Suboptimal control of linear systems by augmentation with application to freeway traffic regulation.

The development of on-ramp metering control strategies for a freeway can be aided by the well-developed theory of linear optimal control. In these models the freeway is sectioned into lengths of about ½ mile and traffic is described in terms of three aggregate variables-section speed, section density, and volume. The models and suboptimal control scheme are applied to a specific detailed design for an 8-mile segment of the San Diego Freeway in Los Angeles.