Lyuzhou Luo | Searcharxiv

arXiv2026

SelectLight: Learning to Select Signal Plans Generated by Distributed Model Predictive Control for Urban Traffic Networks

Coordinated traffic signal control across urban networks must adapt to changing demand while satisfying operational constraints. Multi-objective distributed model predictive control (DMPC) can construct feasible signal plans online, but prescribed rules for selecting among trade-off solutions cannot learn from realized closed-loop outcomes. We propose SelectLight, which implements post-optimization selection by allowing a multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) policy to choose directly from plans generated online by DMPC. At each control update, state-pruned multi-objective dynamic programming (SP-MODP) evaluates plans with a Newellian point--spatial queue model and returns a bounded set of mutually nondominated candidate signal plans for total queueing delay, peak queue accumulation, and total number of stops. A topology-aware attention policy trained with independent proximal policy optimization (IPPO) selects one unmodified plan from each variable-size set. This confines learning to candidate selection, preserves the prescribed signal timing constraints, and leaves the selected plan and its predicted objective trade-offs available for inspection. Experiments on two 28-intersection SUMO networks show that SelectLight achieves the best delay-related performance and that its advantage widens with demand. At twice the baseline demand, it reduces queueing delay and waiting time by 5.57% and 6.44%, respectively, relative to the strongest baseline. SelectLight also incurs the lowest transfer loss under every tested demand shift. With a 120 s prediction horizon, the per-intersection 99th-percentile SP-MODP solution time is 5.408 ms, well below the 5 s control interval.

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arXiv2024

A Probabilistic Approach for Queue Length Estimation Using License Plate Recognition Data: Considering Overtaking in Multi-lane Scenarios

Multi-section license plate recognition (LPR) data provides input-output information and sampled travel times of the investigated link, serving as an ideal data source for lane-based queue length estimation in recent studies. However, most of these studies assumed the strict FIFO rule or a specific arrival process, thus ignoring the potential impact of overtaking and the variation of traffic flows, especially in multi-lane scenarios. To address this issue, we propose a probabilistic approach to derive the stochastic queue length by constructing a conditional probability model of no-delay arrival time (NAT), i.e., the arrival time of vehicles without experiencing any delay, based on multi-section LPR data. First, the NAT conditions for all vehicles are established based on upstream and downstream vehicle departure times and sequences. To reduce the computational dimensionality and complexity, a DP-based algorithm is developed for vehicle group partitioning based on potential interactions between vehicles. Then, the conditional probability of NATs of each vehicle group is derived and an MCMC sampling method is employed for calculation. Subsequently, the stochastic queue profile and maximum queue length for each cycle can be derived based on the NATs of vehicles. Eventually, to leverage the LPR data sufficiently, we extend our approach to multi-lane scenarios, where the problem can be converted to a weighted general exact coverage problem and solved by a backtracking algorithm with heuristics. Empirical and simulation experiments have shown that the proposed approach outperforms the state-of-the-art method, demonstrating significant improvements in accuracy and robustness across various traffic conditions, including different V/C ratios, matching rates, and FIFO violation rates. In addition, the performance of the proposed approach can be further improved by utilizing multi-lane LPR data.

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