We investigate a cellular automaton (CA) model of traffic on a bidirectional two-lane road. Our model is an extension of the one-lane CA model of Nagel and Schreckenberg [J. Phys. I (France) 2, 2221 (1992)], modified to account for interactions mediated by passing, and for a distribution of vehicle speeds. We chose values for the various parameters to approximate the behavior of real traffic. The density-flow diagram for the bidirectional model is compared to that of a one-lane model, showing the interaction of the two lanes. Results were also compared to experimental data, showing close agreement. This model helps bridge the gap between simplified cellular automata models and the complexity of real-world traffic.

• Received 19 July 1996

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.57.2441