A Cell Transmission Model and Its Application in Optimizing the Location of Variable Message Signs

The variable message signs (VMS) have been widely used in guiding and managing the dynamic traffic with development of intelligent transportation technologies. This paper employs a cell transmission model to study the location problem of VMS information board. Simulation results show that an optimal VMS location exists in deed for minimizing the total travel time of the traffic system. Route choice probabilities adopted before and after a traffic incident significantly affect the optimal VMS location. It is found that the VMS should be placed far from the incident site if the incident makes traffic be held up for long time.