In order to reduce average arterial vehicle delay, a novel distributed and coordinated traffic control algorithm is developed using the multiple agent system and the reinforce learning （RL）. The RL is used to minimize average delay of arterial vehicles by training the interaction ability between agents and exterior environments. The Robertson platoon dispersion model is embedded in the RL algorithm to precisely predict platoon movements on arteries and then the reward function is developed based on the dispersion model and delay equations cited by HCM2000. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated in a Matlab environment and comparisons between the algorithm and the conventional coordination algorithm are conducted in three different traffic load scenarios. Results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the conventional algorithm in all the scenarios. Moreover, with the increase in saturation degree, the performance is improved more significantly. The results verify the feasibility and efficiency of the established algorithm.
