IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/transb/v30y1996i5p339-357.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Asymmetric problems and stochastic process models of traffic assignment

Author

Listed:
  • Watling, David

Abstract

There is a spectrum of asymmetric assignment problems to which existing results on uniqueness of equilibrium do not apply. Moreover, multiple equilibria may be seen to exist in a number of simple examples of real-life phenomena, including interactions at priority junctions, responsive traffic signals, multiple user classes, and multi-modal choices. In contrast, recent asymptotic results on the stochastic process approach to traffic assignment establish the existence of a unique, stationary, joint probability distribution of flows under mild conditions, that include problems with multiple equilibria. In studying the simple examples mentioned above, this approach is seen to be a powerful tool in suggesting the relative, asymptotic attractiveness of alternative equilibrium solutions. It is seen that the stationary distribution may have multiple peaks, approximated by the stable equilibria, or a unimodal shape in cases where one of the equilibria dominates. It is seen, however, that the convergence to stationarity may be extremely slow. In Monte Carlo simulations of the process, this gives rise to different types of pseudo-stable behaviour (flows varying in an apparently stable manner, with a mean close to one of the equilibria) for a given problem, and this may prevail for long periods. The starting conditions and random number seed are seen to affect the type of pseudo-stable behaviour over long, but finite, time horizons. The frequency of transitions between these types of behaviour (equivalently, the average sojourn in a locally attractive, pseudo-stable set of states) is seen to be affected by behavioural parameters of the model. Recommendations are given for the application of stochastic process models, in the light of these issues.

