Applications of deep learning in traffic congestion alleviation: A survey

Prediction tasks related to congestion are targeted at improving the level of service of the transportation network. With increasing access to larger datasets of higher resolution, the relevance of deep learning in such prediction tasks, is increasing. Several comprehensive survey papers in recent years have summarised the deep learning applications in the transportation domain. However, the system dynamics of the transportation network vary greatly between the non-congested state and the congested state -- thereby necessitating the need for a clear understanding of the challenges specific to congestion prediction. In this survey, we present the current state of deep learning applications in the tasks related to detection, prediction and propagation of congestion. Recurrent and non-recurrent congestion are discussed separately. Our survey leads us to uncover inherent challenges and gaps in the current state of research. Finally, we present some suggestions for future research directions as answers to the identified challenges.