IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/cdl/uctcwp/qt24h06883.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

A Bathtub Model of Downtown Traffic Congestion

Author

Listed:
  • Arnott, Richard

Abstract

In standard economic models of traffic congestion, traffic flow does not fall under heavily congested conditions. But this is counter to experience, especially in the downtown areas of major cities during rush hour. This paper analyzes a bathtub model of downtown rush-hour traffic congestion that builds on ideas put forward by William Vickrey. Water flowing into the bathtub corresponds to cars entering the traffic stream, water flowing out of the bathtub to cars exiting from it, and the height of water in the bathtub to traffic density. Velocity is negatively related to density, and outflow is proportional to the product of density and velocity. Above a critical density, outflow falls as density increases (traffic jam situations). When demand is high relative to capacity, applying an optimal time-varying toll generates benefits that may be considerably larger than those obtained from standard models and that exceed the toll revenue collected.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Arnott, Richard, 2015. "A Bathtub Model of Downtown Traffic Congestion," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt24h06883, University of California Transportation Center.
  • Handle: RePEc:cdl:uctcwp:qt24h06883
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/24h06883.pdf;origin=repeccitec
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Henderson, J. V., 1974. "Road congestion : A reconsideration of pricing theory," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 1(3), pages 346-365, July.
    2. Yang, Hai & Hai-Jun, Huang, 1997. "Analysis of the time-varying pricing of a bottleneck with elastic demand using optimal control theory," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 425-440, November.
    3. Arnott, Richard & Rowse, John, 2009. "Downtown parking in auto city," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 1-14, January.
    4. Nikolas Geroliminis & David M. Levinson, 2009. "Cordon Pricing Consistent with the Physics of Overcrowding," Springer Books, in: William H. K. Lam & S. C. Wong & Hong K. Lo (ed.), Transportation and Traffic Theory 2009: Golden Jubilee, chapter 0, pages 219-240, Springer.
    5. Daganzo, Carlos F. & Gayah, Vikash V. & Gonzales, Eric J., 2011. "Macroscopic relations of urban traffic variables: Bifurcations, multivaluedness and instability," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 45(1), pages 278-288, January.
    6. Fosgerau, Mogens & Small, Kenneth A., 2013. "Hypercongestion in downtown metropolis," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 122-134.
    7. Carson E. Agnew, 1976. "Dynamic Modeling and Control of Congestion-Prone Systems," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 24(3), pages 400-419, June.
    8. Thomas, T. & Tutert, S.I.A., 2013. "An empirical model for trip distribution of commuters in The Netherlands: transferability in time and space reconsidered," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 158-165.
    9. Boucekkine, Raouf & Licandro, Omar & Paul, Christopher, 1997. "Differential-difference equations in economics: On the numerical solution of vintage capital growth models," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 21(2-3), pages 347-362.
    10. Amin Mazloumian & Nikolas Geroliminis & Dirk Helbing, "undated". "The Spatial Variability of Vehicle Densities as Determinant of Urban Network Capacity," Working Papers CCSS-09-009, ETH Zurich, Chair of Systems Design.
    11. Arnott, Richard & de Palma, Andre & Lindsey, Robin, 1993. "A Structural Model of Peak-Period Congestion: A Traffic Bottleneck with Elastic Demand," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 83(1), pages 161-179, March.
    12. Cassidy, Michael J. & Bertini, Robert L., 1999. "Some traffic features at freeway bottlenecks," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 25-42, February.
    13. Small, Kenneth A., 1992. "Using the Revenues from Congestion Pricing," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt32p9m3mm, University of California Transportation Center.
    14. Verhoef, Erik T., 1999. "Time, speeds, flows and densities in static models of road traffic congestion and congestion pricing," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 341-369, May.
    15. Arnott, Richard & Inci, Eren, 2006. "An integrated model of downtown parking and traffic congestion," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(3), pages 418-442, November.
    16. Arnott, Richard & Inci, Eren, 2010. "The stability of downtown parking and traffic congestion," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(3), pages 260-276, November.
    17. Liu, Ronghui & May, Tony & Shepherd, Simon, 2011. "On the fundamental diagram and supply curves for congested urban networks," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 45(9), pages 951-965, November.
    18. Verhoef, Erik T., 2001. "An Integrated Dynamic Model of Road Traffic Congestion Based on Simple Car-Following Theory: Exploring Hypercongestion," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 49(3), pages 505-542, May.
    19. Vickrey, William S, 1969. "Congestion Theory and Transport Investment," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 59(2), pages 251-260, May.
    20. Siamak Ardekani & Robert Herman, 1987. "Urban Network-Wide Traffic Variables and Their Relations," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(1), pages 1-16, February.
