This project examines intelligent traffic control strategies, which will have positive impact on the environment by reducing fuel consumption and pollution levels in areas where the truck volume is relatively high. The work is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on the development of a microscopic traffic simulation network in a selected area around the Ports of Long Beach/Los Angeles to be used for simulation studies of different Intelligent Transportation Technologies for traffic flow control. The second part evaluates the impact of combined variable speed limit (VSL) and lane change control on the environment during highway incidents where the volume of trucks is relatively high. The simulation model developed in the first part is used to carry out microscopic Monte-Carlo traffic flow simulations of traffic in order to evaluate the benefits of combined VSL and lane change control during incidents on I-710 that involve closure of lanes and capacity drops. This project demonstrates that this combined control strategy is able to generate consistent improvements with respect to travel time, safety, and environmental impact under different traffic conditions and incident scenarios.
