Research on the influence of bus bay on traffic flow in adjacent lane: Simulations in the framework of Kerner’s three-phase traffic theory

Abstract As urban roads are becoming more congested, bus travel is becoming increasingly popular in China. Numerous studies have shown that bus stop always has great effect on traffic flow near the bus stop. In this paper, the influence of bus bay on traffic flow in adjacent lane is studied. Based on the well-known KKSW (Kerner–Klenov–Schreckeneberg–Wolf) CA (cellular automaton) model, a new KKSW-BB (Bus Bay) CA model is proposed to simulate heterogeneous traffic flow composed of passenger cars and buses near a bus bay. Through numerical simulation, the traffic flow characteristics in adjacent lane are studied in the framework of Kerner’s three-phase traffic theory. The frequency and severity of rear-end collisions are analyzed to research the influence of bus bay on traffic safety in adjacent lane. The results show that both the traffic efficiency and safety in adjacent lane can be negatively affected by the buses entering and leaving the bus bay.