Average time gaps in congested freeway flow

Characteristics of time gaps (that is, the time separation between the rear of the lead vehicle and the front of the following vehicle) in congested freeway flow provide an important link between microscopic and macroscopic traffic flow. Although individual time gaps are a microscopic phenomenon, average time gaps can easily be determined from commonly collected macroscopic traffic flow data. Data from San Diego freeways and the Queen Elizabeth Way in Ontario, Canada are analyzed to show that average time gaps in congested flow are essentially constant with respect to speed; that they vary considerably between lanes at a single location and, for the same lane, from site to site; that they display considerable scatter; and that at some sites there is a distinct increase in average time gaps in the median lane in the transition to congested flow but at others there is no change or a slight reduction. The variability of average time gaps is not easily explained, although differences in driver populations may partly explain differences among different sites. Hysteresis due to acceleration and deceleration does not appear to be an explanation for the high degree of scatter in average time gaps, since no positive correlation was found between speed changes and average time gaps. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.