Lane changing and congestion are mutually reinforcing?

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between congestion and lane changing, using vehicle trajectory data from the M1 motorway in Sydney. We establish a connection between the distribution of travel time and lane changing frequency and employ a Poisson process to describe the intensity of lane changing occurrences in different travel time ranges. From an individual perspective, lane changing does not bring significant speed benefits in most cases, except when the speed range is between 45 and 50 ​km/h. From a system perspective, the relationship between lane change rate and speed depends on the purpose of the lane changes. In merging, diverging, and lane restriction areas, for instance, mandatory lane changes dominate. In most sections of the motorway, discretionary lane changes are motivated by the expectation of improving speed and/or safety. Additionally, we demonstrate a mutual causality relationship between lane changing and congestion through the Granger causality test. This relationship is more pronounced in general areas during peak periods and contributes to the deterioration of the driving environment.