    21. Verhoef, Erik T., 2003. "Inside the queue:: hypercongestion and road pricing in a continuous time-continuous place model of traffic congestion," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(3), pages 531-565, November.
    22. Small, Kenneth A, 1982. "The Scheduling of Consumer Activities: Work Trips," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 72(3), pages 467-479, June.
    23. Small, Kenneth A., 2001. "Using the Revenues from Congestion Pricing," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt7170x9b0, University of California Transportation Center.
    24. 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.
    25. Geroliminis, Nikolas & Daganzo, Carlos F., 2008. "Existence of urban-scale macroscopic fundamental diagrams: Some experimental findings," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 42(9), pages 759-770, November.
    26. Erik T. Verhoef, 2002. "Inside the Queue," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 02-062/3, Tinbergen Institute, revised 27 May 2003.
    27. Geroliminis, Nikolas & Sun, Jie, 2011. "Properties of a well-defined macroscopic fundamental diagram for urban traffic," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 605-617, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Small, Kenneth A., 2015. "The bottleneck model: An assessment and interpretation," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 4(1), pages 110-117.
    2. Kenneth Small, 2015. "The Bottleneck Model: An Assessment and Interpretation," Working Papers 141506, University of California-Irvine, Department of Economics.
    3. Bao, Yue & Verhoef, Erik T. & Koster, Paul, 2021. "Leaving the tub: The nature and dynamics of hypercongestion in a bathtub model with a restricted downstream exit," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    4. Fosgerau, Mogens, 2015. "Congestion in the bathtub," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 4(4), pages 241-255.
    5. Geroliminis, Nikolas, 2015. "Cruising-for-parking in congested cities with an MFD representation," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 4(3), pages 156-165.
    6. Hall, Jonathan D., 2018. "Pareto improvements from Lexus Lanes: The effects of pricing a portion of the lanes on congested highways," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 113-125.
    7. Liu, Wei & Geroliminis, Nikolas, 2016. "Modeling the morning commute for urban networks with cruising-for-parking: An MFD approach," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 93(PA), pages 470-494.
    8. Arnott, Richard & Inci, Eren, 2010. "The stability of downtown parking and traffic congestion," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(3), pages 260-276, November.
    9. Richard Arnott & Anatolii Kokoza & Mehdi Naji, 2015. "A Model of Rush-Hour Traffic in an Isotropic Downtown Area," Working Papers 201511, University of California at Riverside, Department of Economics.
    10. Gonzales, Eric J., 2015. "Coordinated pricing for cars and transit in cities with hypercongestion," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 4(1), pages 64-81.
    11. Arnott, Richard, 2011. "A Bathtub Model of Traffic Congestion," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt9zx130zz, University of California Transportation Center.
    12. Amirgholy, Mahyar & Shahabi, Mehrdad & Gao, H. Oliver, 2017. "Optimal design of sustainable transit systems in congested urban networks: A macroscopic approach," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 261-285.
    13. C. Robin Lindsey & Erik T. Verhoef, 1999. "Congestion Modelling," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 99-091/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    14. Amirgholy, Mahyar & Gao, H. Oliver, 2017. "Modeling the dynamics of congestion in large urban networks using the macroscopic fundamental diagram: User equilibrium, system optimum, and pricing strategies," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 215-237.
    15. Antonio Russo & Martin W. Adler & Federica Liberini & Jos N. van Ommeren, 2019. "Welfare Losses of Road Congestion," CESifo Working Paper Series 7693, CESifo.
    16. Jin Cao & Monica Menendez & Rashid Waraich, 2019. "Impacts of the urban parking system on cruising traffic and policy development: the case of Zurich downtown area, Switzerland," Transportation, Springer, vol. 46(3), pages 883-908, June.
    17. Zhang, Xiaoning & Yang, Hai & Huang, Hai-Jun & Zhang, H. Michael, 2005. "Integrated scheduling of daily work activities and morning-evening commutes with bottleneck congestion," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 41-60, January.
    18. Richard Arnott & Anatolii Kokoza & Mehdi Naji, 2016. "A Model of Rush-Hour Traffic Dynamics in an Isotropic Downtown Area," Working Papers 201612, University of California at Riverside, Department of Economics.
    19. Gayah, Vikash V. & Gao, Xueyu (Shirley) & Nagle, Andrew S., 2014. "On the impacts of locally adaptive signal control on urban network stability and the Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 255-268.
    20. Liu, Wei & Szeto, Wai Yuen, 2020. "Learning and managing stochastic network traffic dynamics with an aggregate traffic representation," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 19-46.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:cdl:uctcwp:qt24h06883. 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: Lisa Schiff (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/itucbus.html .

    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.