A Queueing Theory Model of Nonstationary Traffic Flow

The queueing-theoretical model for stationary traffic flow developed in a former paper is extended and modified for nonstationary flow. In particular it is shown how speed-flow-density relationships under nonstationary conditions may deviate from those obtained for stationary conditions. It is shown how the wide scatter which is often observed with empirical speed-flow-density data can be explained by nonstationarity. Furthermore, hysteresis loops, which may show up in speed-flow-density relationships, are interpreted by means of nonstationarity.