Suggested Citation

  • Watling, David, 1996. "Asymmetric problems and stochastic process models of traffic assignment," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 339-357, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:transb:v:30:y:1996:i:5:p:339-357
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0191-2615(96)00006-9
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fisk, Caroline, 1980. "Some developments in equilibrium traffic assignment," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 243-255, September.
    2. Smith, M. J., 1984. "Two alternative definitions of traffic equilibrium," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 63-65, February.
    3. Moshe Ben-Akiva & Andre de Palma & Pavlos Kanaroglou, 1986. "Dynamic Model of Peak Period Traffic Congestion with Elastic Arrival Rates," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 20(3), pages 164-181, August.
    4. Carlos F. Daganzo, 1983. "Stochastic Network Equilibrium with Multiple Vehicle Types and Asymmetric, Indefinite Link Cost Jacobians," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 17(3), pages 282-300, August.
    5. Rathi, Ajay K., 1992. "The use of common random numbers to reduce the variance in network simulation of traffic," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 26(5), pages 357-363, October.
    6. Alfa, Attahiru Sule, 1986. "A review of models for the temporal distribution of peak traffic demand," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 20(6), pages 491-499, December.
    7. Attahiru Sule Alfa & Do Le Minh, 1979. "A Stochastic Model for the Temporal Distribution of Traffic Demand---The Peak Hour Problem," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(4), pages 315-324, November.
    8. Morlok, Edward K., 1979. "Short run supply functions with decreasing user costs," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 13(3), pages 183-187, September.
    9. Carey, Malachy, 1992. "Nonconvexity of the dynamic traffic assignment problem," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 127-133, April.
    10. Stella Dafermos, 1980. "Traffic Equilibrium and Variational Inequalities," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 14(1), pages 42-54, February.
    11. Stella C. Dafermos, 1971. "An Extended Traffic Assignment Model with Applications to Two-Way Traffic," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(4), pages 366-389, November.
    12. Gary A. Davis & Nancy L. Nihan, 1993. "Large Population Approximations of a General Stochastic Traffic Assignment Model," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 41(1), pages 169-178, February.
    13. Smith, M. J., 1981. "Properties of a traffic control policy which ensure the existence of a traffic equilibrium consistent with the policy," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 15(6), pages 453-462, December.
    14. Carey, Malachy & Kwiecinski, Andrzej, 1994. "Swapping the order of scheduled services to minimize expected costs of delays," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 28(6), pages 409-428, December.
    15. Vythoulkas, Petros C., 1990. "A dynamic stochastic assignment model for the analysis of general networks," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 453-469, December.
    16. Fernandez L., J. Enrique & Friesz, Terry L., 1983. "Equilibrium predictions in transportation markets: The state of the art," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 155-172, April.
    17. Cascetta, Ennio, 1989. "A stochastic process approach to the analysis of temporal dynamics in transportation networks," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 1-17, February.
    18. D. Braess & G. Koch, 1979. "On the Existence of Equilibria in Asymmetrical Multiclass-User Transportation Networks," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(1), pages 56-63, February.
    19. Smith, M. J., 1981. "The existence of an equilibrium solution to the traffic assignment problem when there are junction interactions," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 15(6), pages 443-451, December.
    20. Michael J. Smith, 1984. "The Stability of a Dynamic Model of Traffic Assignment---An Application of a Method of Lyapunov," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(3), pages 245-252, August.
    21. Carlos F. Daganzo, 1982. "Unconstrained Extremal Formulation of Some Transportation Equilibrium Problems," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(3), pages 332-360, August.
    22. Horowitz, Joel L., 1984. "The stability of stochastic equilibrium in a two-link transportation network," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 13-28, February.
    23. Smith, M. J., 1979. "Traffic control and route-choice; a simple example," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 289-294, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Cantarella, Giulio E. & Watling, David P., 2016. "A general stochastic process for day-to-day dynamic traffic assignment: Formulation, asymptotic behaviour, and stability analysis," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 92(PA), pages 3-21.
    2. Han, Linghui & Wang, David Z.W. & Lo, Hong K. & Zhu, Chengjuan & Cai, Xingju, 2017. "Discrete-time day-to-day dynamic congestion pricing scheme considering multiple equilibria," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 1-16.
    3. Hazelton, Martin L., 2002. "Day-to-day variation in Markovian traffic assignment models," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 36(7), pages 637-648, August.
    4. Iryo, Takamasa & Watling, David, 2019. "Properties of equilibria in transport problems with complex interactions between users," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 87-114.
    5. Cen Zhang & Jan-Dirk Schmöcker & Martin Trépanier, 2022. "Latent stage model for carsharing usage frequency estimation with Montréal case study," Transportation, Springer, vol. 49(1), pages 185-211, February.
    6. Iryo, Takamasa & Smith, Michael J. & Watling, David, 2020. "Stabilisation strategy for unstable transport systems under general evolutionary dynamics," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 136-151.
    7. Mohamed Wahba & Amer Shalaby, 2014. "Learning-based framework for transit assignment modeling under information provision," Transportation, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 397-417, March.
    8. Smith, Mike & Mounce, Richard, 2011. "A splitting rate model of traffic re-routeing and traffic control," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 45(9), pages 1389-1409.
    9. A. Wang & I. Ziedins, 2018. "Probabilistic selfish routing in parallel batch and single-server queues," Queueing Systems: Theory and Applications, Springer, vol. 88(3), pages 389-407, April.
    10. Liu, Ronghui & Van Vliet, Dirck & Watling, David, 2006. "Microsimulation models incorporating both demand and supply dynamics," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 125-150, February.
    11. G. E. Cantarella & D. P. Watling, 2016. "Modelling road traffic assignment as a day-to-day dynamic, deterministic process: a unified approach to discrete- and continuous-time models," EURO Journal on Transportation and Logistics, Springer;EURO - The Association of European Operational Research Societies, vol. 5(1), pages 69-98, March.
