ABSTRACT
Major changes to a traffic system, such as the introduction of a new traffic generator or the imposition of a new traffic management scheme, may have effects on traffic movement and traffic impacts at locations far away from the sites where the changes are implemented. The optimum passage of vehicles through a network may be sought by coordinating the traffic signal timings at successive intersections so that vehicles released through one intersection will arrive at the downstream intersection just as its signals turn to green. Thus traffic analysts need to consider the area-wide, or network, aspects of traffic flow and travel demand. This chapter introduces some of the theories that may be applied in traffic impact analysis at the network level. Traffic network analysis is important for three main reasons: • the need for network considerations in urban traffic control systems; • the effects of changes in travel demand on network performance, and • the multimodal nature of the transport systems in most cities.
