Multiple jamming transitions in traffic flow

The effect of accelerating stepwise on the jamming transition is investigated in the extended car-following model. The optimal velocity function is modified to take into account accelerating stepwise vehicles. It is shown that the multiple phase transitions occur on varying the car density. The multiple transitions change with the delay time. The flow-density curves and the velocity-headway curves are presented for various delay times. It is also shown that the multiple jamming transition lines are consistent with the neutral stability curves. The jamming transitions are closely related with the turning points of the optimal velocity function. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.