Travel behavior and system dynamics in a simple gamified automated multimodal network

Automated Vehicles (AVs) are poised to disrupt travel patterns and the sustainability of transportation networks. Conventional methods for studying these changes, such as stated preference surveys and agent-based simulations, have limitations. Serious games offer a promising alternative, providing a controlled and engaging environment for investigating travel behavior. In the authors' study, 200 participants, grouped into sessions of 10, engaged in a competitive serious game simulating 50 daily choices of travel mode and departure time across three automated options. Two scenarios were examined: one with recurring congestion and another with nonrecurring congestion. Automated transit had fixed schedules, while private and shared rides could adapt to a congested bottleneck. Results revealed that ridesharing dominated, reaching 60% mode share under recurring congestion, displacing transit, and a comparative equilibrium emerged between shared and private rides. In the nonrecurring congestion scenario, ridesharing dropped to 37%, and a comparable multimodal equilibrium developed. Participants rarely achieved the optimal score, attaining a maximum of 88% of its potential. This study highlights a policy paradox: unregulated AV traffic can reduce transit use, exacerbate recurring congestion, yet necessitate increased transit investment to address nonrecurring congestion, confirming the Downs-Thomson paradox. Creating appealing mass transit alternatives is imperative to ensure efficiency and sustainability in the era of automated mobility.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2024.104060
• Record URL:
  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965856424001083
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/09658564
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Collins, Mor
  • Etzioni, Shelly
  • Ben-Elia, Eran
• Publication Date: 2024-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Pagination: 104060
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice
  • Volume: 183
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 0965-8564
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09658564

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Autonomous vehicles; Game theory; Mode choice; Public transit; Traffic congestion; Travel behavior
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01916597
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 24 2024 9:34AM