Traffic Flow Optimization on Roundabouts

The aim of this paper is to optimize the traffic flow on roundabouts using a macroscopic approach. The roundabout is modeled as a sequence of 2x2 junctions: with one mainline and secondary incoming and outgoing roads. We consider two cost functionals: the total travel time and the total waiting time, which give an estimate of the time spent by drivers on the network section. These cost functionals are minimized analytically for each junction with respect to the right of way parameter of the incoming road. Then, through numerical simulations, the traffic behavior is studied for the whole roundabout. The numerical approximations compare the traffic behavior for an optimized right of way parameter and for a fixed constant parameter.