Urban Network Design Quality in the Classical Models of the Traffic Flow Theory

Abstract

This article investigates the application of the classical models of the traffi c fl ow theory to the analysis of the modern transport and urban planning problems in the world. As a typical case study author refers to the “Two-Fluid Model of Urban Traffi c”, proposed by the American physicist Robert Herman and Nobel laureate Ilya Prigogine in the 1970s. The choice of this case was based not only on the model’s “noble scientifi c origin”, but on its modern appeal due to emergence of large arrays of the full- scale data (eg, GPS-tracks), that was unavailable before. “Herman–Prigogine” model allows for HP-indicator (η) calculation, which characterizes the elasticity of speeds to street-road network load factor increase. It is based on a comparison of synchronous time series data of running time and travel time. The indicator determines the quality of planning decisions on street and road design. The article presents the results of the HP-indicator calculations made for a number of cities around the world in 1980–2000,