Building trust for traffic flow forecasting components in intelligent transportation systems via interpretable ensemble learning

Traffic flow forecasting constitutes a crucial component of intelligent transportation systems(ITSs).Numerous studies have been conducted for traffic flow forecasting during the past decades.However,most existing studies have concentrated on developing advanced algorithms or models to attain state-of-the-art forecasting accuracy.For real-world ITS applications,the interpretability of the developed models is extremely important but has largely been ignored.This study presents an interpretable traffic flow forecasting framework based on popular tree-ensemble algorithms.The framework comprises multiple key components integrated into a highly flexible and customizable multi-stage pipeline,enabling the seamless incorporation of various algorithms and tools.To evaluate the effectiveness of the framework,the developed tree-ensemble models and another three typical categories of baseline models,including statistical time series,shallow learning,and deep learning,were compared on three datasets collected from different types of roads(i.e.,arterial,expressway,and freeway).Further,the study delves into an in-depth interpretability analysis of the most competitive tree-ensemble models using six categories of interpretable machine learning methods.Experimental results highlight the potential of the proposed framework.The tree-ensemble models developed within this framework achieve competitive accuracy while maintaining high inference efficiency similar to statistical time series and shallow learning models.Meanwhile,these tree-ensemble models offer interpretability from multiple perspectives via interpretable machine-learning techniques.The proposed framework is anticipated to provide reliable and trustworthy decision support across various ITS applications.

PGSLM:Edge-Enabled Probabilistic Graph Structure Learning Model for Traffic Forecasting in Internet of Vehicles

With the rapid development of the 5G communications,the edge intelligence enables Internet of Vehicles(IoV)to provide traffic forecasting to alleviate traffic congestion and improve quality of experience of users simultaneously.To enhance the forecasting performance,a novel edge-enabled probabilistic graph structure learning model(PGSLM)is proposed,which learns the graph structure and parameters by the edge sensing information and discrete probability distribution on the edges of the traffic road network.To obtain the spatio-temporal dependencies of traffic data,the learned dynamic graphs are combined with a predefined static graph to generate the graph convolution part of the recurrent graph convolution module.During the training process,a new graph training loss is introduced,which is composed of the K nearest neighbor(KNN)graph constructed by the traffic feature tensors and the graph structure.Detailed experimental results show that,compared with existing models,the proposed PGSLM improves the traffic prediction performance in terms of average absolute error and root mean square error in IoV.

Flow Direction Level Traffic Flow Prediction Based on a GCN-LSTM Combined Model

Traffic flow prediction plays an important role in intelligent transportation systems and is of great significance in the applications of traffic control and urban planning.Due to the complexity of road traffic flow data,traffic flow prediction has been one of the challenging tasks to fully exploit the spatiotemporal characteristics of roads to improve prediction accuracy.In this study,a combined flow direction level traffic flow prediction graph convolutional network(GCN)and long short-term memory(LSTM)model based on spatiotemporal characteristics is proposed.First,a GCN model is employed to capture the topological structure of the data graph and extract the spatial features of road networks.Additionally,due to the capability to handle long-term dependencies,the longterm memory is used to predict the time series of traffic flow and extract the time features.The proposed model is evaluated using real-world data,which are obtained from the intersection of Liuquan Road and Zhongrun Avenue in the Zibo High-Tech Zone of China.The results show that the developed combined GCNLSTM flow direction level traffic flow prediction model can perform better than the single models of the LSTM model and GCN model,and the combined ARIMA-LSTM model in traffic flow has a strong spatiotemporal correlation.

