Predictive analytics for traffic flow optimization in urban logistics: A transformer-based time series approach

In this study, we focus on the analysis and prediction of urban logistics traffic flow, a field that is gaining increasing attention due to the acceleration of global urbanization and heightened environmental awareness. Existing forecasting methods face challenges in processing large and complex datasets, particularly when extracting and analyzing valid information from these data, often hindered by noise and outliers. In this context, time series analysis, as a key technique for predicting future trends, becomes crucial for supporting real-time traffic management and long-term traffic planning. To this end, we propose a composite network model that integrates gated recurrent unit (GRU), autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), and temporal fusion transformer (TFT), namely the GRU-ARIMA-TFT network model, to enhance prediction accuracy and efficiency. Through the analysis of experimental results on different datasets, we demonstrate the significant advantages of this model in improving prediction accuracy and understanding complex traffic patterns. This research not only theoretically expands the boundaries of urban logistics traffic flow prediction but also holds substantial practical significance in real-world applications, especially in optimizing urban traffic planning and logistics distribution strategies during peak periods and under complex traffic conditions. Our study provides a robust tool for addressing real-world issues in the urban logistics domain and offers new perspectives and methodologies for future urban traffic management and logistics system planning.