LSU Civil Engineering Researchers Publish Paper on CAV Impact on Road Networks
August 7, 2024
BATON ROUGE, LA – LSU Civil Engineering researchers have examined the effects of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) on traffic operation and safety at full-cloverleaf interchanges. What they’ve found is that the more CAVs present on this type of interchange, the greater the reduction in travel time, improved traffic flow, and enhanced safety.
The study, conducted by LSU Civil Engineering Assistant Professor Hany Hassan and his graduate student, Nischal Khadka, was recently published in a paper titled, “Exploring the Effects of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles on Traffic Safety and Operation at Full-Cloverleaf Interchanges,” in the Journal of Transportation Safety & Security.
“The study found that higher [presence] of CAVs led to significant reductions in travel time across on-ramps, off-ramps, and weaving segments,” said Hassan, who is lead author on the paper. “For instance, travel times decreased by 46%, 41%, and 32% at the three interchanges under investigation when moving from the base scenario (no CAVs) to 100% CAVs. This means that commuters and travelers could experience shorter and more predictable travel times, leading to less time spent in traffic.
“Safety evaluations…demonstrated considerable declines in the number of vehicle conflicts with increases [in CAV usage], averaging reductions of 32%, 26%, and 20% at the three interchanges from the base scenario to [100% CAV presence], respectively. This suggests that CAVs can significantly reduce the likelihood of traffic collisions, making roads safer for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians.”
Similar trends applied to improved traffic flow, Hassan added, as CAV presence increased.
In the paper, Hassan and Khadka assess the influence of various Market Penetration Rates (MPRs)—the percentage of CAVs present on roadways—on travel time, queue length, and conflict points considering various weaving lengths—the segment of roadway where vehicles merge onto the highway from a loop ramp immediately before other vehicles exit the highway to navigate another loop ramp—using VISSIM.
VISSIM is a microsimulation traffic tool that is used to simulate road networks and the vehicle behavior and interactions on them, thereby capturing the dynamics of various transport modes and pedestrian movements.
Like us on Facebook (@lsuengineering) or follow us on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram (@lsuengineering).
###
Contact: Joshua Duplechain
Director of Communications
225-578-5706
josh@lsu.edu
Latest College of Engineering News
- LSU Researchers Awarded $1.5 Million to Advance Worldwide Access to High-Performance ComputingSeptember 13, 2024data center The LSU researchers’ goal is to make high-performance computing more accessible across all computational platforms to a broader range of researchers and organizations—all to accelerate scientific research to solve global challenges.LSU researchers have been awarded a $1.5 million Pathways to Enable Open-Source Ecosystems, or POSE, grant from the National Science Foundation to advance the ecosystem surrounding HPX, a software library developed at LSU. Their goal is a fast and energy-efficient solution to increase worldwide access to high-performance computing. Lack of access and performance currently limits the success and usefulness of emerging technologies, such as AI and machine learning, and computational modeling in almost every field.
- LSU Electrical, Computer Engineering Professor Designs Intelligent Drone for Rescue OperationsSeptember 18, 2024BATON ROUGE, LA - The National Fire Protection Association estimates that one home fire-related death occurs in the U.S. every three hours and 14 minutes, and one home fire-related injury occurs every 53 minutes. These are numbers LSU Electrical and Computer Engineering Assistant Professor Xiangyu Meng hopes to change for the better through his design of an intelligent drone that will use thermal technology during rescue operations, particularly for firefighters.
- LSU, Integer Partner to Optimize U.S. Navy, Marine Corps OperationsSeptember 9, 2024BATON ROUGE, LA - A team of LSU researchers has been tasked with helping the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps make the transformation to Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO), which would allow the two military branches to move beyond traditional reliance on a few large vessels and instead emphasize a distributed network of smaller naval platforms that enhance presence and awareness in vital maritime regions.
- LSU Computer Science PhD Student Wins Pair of Best Paper AwardsSeptember 3, 2024BATON ROUGE, LA - Prior to this summer, LSU Computer Science Ph.D. student Taha Gharaibeh had never won a Best Paper award, which is typically given in recognition of the quality and impact of the published work.
- LSU Engineering, LSUHSC School of Dentistry Collaboration Illustrates Benefit to IndustryAugust 30, 2024BATON ROUGE, LA - Each year, 9 million people in the U.S. get braces. Whether it's to fix a bad bite or simply gain a more attractive smile, braces have almost become a rite of passage in Western culture. In an attempt to improve the effectiveness of bonding material used in braces, LSU Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) School of Dentistry-Prosthodontics is collaborating with LSU's College of Engineering on three projects led by LSUHSC Digital Fabrication Center Director and LSU Petroleum Engineering Assistant Professor of Research Charles Taylor.
- LSU-Southern Cyber Project to Protect Nation’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, Build WorkforceAugust 22, 2024A collaborative team at LSU and Southern University has been awarded a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to address critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities in electric vehicle charging stations. Discovered by LSU cybersecurity expert Elias Bou-Harb and his team, these vulnerabilities pose significant risks, including the potential for hackers to access and exploit tens of thousands of EV charging stations connected to the power grid. This project not only aims to secure these systems but also to educate and train a more diverse cybersecurity workforce, leveraging the strengths of both universities.