Expressway traffic flow prediction using chaos cloud particle swarm algorithm and PPPR model

Aiming at the real-time fluctuation and nonlinear characteristics of the expressway short-term traffic flow forecasting the parameter projection pursuit regression PPPR model is applied to forecast the expressway traffic flow where the orthogonal Hermite polynomial is used to fit the ridge functions and the least square method is employed to determine the polynomial weight coefficient c.In order to efficiently optimize the projection direction a and the number M of ridge functions of the PPPR model the chaos cloud particle swarm optimization CCPSO algorithm is applied to optimize the parameters. The CCPSO-PPPR hybrid optimization model for expressway short-term traffic flow forecasting is established in which the CCPSO algorithm is used to optimize the optimal projection direction a in the inner layer while the number M of ridge functions is optimized in the outer layer.Traffic volume weather factors and travel date of the previous several time intervals of the road section are taken as the input influencing factors. Example forecasting and model comparison results indicate that the proposed model can obtain a better forecasting effect and its absolute error is controlled within [-6,6] which can meet the application requirements of expressway traffic flow forecasting.

CALTM:A Context-Aware Long-Term Time-Series Forecasting Model

Time series data plays a crucial role in intelligent transportation systems.Traffic flow forecasting represents a precise estimation of future traffic flow within a specific region and time interval.Existing approaches,including sequence periodic,regression,and deep learning models,have shown promising results in short-term series forecasting.However,forecasting scenarios specifically focused on holiday traffic flow present unique challenges,such as distinct traffic patterns during vacations and the increased demand for long-term forecastings.Consequently,the effectiveness of existing methods diminishes in such scenarios.Therefore,we propose a novel longterm forecasting model based on scene matching and embedding fusion representation to forecast long-term holiday traffic flow.Our model comprises three components:the similar scene matching module,responsible for extracting Similar Scene Features;the long-short term representation fusion module,which integrates scenario embeddings;and a simple fully connected layer at the head for making the final forecasting.Experimental results on real datasets demonstrate that our model outperforms other methods,particularly in medium and long-term forecasting scenarios.

Hourly traffic flow forecasting using a new hybrid modelling method

Short-term traffic flow forecasting is a significant part of intelligent transportation system.In some traffic control scenarios,obtaining future traffic flow in advance is conducive to highway management department to have sufficient time to formulate corresponding traffic flow control measures.In hence,it is meaningful to establish an accurate short-term traffic flow method and provide reference for peak traffic flow warning.This paper proposed a new hybrid model for traffic flow forecasting,which is composed of the variational mode decomposition(VMD)method,the group method of data handling(GMDH)neural network,bi-directional long and short term memory(BILSTM)network and ELMAN network,and is optimized by the imperialist competitive algorithm(ICA)method.To illustrate the performance of the proposed model,there are several comparative experiments between the proposed model and other models.The experiment results show that 1)BILSTM network,GMDH network and ELMAN network have better predictive performance than other single models;2)VMD can significantly improve the predictive performance of the ICA-GMDH-BILSTM-ELMAN model.The effect of VMD method is better than that of EEMD method and FEEMD method.To conclude,the proposed model which is made up of the VMD method,the ICA method,the BILSTM network,the GMDH network and the ELMAN network has excellent predictive ability for traffic flow series.

Research on traffic flow forecasting model based on cusp catastrophe theory

This paper intends to describe the relationship between traffic parameters by using cusp catastrophe theory and to deduce highway capacity and corresponding speed forecasting value through suitable transformation of catastrophe model. The five properties of a catastrophe system are outlined briefly, and then the data collected on freeways of Zhujiang River Delta, Guangdong province, China are examined to ascertain whether they exhibit qualitative properties and attributes of the catastrophe model. The forecasting value of speed and capacity for freeway segments are given based on the catastrophe model. Furthermore, speed-flow curve on freeway is drawn by plotting out congested and uncongested traffic flow and the capacity value for the same freeway segment is also obtained from speed-flow curve to test the feasibility of the application of cusp catastrophe theory in traffic flow analysis. The calculating results of catastrophe model coincide with those of traditional traffic flow models regressed from field observed data, which indicates that the deficiency of traditional analysis of relationship between speed, flow and occupancy in two-dimension can be compensated by analysis of the relationship among speed, flow and occupancy based on catastrophe model in three-dimension. Finally, the prospects and problems of its application in traffic flow research in China are discussed.

