  We derive optimal control policies for a Connected Automated Vehicle (CAV)
and cooperating neighboring CAVs to carry out a lane change maneuver consisting
of a longitudinal phase where the CAV properly positions itself relative to the
cooperating neighbors and a lateral phase where it safely changes lanes. In
contrast to prior work on this problem, where the CAV "selfishly" seeks to
minimize its maneuver time, we seek to ensure that the fast-lane traffic flow
is minimally disrupted (through a properly defined metric) and that highway
throughput is improved by optimally selecting the cooperating vehicles. We show
that analytical solutions for the optimal trajectories can be derived and are
guaranteed to satisfy safety constraints for all vehicles involved in the
maneuver. When feasible solutions do not exist, we include a time relaxation
method trading off a longer maneuver time with reduced disruption. Our analysis
is also extended to multiple sequential maneuvers. Simulation results where the
controllers are implemented show their effectiveness in terms of safety
guarantees and up to 35% throughput improvement compared to maneuvers with no
vehicle cooperation.
