1.

225J
1.225J (ESD 205) Transportation Flow Systems

Lecture 5

Assignment on Traffic Networks

Prof. Ismail Chabini and Prof. Amedeo R. Odoni

Lecture 5 Outline

‰ Summary from previous lectures:

• Assignment on non-congested networks: All-or-nothing
assignment
• Volume-delay functions for “congested” networks
‰ Framework for static traffic assignment models
‰ Static traffic assignment: concepts
‰ Static traffic assignment: principles
‰ User Optimal (UO) and System Optimal (SO) static traffic
assignment
‰ Summary

1.225, 11/14/02 Lecture 5, Page 2

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 Non-
Non-Congested Road Network and O-
O-D Matrix
Mixed network O-D Matrix
To
2 From 1 2 3 4 5
2
4 1 ª 30 35 40 15 º
1 1 «10  15 12 10 »»
2 «
1 8 4
4
5 [t (i , j )] 3 «50 40  35 20 »
« »
4 « 25 30 35  40 »
3 2 6 5 «¬ 45 30 35 40  »¼
3 Directed network • In R7, t(i, j) means demand for
O-D pair (i, j). (t(i, j) does not mean
travel time of link (i,j)
2 • Other common notation: q(i, j) or qij
2
4 1 1

1 4 5
8 4

3 2
6
3
1.225, 11/14/02 Lecture 5, Page 3

Assign O-
O-D Flows Originating from Node 1

(6,4)+ 2
2
1

Shortest path tree (0,*)+ 1 (5,3)+ 4 5 (8,2)+

from node 1

3 2

3
(3,1)+

30
2
15
30+35+40+15
40
Assign flows originating 30+15
1 30+35+ 4 5 15
from node 1 40+15
30+40+15

35
1.225, 11/14/02 Lecture 5, Page 4

2
 Assign O-
O-D Flows Originating from Node 2

(0,*)+ 2
2
4 1
Shortest path tree
(2,4)+ 1 (1,2)+ 4 5 (2,2)+
from node 2

3
(7,1)+
10+15+12+10
2
10
10+15
12
12
Assign flows originating 1 4 5 10
from node 2
15
10

1.225, 11/14/02
15 Lecture 5, Page 5

Assign O-
O-D Flows Originating from Node 3

(3,4)+ 2
2
1
Shortest path tree (3,3)+ 1 (2,3)+ 4 5 (5,2)+
from node 3

3 2

3
(0,*)+

40
2
50 20

35
Assign flows originating 40+20
1 4 5 20
from node 3
40+35+20
50

50+40+35+20
1.225, 11/14/02 Lecture 5, Page 6

3
 Assign O-
O-D Flows Originating from Node 4

(1,4)+ 2
2
4 1

Shortest path tree (5,2)+ 1 (0,*)+ 4 5 (3,2)+

from node 4

3
(8,1)+

30
2
40
25+35
25
25+30+35+40
Assign flows originating 1 25+30+
4 5 40
from node 4 35+40
35

1.225, 11/14/02 35 Lecture 5, Page 7

Assign O-
O-D Flows Originating from Node 5

(1,5)+ 2

4 1 1
Shortest path tree (5,2)+ 1 (2,2)+ 4 5 (0,*)+
from node 5

6
3
+
(6,5)

30
2

45 45 45+30+40
40
40
Assign flows originating 1 4 5
from node 5 45+30+35+40

35
3

1.225, 11/14/02 35 Lecture 5, Page 8

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 Results of All-
All-or-
or-Nothing Assignment

2 0
85
0+25+0+60+45
52
=130 115
235
Add all flows on each link 0
1 4 5
0 0
170
180 0
50
35
3

‰ All-or-nothing (AON) assignment does not consider congestion

‰ The solution may not be unique (Why? Is unique solution important?
‰ AON assignment does not make sense if certain links are congested
‰ To account for congestion, travel time must depend on link flow
‰ How to change the AON assignment method to make it work?
Ÿ Equilibrium traffic assignment

1.225, 11/14/02 Lecture 5, Page 9

Derived Diagrams from the Fundamental Diagram

(flow, speed) diagram (flow, travel time) diagram

u t true relationship

“stable” “unstable”
classical
uc volume-delay
“unstable” “stable” function

q q
qmax qmax

‰ In general, q cannot be used as a variable (why?)

