Validating the Model of Network Degeneration: Case Study of the Indiana Interurban Network

The model of network degeneration, an evolutionary model developed in previous work, was employed to examine the decline of transportation networks and, in a broader context, the topological evolution of networks, based on the ”weakest-link” heuristic, which removes the weakest link from a network in an iterative process so that a variable network topology is enabled over time. Using the Indiana interurban network during its decline phase as a case, we validate the weakest-link model. The simulated sequence of line abandonment in the network is compared to that in observation using a non-parametric Spearman rank order correlation test, revealing that the model based on the intuitive weakest link heuristic performs well in predicting the sequence of link abandonment on the interurban network. A two- sample Wilcoxon rank-sum test implies that the temporal change of the examined topological attributes in simulation and in observation followed the same trend. This study provides empirical evidence that an agent-based simulation model, with proper modeling settings, can replicate the topological evolution of a transportation network.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Xie, Feng
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 87th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2008-1-13 to 2008-1-17
• Date: 2008

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: DVD
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: 16p
• Monograph Title: TRB 87th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers DVD

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Case studies; Intercity transportation; Simulation; Transportation planning; Travel surveys
• Uncontrolled Terms: Transportation networks
• Geographic Terms: Indiana
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01100433
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 08-0959
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jun 3 2008 7:26AM