Abstract
Recognition of the necessity for connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) is gaining momentum. CAVs can improve both transportation network efficiency and safety through control algorithms that can harmonically use all existing information to coordinate the vehicles. This study addresses the problem of optimally coordinating CAVs at merging roadways to achieve a smooth traffic flow without stop-and-go driving. We present an optimization framework and an analytical, closed-form solution that allows online coordination of vehicles at the merging zone. The effectiveness of the efficiency of the proposed solution is validated through simulation and it is shown that coordination of vehicles can reduce fuel consumption and travel time significantly.
