected Vehicle Environment: A Simulation-Based Case Study in the City of Naples
Summary Information
As cities look for smarter ways to ease congestion and improve road safety, connected vehicle technologies are offering new opportunities to manage traffic more efficiently. This study developed a rule-based variable speed limit (VSL) system to optimize traffic flow with connected vehicles using V2I communications The model was tested in a simulation model in Naples, Italy, focusing on a section of the city’s urban expressway network, which regularly experienced heavy traffic and unstable flow patterns.
METHODOLOGY
The study used a simulation-based approach to test different scenarios of connected vehicle penetration, ranging from 0 to 100 percent deployment, to understand how information sharing among vehicles and infrastructure could improve system performance. Simulations were conducted for varying traffic demand levels, from light to congested conditions, to assess how the fuzzy logic–based system adapted speed limits in real time. The study period reflected short-term operational simulations, representing typical daily traffic cycles within the Naples network. The VSL system was evaluated through key performance indicators such as average speed, average delay, and the average number of stops per vehicle. Input data included traffic volumes, vehicle trajectories, and real-time control parameters (e.g., speed limits and headways), all generated within the simulation model.
FINDINGS
- The average delay decreased by 13.55 percent relative to the base (no-VSL) scenario.
- The average number of stops per vehicle decreased by 15.77 percent compared to the base scenario.
