IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/nex/wpaper/weakestlink.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The Weakest Link: A Model of the Decline of Surface Transportation Networks

Author

Listed:
  • Feng Xie
  • David Levinson

    (Nexus (Networks, Economics, and Urban Systems) Research Group, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota)

Abstract

This study explores the economic mechanisms behind the decline of a surface transportation network, based on the assumption that the decline phase is a spontaneous process driven by decentralized decisions of individual travelers and privatized links. A simulation model is developed with a degeneration process by which the weakest link is removed iteratively from the network. Experiments reveal how the economic efficiency of a network evolves during the degeneration process and suggest an 'optimal' degenerated network could be derived during the decline phase in terms of maximizing total social welfare.

Suggested Citation

  • Feng Xie & David Levinson, 2007. "The Weakest Link: A Model of the Decline of Surface Transportation Networks," Working Papers 200803, University of Minnesota: Nexus Research Group.
    • Handle: RePEc:nex:wpaper:weakestlink
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tre.2006.09.001
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/11299/179972
    File Function: First version, 2007
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tre.2006.09.001?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David Levinson, 2003. "Perspectives on Efficiency in Transportation," Working Papers 200303, University of Minnesota: Nexus Research Group.
    2. David Levinson & Bhanu Yerra, 2006. "Self-Organization of Surface Transportation Networks," Transportation Science, INFORMS, vol. 40(2), pages 179-188, May.
    3. Handy, Susan L., 1992. "Regional versus Local Accessibility: Variations in Suburban Form and the Effects on Non-Work Travel," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt3rs4s3gc, University of California Transportation Center.
    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. David Levinson, 2008. "Density and dispersion: the co-development of land use and rail in London," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 8(1), pages 55-77, January.
    2. Michael J Corbett & Feng Xie & David Levinson, 2009. "Evolution of the Second-Story City: The Minneapolis Skyway System," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 36(4), pages 711-724, August.
    3. Feng Xie & David Levinson, 2009. "Jurisdictional Control and Network Growth," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 9(3), pages 459-483, September.
    4. Levinson, David & Xie, Feng, 2011. "Does First Last? The Existence and Extent of First Mover Advantages on Spatial Networks," The Journal of Transport and Land Use, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota, vol. 4(2), pages 47-69.

    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. Printezis, Iryna & Grebitus, Carola, 2018. "Marketing Channels for Local Food," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 161-171.
    2. Levinson, David & Zhang, Lei, 2006. "Ramp meters on trial: Evidence from the Twin Cities metering holiday," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 40(10), pages 810-828, December.
    3. Eun Yeong Seong & Youngjae Lim & Chang Gyu Choi, 2022. "Why are convenience stores clustered? The reasons behind the clustering of similar shops and the effect of increased competition," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 49(3), pages 834-846, March.
    4. Jeeno Soa George & Saikat Kumar Paul & Richa Dhawale, 2022. "Multilayer network structure and city size: A cross-sectional analysis of global cities to detect the correlation between street and terrain," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 49(5), pages 1448-1463, June.
    5. Xiaoshu Cao & Feiwen Liang & Huiling Chen & Yongwei Liu, 2017. "Circuity Characteristics of Urban Travel Based on GPS Data: A Case Study of Guangzhou," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-21, November.
    6. Feng Xie & David Levinson, 2009. "Jurisdictional Control and Network Growth," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 9(3), pages 459-483, September.
    7. Susan Handy & Kelly Clifton, 2001. "Local shopping as a strategy for reducing automobile travel," Transportation, Springer, vol. 28(4), pages 317-346, November.
    8. Handy, Susan L., 1992. "Regional Versus Local Accessibility: Neo-Traditional Development and Its Implications for Non-work Travel," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt7gs0p1nc, University of California Transportation Center.
    9. Kayakutlu, Gulgun & Buyukozkan, Gulcin, 2011. "Assessing performance factors for a 3PL in a value chain," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(2), pages 441-452, June.
    10. Shepherd, Simon & Balijepalli, Chandra, 2015. "A game of two cities: A toll setting game with experimental results," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 95-109.
    11. S L Handy & D A Niemeier, 1997. "Measuring Accessibility: An Exploration of Issues and Alternatives," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 29(7), pages 1175-1194, July.
    12. Rui Ding, 2019. "The Complex Network Theory-Based Urban Land-Use and Transport Interaction Studies," Complexity, Hindawi, vol. 2019, pages 1-14, June.
    13. Wanyu Yang & Xuebing Ouyang & Tiezhu Li, 2023. "Research on the Regional Transport Development Index and Its Application in Decision Making and Sustainable Development of Transport Services: A Case Study in Yunnan Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-16, January.
    14. Cascetta, Ennio & Cartenì, Armando & Montanino, Marcello, 2016. "A behavioral model of accessibility based on the number of available opportunities," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 45-58.
    15. David Levinson & Feng Xie & Norah Oca, 2012. "Forecasting and Evaluating Network Growth," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 12(2), pages 239-262, June.
    16. Jin Qin & Yuxin He & Linglin Ni, 2014. "Quantitative Efficiency Evaluation Method for Transportation Networks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(12), pages 1-15, November.
    17. Pinjari, Abdul Rawoof & Bhat, Chandra R. & Hensher, David A., 2009. "Residential self-selection effects in an activity time-use behavior model," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 43(7), pages 729-748, August.
    18. Michael Iacono & David Levinson & Ahmed El-Geneidy, 2007. "Models of Transportation and Land Use Change: A Guide to the Territory," Working Papers 200805, University of Minnesota: Nexus Research Group.
    19. Tang, Wei & Mokhtarian, Patricia & Handy, Susan, 2008. "The Role of Neighborhood Characteristics in the Adoption and Frequency of Working at Home: Empirical Evidence from Northern California," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt9rg8w9c4, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    20. Malik, Jai & Bunch, David S. & Handy, Susan & Circella, Giovanni, 2021. "A deeper investigation into the effect of the built environment on the use of ridehailing for non-work travel," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    decline; transportation network; degeneration; welfare; accessibility;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R40 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - General
    • R42 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Government and Private Investment Analysis; Road Maintenance; Transportation Planning
    • R48 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Government Pricing and Policy
    • D10 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - General
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • D85 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Network Formation
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

    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:nex:wpaper:weakestlink. 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: David Levinson (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/nexmnus.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.