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Traffic Flow Theory

  • 2nd Edition - January 29, 2026
  • Latest edition
  • Author: Daiheng Ni
  • Language: English

Creating traffic models is a complex task due to the intricacies of road networks, space–time dependencies, heterogeneous traffic patterns, and numerous interacting componen… Read more

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Description

Creating traffic models is a complex task due to the intricacies of road networks, space–time dependencies, heterogeneous traffic patterns, and numerous interacting components. The second edition of Traffic Flow Theory builds on foundational knowledge to express these elements in mathematical form and offers updated coverage of the latest field developments.

Authored by a leading academic, the volume dissects everyday traffic phenomena, detailing their characteristics, mechanisms, and dynamics through multi-level modeling approaches (macroscopic, microscopic, mesoscopic, and picoscopic) to explain why these phenomena occur and how they can be effectively simulated. The book then explores the practical applications of these simulations and contributes new, research-informed evidence showing that integrating the various analytical frameworks leads to a unified perspective—with significant benefits for optimizing safety and efficiency in transportation systems.

With its comprehensive, coherent, and self-contained treatment, Traffic Flow Theory 2E is set to become a staple reference for a broad transportation engineering audience and a valuable resource for readers in interconnected disciplines.

Key features

  • Takes an easy-to-follow, progressive learning approach
  • Reflects the state of the art through updates and newly added materials
  • Draws from many real-world examples to solidly root a reader’s understanding of key concepts
  • Includes a whole new section, expanding on field theory aspects to bridge gaps between modeling frameworks and to ultimately systematize a unified perspective of analysis

Readership

Postgraduate students, researchers, and academics in transportation engineering; traffic engineering; highway engineering; civil and infrastructure engineering; applied mathematics; automotive engineering and technology. R&D and engineering professionals engaged in transportation and operations innovations (including feasibility studies), fueling advancements in vehicle-specific solutions as well as efficiencies for services and infrastructure systems

Table of contents

PART I: Traffic flow characteristics

1. Traffic sensing technologies

2. Traffic flow characteristics: simple definition

3. Traffic flow characteristics: generalized definition

4. Fundamental diagram

PART II: Macroscopic modeling

5. Macroscopic modeling

6. Waves

7. Shock wave and rarefaction wave

8. Lighthill–Whitham–Richards (LWR) model

9. Numerical solutions

10. Simplified theory of kinematic waves

11. Higher-order models

PART III: Microscopic modeling

12. Microscopic modeling

13. Pipes and Forbes models

14. General Motors (GM) models

15. Gipps model

16. More single-regime models

17. More intelligent models

PART IV: Picoscopic modeling

18. Picoscopic modeling

19. The Field Theory

20. Longitudinal control model

PART V: The unified perspective

21. The unifying diagram

22. Multiscale traffic flow modeling

23. Limitations of existing models

24. Look-ahead in traffic flow modeling

Part VI: Fundamental diagram

25. Human factors in traffic flow

26. Stochastic modeling of the fundamental diagram

27. Microscopic fundamental diagram

28. Phase diagram of traffic flow

Product details

  • Edition: 2
  • Latest edition
  • Published: February 16, 2026
  • Language: English

About the author

DN

Daiheng Ni

Dr. Ni has been a Professor at UMass Amherst since 2006. At the Georgia Institute of Technology, he earned his PhD in Transportation and Operations Research in 2004, his MSc in Industrial Engineering in 2003, his MSc in Transportation in 2001, and his MSc in Mechanical Engineering at the Beijing Agricultural Engineering University in 1994. His research interests focus on traffic flow modeling and simulation, intelligent transportation systems, traffic sensing and information technology, connected and automated vehicles. He is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems (Taylor & Francis) and a ‘friend’ member of the TRB Committee on Traffic Flow Theory and Characteristics (ACP50).
Affiliations and expertise
Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA

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