A Short-Term Traffic Flow Forecasting Method Based on a Three-Layer K-Nearest Neighbor Non-Parametric Regression Algorithm

Short-term traffic flow is one of the core technologies to realize traffic flow guidance. In this article, in view of the characteristics that the traffic flow changes repeatedly, a short-term traffic flow forecasting method based on a three-layer K-nearest neighbor non-parametric regression algorithm is proposed. Specifically, two screening layers based on shape similarity were introduced in K-nearest neighbor non-parametric regression method, and the forecasting results were output using the weighted averaging on the reciprocal values of the shape similarity distances and the most-similar-point distance adjustment method. According to the experimental results, the proposed algorithm has improved the predictive ability of the traditional K-nearest neighbor non-parametric regression method, and greatly enhanced the accuracy and real-time performance of short-term traffic flow forecasting.

Short-term traffic flow online forecasting based on kernel adaptive filter

Considering that the prediction accuracy of the traditional traffic flow forecasting model is low,based on kernel adaptive filter(KAF)algorithm,kernel least mean square(KLMS)algorithm and fixed-budget kernel recursive least-square(FB-KRLS)algorithm are presented for online adaptive prediction.The computational complexity of the KLMS algorithm is low and does not require additional solution paradigm constraints,but its regularization process can solve the problem of regularization performance degradation in high-dimensional data processing.To reduce the computational complexity,the sparse criterion is introduced into the KLMS algorithm.To further improve forecasting accuracy,FB-KRLS algorithm is proposed.It is an online learning method with fixed memory budget,and it is capable of recursively learning a nonlinear mapping and changing over time.In contrast to a previous approximate linear dependence(ALD)based technique,the purpose of the presented algorithm is not to prune the oldest data point in every time instant but it aims to prune the least significant data point,thus suppressing the growth of kernel matrix.In order to verify the validity of the proposed methods,they are applied to one-step and multi-step predictions of traffic flow in Beijing.Under the same conditions,they are compared with online adaptive ALD-KRLS method and other kernel learning methods.Experimental results show that the proposed KAF algorithms can improve the prediction accuracy,and its online learning ability meets the actual requirements of traffic flow and contributes to real-time online forecasting of traffic flow.

Traffic Assignment Forecast Model Research in ITS

As an important role in the development of ITS, traffic assignment forecast is always the research focus. Based on the analysis of classic traffic assignment forecast models, an improved traffic assignment forecast model, multi-ways probability and capacity constraint (MPCC) is presented. Using the new traffic as- signment forecast model to forecast the traffic volume will improve the rationality and veracity of traffic as- signment forecast.

Traffic Forecasting Model Based on Takagi-Sugeno Fuzzy Logical System

The local multiple regression fuzzy(LMRF)model based on Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy logical system and its application in traffic forecasting is proposed. Besides its prediction accuracy is testified and the model is proved much better than conventional forecasting methods. According to the regional traffic system, the model perfectly states the complex non-linear relation of the traffic and the local social economy. The model also efficiently deals with the system lack of enough data.

Traffic simulation and forecasting system in Beijing

Transport system is a time-varying, huge and complex system. In order to have the traffic management department make pre-appropriate traffic management measures to adjust the traffic management control program, and release travel information to travelers, to provide optimal path options to ensure that the transport system operates efficiently and safely, we have to monitor the changing of the state of road traffic and to accurately evaluate the state of the traffic, then to predict the future state of traffic. This paper represents the construction of the road traffic flow simulation including the logical structure and the physical structure, and introduces the system functions of forecasting system in Beijing.

