DAY-TO-DAY EVOLUTION OF NETWORK FLOWS UNDER ROUTE-CHOICE DYNAMICS IN COMMUTER DECISIONS

The day-to-day dynamics of commuter decisions on urban traffic networks induced by route-choice dynamics is investigated. More specifically, this investigation analyzes the stability and reliability of system performance due to route-choice dynamics under real-time information, relaxing key restrictions associated with user equilibrium models. A simulation-based framework is developed to analyze day-to-day dynamics by integrating an empirically calibrated model of route-choice decisions with a dynamic network assignment model. Computational experiments are used to investigate the effect of certain experimental factors--recurrent network congestion level, market penetration, nature of information, and frequency of information updates--on network performance stability and reliability. The findings provide evidence of considerable day-to-day variations and stochasticity in network flows and performance, even when departure-time decisions and the origin-destination matrix are assumed to be fixed. The results indicate that (a) network performance may deviate significantly from equilibrium because of route-choice decisions under information; (b) within-day route choices have a significant effect on day-to-day network flow evolution; (c) user equilibrium path flows may not be reached or may not be stable when uncoordinated route-choice decisions are made under real-time information; (d) route-choice decisions do not exhibit convergence to an equilibrium, although the switching rate may be near steady-state conditions; (e) advanced traveler information systems (ATIS) information strategies can affect both within-day and day-to-day dynamics; and (f) some information strategies can lead to improved reliability and stability but at the expense of longer trip times. The results indicate that the trade-off between trip time performance and stability must be considered in network analysis and design. These results have important implications for the design of traffic control strategies, more-effective ATIS implementation guidelines, and incident management strategies.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.3141/1894-21
• Summary URL:
  http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=DAY-TO-DAY+EVOLUTION+OF+NETWORK+FLOWS+UNDER+ROUTE-CHOICE+DYNAMICS+IN+COMMUTER+DECISIONS&author=K.+Srinivasan&author=Z.+Guo&publication_year=2004
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://www.trb.org/Main/Public/Blurbs/155463.aspx
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1894, Travel Behavior and Values 2004.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Srinivasan, K K
  • Guo, Z
• Publication Date: 2004

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 198-208
• Monograph Title: TRAVEL BEHAVIOR AND VALUES 2004
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1894
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Advanced traveler information systems; Commuters; Decision making; Departure time; Incident management; Network analysis (Planning); Origin and destination; Performance; Real time information; Route choice; Stochastic processes; Traffic control; Travel time
• Uncontrolled Terms: Network assignment; Network flows
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00984660
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309094887
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Jan 28 2005 12:00AM