A simulation study on on-ramp control for expressways in Beijing

On-ramp control is one of the most effective measures to relieve traffic congestion on urban freeway. Take Beijing Fuchengmen Bridge Expressway as an example, the geometric layout and traffic characteristics are analyzed, three on-ramp control algorithms, including fixed-time, Alinea and New-Control were separately evaluated via the microscopic transportation simulation software Vissim on Fuchengmen Bridge Expressway at a certain traffic demand level, and the parameters calibrations were also expatiated. Simulation results show that it is necessary to ramp metering control and on-ramp metering can effectively improve mainline traffic at a certain traffic demand level. By and large, both Alinea and New-Control perform better than fixed-time metering.