Hi. this is the first time i have posted a message to an email group
so forgive me if I make mistakes. I am a writer and have recently
heard about the possibility of mega traffic jams in the UK possibly
caused by a few freak combinations of events. this intrigued me and I
thought (as writers do!) of using this scenario as part of a novel.
However before I get carried away... i need to reseach this issue.
Does anyone know where I can find out more about the formation of
traffic jams, what might happen in a mega traffic jam etc?
thanking you
Regards
Kate

Yeah, the BBC did a programme about it a couple of months ago about the
fictional events of the 19th December 2003.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programme...ed/default.stm

In reality, early this year, ice on the roads and no grit sprayers meant
that mulitple accidents occurs and nobody moved for hours some abandoning
their cars on motorways.

"Kate" wrote in message
om...
Hi. this is the first time i have posted a message to an email group
so forgive me if I make mistakes. I am a writer and have recently
heard about the possibility of mega traffic jams in the UK possibly
caused by a few freak combinations of events. this intrigued me and I
thought (as writers do!) of using this scenario as part of a novel.
However before I get carried away... i need to reseach this issue.
Does anyone know where I can find out more about the formation of
traffic jams, what might happen in a mega traffic jam etc?
thanking you
Regards
Kate

"Kate" wrote in message
om...
Hi. this is the first time i have posted a message to an email group
so forgive me if I make mistakes. I am a writer and have recently
heard about the possibility of mega traffic jams in the UK possibly
caused by a few freak combinations of events. this intrigued me and
I
thought (as writers do!) of using this scenario as part of a novel.
However before I get carried away... i need to reseach this issue.
Does anyone know where I can find out more about the formation of
traffic jams, what might happen in a mega traffic jam etc?

Wasn't on of Ben Elton's early books based on this idea?

In message , Kate
writes
Hi. this is the first time i have posted a message to an email group so
forgive me if I make mistakes. I am a writer and have recently heard
about the possibility of mega traffic jams in the UK possibly caused by
a few freak combinations of events. this intrigued me and I thought (as
writers do!) of using this scenario as part of a novel. However before
I get carried away... i need to reseach this issue. Does anyone know
where I can find out more about the formation of traffic jams, what
might happen in a mega traffic jam etc?

BBC did that ages ago. Tube strike. Accident on M25 and roadwork's on
roads round M25 lead to massive jam on M25.
People dying in cars as it was winter. 100's of cars left on M25 as
police evacuated cars.
And a plane crash over Heathrow as air traffic controller was so tired
as the person who was suppose to take over from him was stuck in traffic
getting to Heathrow.
You should look into getting a copy of that. It was fiction. But was
based on fact and was done in a documentary type way.
--
CJG

In article , Craig Holl
writes
Mike Hughes wrote:
Try this site to see what happens to traffic when one incident slows
vehicles down.

http://vwisb7.vkw.tu-dresden.de/~tre.../simFrame.html

A couple questions:

- Is the stop light scenario only supposed to change from red to green once?

Yes, as far as I am aware. It shows what happens further along the road,
even though the previous cause of a hold up has long gone.

- What is the ramp p_ factor and the delta b ramp?

Don't know for sure, but it seems to be something to do with the speed
at which vehicles can join.

I just play with this site I had nothing to do with it otherwise (but it
can be a little bit addictive!)



--
Mike Hughes, a Brighton *licensed* taxi driver.
At home in Tarring, Worthing, West Sussex, England

Need a taxi from Brighton Worthing Gatwick or Heathrow - please visit this
site*
www.gatwick-taxi.com

(Kate) wrote in message . com...
Hi. this is the first time i have posted a message to an email group
so forgive me if I make mistakes. I am a writer and have recently
heard about the possibility of mega traffic jams in the UK possibly
caused by a few freak combinations of events. this intrigued me and I
thought (as writers do!) of using this scenario as part of a novel.
However before I get carried away... i need to reseach this issue.
Does anyone know where I can find out more about the formation of
traffic jams, what might happen in a mega traffic jam etc?
thanking you
Regards
Kate

If you intend to write specifically about London one thing worth
thinking about might be the 'London Traffic Control Centre' (LTTC).
Quoting from TfL's website this is "a central control point, staffed
by the Metropolitan Police and TfL Street Management staff to: monitor
network conditions; process, integrate and analyse data; introduce
contingency traffic signal timings; direct police to specific problem
areas and disseminate traffic information to public and media. The
team also manages the installation of VMS, CCTV and Enforcement
cameras."

At the time the Congestion Charge came in the LTTC was tasked
principally to keep traffic moving on the Ring Road, just outside the
ccharge zone, in the event of major congestion caused by the charge.
This congestion didn't happen at that time but I believe they are
prepared for many other eventualities with a large pile of contingency
plans.

"Mike Hughes" wrote in message
...
In article , Craig Holl
writes
Mike Hughes wrote:
Try this site to see what happens to traffic when one incident slows
vehicles down.

http://vwisb7.vkw.tu-dresden.de/~tre.../simFrame.html

A couple questions:

- Is the stop light scenario only supposed to change from red to green
once?

Yes, as far as I am aware. It shows what happens further along the road,
even though the previous cause of a hold up has long gone.

- What is the ramp p_ factor and the delta b ramp?

I reckoned that the p_factor is related to the reluctance of drivers to
enter the main stream of traffic (i.e. how "scared" they are!), and the
delta b ramp is the difference between the acceleration of the cars from the
ramp onto the motorway, and the velocity of the main stream of traffic?

Don't know for sure, but it seems to be something to do with the speed
at which vehicles can join.

I just play with this site I had nothing to do with it otherwise (but it
can be a little bit addictive!)



--
Mike Hughes, a Brighton *licensed* taxi driver.
At home in Tarring, Worthing, West Sussex, England

Need a taxi from Brighton Worthing Gatwick or Heathrow - please visit this
site
www.gatwick-taxi.com

I wanted to thank everyone for all your replies on this posting. I now
have lots of things to investigate and think about.
thanks again
Kate