01595068

Component

Braess’ paradox is a classical traffic assignment problem in which a counter-intuitive result is obtained: under user equilibrium, adding a link to an uncapacitated road network can downgrade the system’s performance. The travel times can increase. In this study, the authors examine the relationship between the network parameters and the occurrence of this paradox. The authors study the influence of the capacity of the connecting link and consider this relationship for a more general capacitated traffic assignment where the users are both selfish and altruistic (pursuing user-optimal and system-optimal objectives). The focus is on Wheatstone-bridge type networks, since Braess’ paradox only occurs when the network has such a structure. After deriving a nonlinear optimization model for the problem, the authors explore how system behavior is affected by the capacity expansion of the connecting link by conducting a set of computer experiments.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ADB30 Standing Committee on Transportation Network Modeling.

01584066

16-5747

English

20p

2016

Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; References; Tables

Mathematical models; Network analysis (Planning); Network links; Optimization; Traffic assignment; Traffic equilibrium

Braess' Paradox

Data and Information Technology; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2016 Paper #16-5747

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 12 2016 6:31PM