A Hybrid Forecasting Framework Based on Support Vector Regression with a Modified Genetic Algorithm and a Random Forest for Traffic Flow Prediction

The ability to perform short-term traffic flow forecasting is a crucial component of intelligent transportation systems. However, accurate and reliable traffic flow forecasting is still a significant issue due to the complexity and variability of real traffic systems. To improve the accuracy of short-term traffic flow forecasting, this paper presents a novel hybrid prediction framework based on Support Vector Regression （SVR） that uses a Random Forest （RF） to select the most informative feature subset and an enhanced Genetic Algorithm （GA） with chaotic characteristics to identify the optimal forecasting model parameters. The framework is evaluated with real-world traffic data collected from eight sensors located near the 1-605 interstate highway in California. Results show that the proposed RF- CGASVR model achieves better performance than other methods.

A PERFORMANCE EVALUATION INDEX SYSTEM FOR MULTIMEDIA COMMUNICATION NETWORKS AND FORECASTING FOR WEB-BASED NETWORK TRAFFIC

This paper presents a new index system for the performance evaluation and network planning of multimedia communication systems using measurement on actual systems to support several different traffic types. In this index system, we develop an expert system to evaluate the performance of such multimedia communication networks including channel utilization and call blocking probability and packet delay, and apply the network planning methods to optimize the networks and forecast the demand of the growing multimedia communications systems. Two important planning problems for the multimedia communication systems are presented: optimization problem for construction of the world system and forecast problem for increasing traffic demands. We first discuss analysis methods, performance measures for the multimedia communication systems. Then, we describe network planning methods for the multimedia communication systems and give some efficiency network planning methods. Finally, we present some results studied in traffic forecast for the campus network and show the effectiveness of these methods.

Improved Social Emotion Optimization Algorithm for Short-Term Traffic Flow Forecasting Based on Back-Propagation Neural Network

The back-propagation neural network(BPNN) is a well-known multi-layer feed-forward neural network which is trained by the error reverse propagation algorithm. It is very suitable for the complex of short-term traffic flow forecasting; however, BPNN is easy to fall into local optimum and slow convergence. In order to overcome these deficiencies, a new approach called social emotion optimization algorithm(SEOA) is proposed in this paper to optimize the linked weights and thresholds of BPNN. Each individual in SEOA represents a BPNN. The availability of the proposed forecasting models is proved with the actual traffic flow data of the 2 nd Ring Road of Beijing. Experiment of results show that the forecasting accuracy of SEOA is improved obviously as compared with the accuracy of particle swarm optimization back-propagation(PSOBP) and simulated annealing particle swarm optimization back-propagation(SAPSOBP) models. Furthermore, since SEOA does not respond to the negative feedback information, Metropolis rule is proposed to give consideration to both positive and negative feedback information and diversify the adjustment methods. The modified BPNN model, in comparison with social emotion optimization back-propagation(SEOBP) model, is more advantageous to search the global optimal solution. The accuracy of Metropolis rule social emotion optimization back-propagation(MRSEOBP) model is improved about 19.54% as compared with that of SEOBP model in predicting the dramatically changing data.

Comparing practice-ready forecast models for weekly and monthly fluctuations of average daily traffic and enhancing accuracy by weighting methods

Knowing daily traffic for the current year is recognized as being essential in many fields of transport analysis and practice, and short-term forecasting models offer a set of tools to meet these needs. This paper examines and compares the accuracy of three representative parametric and non-parametric prediction models, selected by the analysis of the numerous methods proposed in the literature for their good combi- nation of forecast accuracy and ease of calibration, using real-life data on Italian motorway stretches. Non-parametric K-NN regression model, Gaussian maximum likelihood model and double seasonality Holt-Winters exponential smoothing model confirm their goodness to predict the weekly and monthly fluctuations of average daily traffic with varying degrees of performance, while maintaining an easy use in professional practice, i.e. requiring ordinary professional skills and conventional analysis tools. Since combining several prediction models can give, on average, more accuracy than that of the individual models, the paper compares two weighting methods of easy implementation and susceptible to a direct use, namely the widely used information entropy method and the less widespread Shapley value method. Despite being less common than the information entropy method, the Shapley value method proves to be more capable in better combining single forecasts and produces improvements in the predictions for test data. With these remarks, the paper might be of interest to traffic technicians or analysts, in various and not uncommon tasks they might find in their work.

