Effects of Connected and Automated Vehicles in a Cooperative Environment

Abstract

Cooperative and automated vehicles (CAVs) are often considered a mean to improve quality of life in cities, the traffic flow parameters in particular. This paper provides some evidence based on microscopic traffic simulation on how the effects can really be. Important is that the particular use cases are not built in vehicles only. We focus on so called cooperative environment and advanced traffic control measures.
This paper describes the impact of CAVs on a cooperative urban environment, resulting from a European research project - MAVEN. We clearly demonstrate that a proper integration of CAVs into city traffic management can, for example, help with respect to the environmental goals and reduce CO2 emissions by up to 12 % (a combination of GLOSA and signal optimization). On corridors with a green wave, a capacity increase of up to 34% was achieved. Already for lower penetra- tion rates (20% penetration of CAVs), there are significant improvements in traffic performance. For example, platooning leads to a decrease of CO2 emissions of 2,6 % or an impact indicator by 17,7%.