A Traffic Equilibrium Model for Multi-Modal Networks with Uncertain Demands

Abstract

In this study, an effective travel cost (ETC) traffic equilibrium model is proposed for multi-modal networks with uncertain demands. The multi-modal networks are transformed into supernetworks and travel demands are assumed to be closed intervals. Passenger flows and travel costs are also formulated as closed intervals to capture the effects of uncertain demands. The ETC concept is introduced and regarded as a choice criterion to develop an equilibrium model which captures travellers’ travel mode and route choice behavior under interval travel costs. The model is formulated as a variational inequality problem, and the method of successive average algorithm is adapted to interval mathematics to obtain the results in the form of interval variables. Illustrative examples are also presented to demonstrate the model’s characteristics and its differences from the traditional equilibrium model, in which the expected travel cost is regarded as the choice criterion.

Keywords

• uncertain demands
• multi-modal network
• effective travel cost
• interval variables
• variational inequality problem