Short-term traffic forecasting based on principal component analysis and a generalized regression neural network for satellite networks

With the rapid growth of satellite traffic, the ability to forecast traffic loads becomes vital for improving data transmission efficiency and resource management in satellite networks. To precisely forecast the short-term traffic loads in satellite networks, a forecasting algorithm based on principal component analysis and a generalized regression neural network （PCA-GRNN） is proposed. The PCA-GRNN algorithm exploits the hidden regularity of satellite networks and fully considers both the temporal and spatial correlations of satellite traffic. Specifically, it selects optimal time series of spatio-temporally correlated historical traffic from satellites as forecasting inputs and applies principal component analysis to reduce the input dimensions while preserving the main features of the data. Then, a generalized regression neural network is utilized to perform the final short-term load forecasting based on the obtained principal components. The PCA-GRNN algorithm is evaluated based on real-world traffic traces, and the results show that the PCA-GRNN method achieves a higher forecasting accuracy, has a shorter training time and is more robust than other state-of-the-art algorithms, even for incomplete traffic datasets. Therefore, the PCA- GRNN algorithm can be regarded as a preferred solution for use in real-time traffic forecasting for realistic satellite networks.

Comparison of Several Traffic Forecasting Methods Based on Travel Time Index Data on Weekends

Traffic forecasting provides the estimation of future traffic state to help traffic control,travel guide,etc. This paper compared several widely used traffic forecasting methods,and analyzed each one's performance in detail to make conclusions,which could redound to researchers choosing an appropriate traffic forecasting method in their own works. Compared with conventional works,this paper creatively assessed the performance of traffic forecasting methods based on travel time index (TTI) data prediction,which made the accuracy of our comparison better.

Trip Generation Model Based on Destination Attractiveness

Traditional trip generation forecasting methods use unified average trip generation rates to determine trip generation volumes in various traffic zones without considering the individual characteristics of each traffic zone. Therefore, the results can have significant errors. To reduce the forecasting error produced by uniform trip generation rates for different traffic zones, the behavior of each traveler was studied instead of the characteristics of the traffic zone. This paper gives a method for calculating the trip efficiency and the effect of traffic zones combined with a destination selection model based on disaggregate theory for trip generation. Beijing data is used with the trip generation method to predict trip volumes. The results show that the disaggregate model in this paper is more accurate than the traditional method. An analysis of the factors influencing traveler behavior and destination selection shows that the attractiveness of the traffic zone strongly affects the trip generation volume.

Applied Study of Price Discrimination Implemented on a Two-Path Route Expressway

This study aims at implementing price discrimination to get maximum revenue on a two-path route expressway, focusing on the problems which occur in traffic forecasting when applying a ＂profit-maximizing＂ toll designed to maximize revenue for a certain toll road in Japan. A break-even discussion is inevitable in the process of planning a certain toll road. According to the theory of transportation economics, market segmentation price discrimination is supposed to be efficient in the transportation market to increase the revenue of fixed facilities. In the model, a bypass and an adjacent expressway form a two-path route section. Two different toll levels are implemented for the bypass： one is for through traffic, and the other is for insideinside and inside-outside traffics. This two-path route plus two-toll-level system thus causes difficulty in traffic assignment that is based on the minimum route searching method. In the study, a rational approach of adjusting the through traffic is implemented to predict the traffic flow as well as revenue on two parallel routes with different toll levels. The approximate calculation method that fixes the split rate of the passing through traffic flow is applied to solve the two-path route plus two-toll-level problem since passing through traffic is price elastic. Market segmentation pricing, which gives two toll levels in a toll road, is proved to be practical for increasing revenue. The results are also verified to be rational by using the survey data of Meishin Expressway.