‰ In the traffic planning area:
• q is also called volume
• travel time is also called travel delay
• In the case of volume-delay functions, q is used as a variable

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 Framework for Static Traffic Assignment Models
‰ Conceptual framework:

(input) Supply/Demand (input)

Supply Demand
Interaction
• Network representation of • Origin-destination flows
the structure of a physical • Centroid nodes and links
road network output
• Link performance functions

Flows and Travel Times

‰ Principles of assignment to represent the supply/demand interaction

• User Optimal (U.O.): O-D flows are assigned to paths with
minimum travel time
• System Optimal (S.O.): O-D flows are assigned such that total
travel time on the network is minimum
1.225, 11/14/02 Lecture 5, Page 11

Example

Highway (Link 1)
t1  x1  10  x1 Ÿ qac
qac Ÿ a c Ÿ qbc

Small On-Ramp (Link 3)

t3  x3  0 Arterial Street (Link 2)
t 2 x2  90  x2

qbc Ÿ b

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 Traffic Assignment Concepts
‰ Conceptual Network ‰ Demand
x O - Ds : (a, c) and (b, c)
1
a c x (a, c) : q ac vehicles / hr
x (b, c) : q bc vehicles / hr
3
2
b

‰ Path flow variables ‰ O-D flows and path flows

x O - D (a, c) : one path
qac f1ac
1 : Link 1 ( f1ac )
x O - D (b, c) : two paths qbc f1bc  f 2bc
1 : Link 2 ( f1bc )
2 : Link 3, Link 1 ( f 2bc )
1.225, 11/14/02 Lecture 5, Page 13

Traffic Assignment Concepts (cont.)-

(cont.)-1
‰ Link (arc) flows and path flows ‰ Arc-path incidence matrix
x1 f1ac  f 2bc O-D b-c
a -- c -
Path 1 1 2
x2 f1bc 1 ª1 0 1º
x3 f 2bc « 0 »»
Link 2 « 0 1
3 «¬ 0 0 1 »¼

bc
‰ Assume that f 2 pqbc ‰ Assignment matrix

x1 qac  pqbc ª x1 º ª1 p º
«x » «0 1  p » ªqac º
x2 1  p qbc « 2» « » «q »
x3 pqbc «¬ x3 »¼ «¬0 p »¼ ¬ bc ¼

1.225, 11/14/02 Lecture 5, Page 14

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 Traffic Assignment Concepts (cont.)-
(cont.)-2

‰ t1 , t2 , t3 are the travel times of links 1, 2, 3.

‰ “Congested” networks:
• Link travel times depend on link flows
• Example:
t1 x1  10  x1 , t2  x2  90  x2 , t3 x3  0
‰ Path travel-times as a function of link travel-times:
C1ac t1 , C1bc t 2 , C2bc t1  t3

‰ Total travel times (What is the unit of this quantity?):

x1 * 10  x1   x2 * 90  x2   x3 * 0 

1.225, 11/14/02 Lecture 5, Page 15

Assignment Principles

‰ If OD flows are infinitely divisible:

• There is an infinite number of assignments
• Which assignment should we choose?
Ј We need additional assumptions to define a less ambiguous
assignment
‰ Assignment principle: a principle used to determine an assignment
‰ Examples of assignment principles:
• User-optimal: between each O-D pair, all used paths have equal
and minimum travel times
• System-optimal: the total travel times are minimum

1.225, 11/14/02 Lecture 5, Page 16

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 Mathematical Expressions of Assignment Principles

‰ User-optimal traffic assignment principle: find p such that:

• O-D (b, c):
If p 0, t1  t3  ! t2
If p 1, t1  t3   t2
If 0  p  1, t1  t3 t2
• O-D (a, c): the question is not posed as there is only one path
‰ System optimal: find p that minimizes:
f1ac C1ac  f1bc C1bc  f 2ac C2ac  x1t1  x2t 2  x3t3 