    12. Nagel Kai & Grether Dominik & Beuck Ulrike & Chen Yu & Rieser Marcel & Axhausen Kay W., 2008. "Multi-Agent Transport Simulations and Economic Evaluation," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 228(2-3), pages 173-194, April.
    13. David Watling & Giulio Cantarella, 2015. "Model Representation & Decision-Making in an Ever-Changing World: The Role of Stochastic Process Models of Transportation Systems," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 843-882, September.
    14. Clark, Stephen D. & Watling, David P., 2002. "Sensitivity analysis of the probit-based stochastic user equilibrium assignment model," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 36(7), pages 617-635, August.
    15. Giulio Cantarella & Pietro Velonà & David Watling, 2015. "Day-to-day Dynamics & Equilibrium Stability in A Two-Mode Transport System with Responsive bus Operator Strategies," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 485-506, September.
    16. Paolo Delle Site, 2017. "On the Equivalence Between SUE and Fixed-Point States of Day-to-Day Assignment Processes with Serially-Correlated Route Choice," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 935-962, September.
    17. Nielsen, Otto Anker, 2000. "A stochastic transit assignment model considering differences in passengers utility functions," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 377-402, June.
    18. Watling, David Paul & Rasmussen, Thomas Kjær & Prato, Carlo Giacomo & Nielsen, Otto Anker, 2015. "Stochastic user equilibrium with equilibrated choice sets: Part I – Model formulations under alternative distributions and restrictions," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 166-181.
    19. Iryo, Takamasa, 2016. "Day-to-day dynamical model incorporating an explicit description of individuals’ information collection behaviour," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 92(PA), pages 88-103.
    20. Watling, David, 1998. "Perturbation stability of the asymmetric stochastic equilibrium assignment model," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 155-171, April.
    21. Rambha, Tarun & Boyles, Stephen D., 2016. "Dynamic pricing in discrete time stochastic day-to-day route choice models," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 92(PA), pages 104-118.
    22. Watling, David, 1999. "Stability of the stochastic equilibrium assignment problem: a dynamical systems approach," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 281-312, May.
    23. Xiao, Yu & Lo, Hong K., 2016. "Day-to-day departure time modeling under social network influence," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 92(PA), pages 54-72.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Watling, David, 1998. "Perturbation stability of the asymmetric stochastic equilibrium assignment model," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 155-171, April.
    2. Watling, David, 1999. "Stability of the stochastic equilibrium assignment problem: a dynamical systems approach," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 281-312, May.
    3. Jiayang Li & Zhaoran Wang & Yu Marco Nie, 2023. "Wardrop Equilibrium Can Be Boundedly Rational: A New Behavioral Theory of Route Choice," Papers 2304.02500, arXiv.org, revised Feb 2024.
    4. Meneguzzer, Claudio, 1995. "An equilibrium route choice model with explicit treatment of the effect of intersections," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 29(5), pages 329-356, October.
    5. Hazelton, Martin L., 2022. "The emergence of stochastic user equilibria in day-to-day traffic models," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 102-112.
    6. Zhang, Ding & Nagurney, Anna & Wu, Jiahao, 2001. "On the equivalence between stationary link flow patterns and traffic network equilibria," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 731-748, September.
    7. David Watling & Giulio Cantarella, 2015. "Model Representation & Decision-Making in an Ever-Changing World: The Role of Stochastic Process Models of Transportation Systems," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 843-882, September.
    8. David Watling, 2002. "A Second Order Stochastic Network Equilibrium Model, II: Solution Method and Numerical Experiments," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 36(2), pages 167-183, May.
    9. Sun, Mingmei, 2023. "A day-to-day dynamic model for mixed traffic flow of autonomous vehicles and inertial human-driven vehicles," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    10. Paolo Delle Site, 2017. "On the Equivalence Between SUE and Fixed-Point States of Day-to-Day Assignment Processes with Serially-Correlated Route Choice," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 935-962, September.
    11. Kumar, Amit & Peeta, Srinivas, 2015. "A day-to-day dynamical model for the evolution of path flows under disequilibrium of traffic networks with fixed demand," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 235-256.
    12. He, Xiaozheng & Guo, Xiaolei & Liu, Henry X., 2010. "A link-based day-to-day traffic assignment model," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 44(4), pages 597-608, May.
    13. Zhu, Zheng & Mardan, Atabak & Zhu, Shanjiang & Yang, Hai, 2021. "Capturing the interaction between travel time reliability and route choice behavior based on the generalized Bayesian traffic model," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 48-64.
    14. Bie, Jing & Lo, Hong K., 2010. "Stability and attraction domains of traffic equilibria in a day-to-day dynamical system formulation," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 90-107, January.
    15. Meneguzzer, Claudio, 2022. "Day-to-day dynamics in a simple traffic network with mixed direct and contrarian route choice behaviors," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 603(C).
    16. Xie, Chi & Liu, Zugang, 2014. "On the stochastic network equilibrium with heterogeneous choice inertia," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 90-109.
    17. Liu, Ronghui & Smith, Mike, 2015. "Route choice and traffic signal control: A study of the stability and instability of a new dynamical model of route choice and traffic signal control," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 123-145.
    18. Liu, Ronghui & Van Vliet, Dirck & Watling, David, 2006. "Microsimulation models incorporating both demand and supply dynamics," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 125-150, February.
    19. Wen-Long Jin, 2015. "Advances in Dynamic Traffic Assgmnt: TAC," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 617-634, September.
    20. Jiayang Li & Qianni Wang & Liyang Feng & Jun Xie & Yu Marco Nie, 2024. "A Day-to-Day Dynamical Approach to the Most Likely User Equilibrium Problem," Papers 2401.08013, arXiv.org.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:transb:v:30:y:1996:i:5:p:339-357. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/548/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.