A Review of Traffic Flow Prediction Methods in Intelligent Transportation System Construction

With the continuous development of intelligent transportation systems (ITSs), traffic flow prediction methods have become the cornerstone of this technology. This paper comprehensively reviews the traffic flow prediction methods used in ITSs and divides them into three categories: statistics-based, machine learning-based, and deep learning-based methods. Although statistics-based methods have lower data requirements and machine learning methods have faster calculation speeds, this paper concludes that deep learning methods have the best overall effect after a comprehensive analysis of the principles, advantages, limitations, and practical applications of each method. Deep learning methods can overcome many limitations that traditional statistical methods and machine learning methods cannot surpass, such as the ability to model complex nonlinear relationships. Experimental results show that hybrid neural networks are significantly superior to traditional methods in terms of their prediction accuracy and generalization abilities. By combining multiple models and techniques, hybrid neural networks can improve the accuracy of traffic flow prediction under different conditions. Although deep learning methods have achieved remarkable success in short-term prediction, challenges still exist, such as the generalization of models in different traffic scenarios and the difficulty of long-term traffic flow prediction. Finally, this paper discusses future research directions and anticipates the future development of ITS technology.