1.225, 11/14/02 Lecture 5, Page 17

Solution of the U.O. Assignment

‰ We want to solve for a p  >0 ,1@ such that:

If p 0, t1x1   t3 x3  ! t2 x2 
If p 1, t1x1   t3 x3   t2 x2 
If 0  p  1, t1  x1   t3  x3  t2  x2 
and

t1 x1  10  x1 ª x1 º ª1 p º
qac ( 80) «x » «0 1  p » ªqac º
t2  x2  90  x2 « 2» « » «q »
qbc ( 10)
t3  x3  0 «¬ x3 »¼ «¬0 p »¼ ¬ bc ¼

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 Solution of the U.O. Assignment (cont.)

‰ t 2  x 2   t1  x1   t 3  x3 
90  x 2   10  x1  80  x 2  x1
‰ x2  x1 qbc  x3   qac  x3  qbc  qac   2x3
‰ t 2 x2   t1  x1   t3 x3  80  qbc  qac  2 x3
80  qbc  qac 80  qbc  qac
If t 0, then x3
2 2
‰ Example: qac ,q bc  80,10 o x1 , x2 , x3  85,5,5
‰ The travel time on any path is: 95
‰ Total travel time (per hour): (80+10)*95=8550 veh-hrs (per hour)

1.225, 11/14/02 Lecture 5, Page 19

(UO) Assignment May Depend on the Demand

80  qbc  qac
‰ If t 0, then
2
 
x1* , x2* , x3* ¨
§ 80  qbc  qac qbc  80  qac 80  qbc  qac ·
© 2
,
2
,
2
¸
¹
‰ If
80  qbc  qac
 
 0, then x1 , x2 , x3 qac , qbc ,0 
* * *

2
80  qbc  qac
Proof : p * 0 and t 2 qbc   t1 qac   t3 0  0
2
‰ The U.O. assignment is a function of the demand, and the function
may be non-linear. Example:

qac , qbc  80,10 o x1* , x2* , x3*  85,5,5

qac , qbc  160,20 o x1* , x2* , x3*  160,20,0
160,20 2 u 80,10 But 160,20,0 z 2 u 85,5,5
‰ Remark: An increase in demand may lead to a decrease in the flow on
a link

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 Building More Roads Is Not Always Better

‰ Without Link 3, there is only one possible assignment

x , x  q
*
1
*
2 , qbc  80,10
ac
Total travel times in one hour: 80*(10+80)+10*(90+10)=8200 veh-hr
(in one hour)
‰ U.O. with Link 3:
Total travel times (in one hour): 8550 veh-hr (in one hour)
‰ System travel times are worse if one adds Link 3! (Is this intuitive?)
‰ This phenomenon is known as Braess “Paradox”, and is not an
isolated phenomenon.

1.225, 11/14/02 Lecture 5, Page 21

System Optimal Assignment

‰ min x1t1 x1   x2t 2 x2   x3t3 x3 
s.t . f1ac qac Demand
bc bc
f1 f 2 qbc

f1ac t 0, f1bc t 0, f 2bc t 0 Non - negativity

x1 f1ac  f 2bc
x2 f1bc Definition of link flows
bc
x3 f 2

‰ S.O. solution: x1 , x 2 , x 3  80 ,10 ,0 , xif q ac , q bc  x 80 ,10 

* * *

1 2 x3
‰ min x1t1  x1   x2t 2  x2   x3t3  x3  min ³ m1  x1 dx1  ³ m2  x2 dx2  ³ m3  x3 dx3
0 0 0

d  x1t1  x1  d  x2t 2  x2  d  x3t3  x3 

Where : m1  x1  , m2  x2  , m3  x3 
dx1 dx2 dx3
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 Lecture 5 Summary

‰ Assignment on non-congested networks: All-or-nothing assignment

‰ Volume-delay functions for “congested” networks and static demand
‰ Framework for static traffic assignment models
‰ Static traffic assignment concepts and principles
‰ User Optimal and System Optimal static traffic assignment
‰ Summary

1.225, 11/14/02 Lecture 5, Page 23

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