Adapting traffic simulation for traffic management: A neural network approach

Static models and simulations are commonly used in urban traffic management but none feature a dynamic element for near real-time traffic control. This work presents an artificial neural network forecaster methodology applied to traffic flow condition prediction. The spatially distributed architecture uses life-long learning with a novel adaptive Artificial Neural Network based filter to detect and remove outliers from training data. The system has been designed to support traffic engineers in their decision making to react to traffic conditions before they get out of control. We performed experiments using feed-forward backpropagation, cascade-forward back-propagation, radial basis, and generalized regression Artificial Neural Networks for this purpose. Test results on actual data collected from the city of Leicester, UK, confirm our approach to deliver suitable forecasts.