A new lattice model of two-lane traffic flow with the consideration of optimal current difference

In this paper, a new lattice model of traffic flow is proposed with the consideration of the optimal current difference for two-lane system. The linear stability condition is derived through linear stability analysis, which shows that the optimal current difference term can improve the stability of traffic flow. The mKdV equation is obtained through nonlinear analysis. Thus the space of traffic flow is divided into three regions: the stable region, the metastable region and the unstable region respectively. Moreover, numerical simulation confirms that the traffic jam can be suppressed efficiently by considering the optimal current difference effect in extended lattice model of two-lane traffic flow. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.