SE450: Project Description: Model Overview [2/16]

We are modeling a traffic grid with a variable number of rows and columns. For example, a 2x3 grid would look something like this:

       |     |     |
       |     |     |
  -----#-----#-----#-----
       |     |     |     
       |     |     |
  -----#-----#-----#-----
       |     |     |     
       |     |     |     

The # represent intersections, and the lines represent roads (or road segments).

We will assume that each car goes in a consistent direction (north to south, east to west, etc). Cars do not turn. All roads are one-way and have only a single lane of traffic.

We will consider two kinds of traffic patterns: simple and alternating.

In the simple traffic pattern, all traffic goes in the same direction. In the following picture, + represent a car source and @ represents a car sink. Cars flow from sources to sinks. Here is a 2x4 simple grid:

       +     +     +     +
       |     |     |     |
       |     |     |     |
 +-----#-----#-----#-----#-----@
       |     |     |     |     
       |     |     |     |
 +-----#-----#-----#-----#-----@
       |     |     |     |     
       |     |     |     |     
       @     @     @     @

In the alternating traffic pattern, roads alternate direction. Here is a 3x5 alternating grid:

       +     @     +     @     +
       |     |     |     |     |
       |     |     |     |     |
 +-----#-----#-----#-----#-----#-----@
       |     |     |     |     |     
       |     |     |     |     |      
 @-----#-----#-----#-----#-----#-----+
       |     |     |     |     |     
       |     |     |     |     |     
 +-----#-----#-----#-----#-----#-----@
       |     |     |     |     |      
       |     |     |     |     |      
       @     +     @     +     @

Sources generate cars and place them on a road. Sinks delete cars from the simulation.