This research develops a general framework for modeling macroscopic traffic flow characteristics and aggregate performance when traffic is composed of a mix of standard and Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC) vehicles and it analyzes how CACC vehicles impact aggregate traffic flow at several penetration rates.



Methodology



Modeling behavior of standard and CACC vehicles is done using a Longitudinal Control Model (LCM). Microscopically, LCM is intended to specify the functional form of vehicle acceleration while allowing different safety following rules. Microscopic vehicle behavior is aggregated to the macroscopic level by considering the steady-state average behavior of the vehicles. Probabilities of different behaviors are gauged based on the penetration of CACC-equipped vehicles.