Dynamic models and optimal control methods for route guidance in urban traffic networks

A decentralized pure reactive scheme for dynamic route guidance of vehicles in an urban road network is proposed. The overall scheme is implemented through a set of decisional agents, one for each node at which different routing choices are possible. For each of such nodes an optimization problem is stated and solved, at the beginning of each interval time, whose objective is to determine the optimal splitting rates or vehicles incoming that node, for each possible final destination. The main objective of such a problem is to minimize the total travel time spent by each of the incoming vehicles. The overall control scheme is based on the solution of a single node optimal control problem. The coordination among the single node controllers is ensured by a procedure for information exchange.