A Theory of Complex Transportation Network Design

交通网络的最佳设计是什么？这个问题在今天尤其重要，因为交通拥堵的普遍性。然而，高效的交通网络的设计是非常具有挑战性的，因为他们的非凡的复杂性。这种复杂性既源于许多运输网络的巨大规模，也源于它们与影响运输模式的社会和经济网络的内在联系。该项目将采用一种被称为领导者-追随者动态博弈的数学模型来模拟负责决定如何扩展和运营复杂城市道路网络的大都市规划组织（MPO）的经验，其中个体驾驶员竞争可用的网络容量，并在目的地，开始时间和路线选择方面保留相当大的自主权。建议的MPO司机游戏将是第一个明确考虑动态社会，经济和交通网络的耦合性质的数学模型。通过对动态MPO-驾驶员博弈的数值模拟和数学分析，它将确定哪些网络架构和操作规则使交通网络对事故，信号故障和恶劣天气等事件具有弹性。该项目还将探讨社交网络和无处不在的个人计算在实现和维持高效交通流方面的作用。同样，它还将调查税收、通行费和养护在公路基础设施财政可持续性方面的作用。最后，它将探讨网络设计对环境可持续性这一重要问题的贡献。这些个别探索的结果将结合起来，为设计复杂的道路网络创造一般原则。此外，通过一个项目网站，该项目将提供复杂道路网络设计的方法，包括博弈论数学模型和解决方案软件的细节。

What is the best design for a transportation network? This question is especially important today because of the pervasive nature of transportation congestion. However, the design of efficient transportation networks is very challenging because of their extraordinary complex nature. That complexity arises from both the immense size of many transportation networks and their intrinsic coupling to social and economic networks that influence transportation patterns. This project will employ a type of mathematical model known as a leader-foll0wer dynamic game to mimic the experience of a metropolitan planning organization (MPO) charged with deciding how to expand and operate a complex urban road network, wherein individual drivers compete for available network capacity and retain considerable autonomy in destination, start time, and route choice for the trips they undertake. The proposed MPO-driver game will be the first mathematical model to explicitly consider the coupled nature of dynamic social, economic, and transportation networks. Through both numerical simulations and mathematical analyses of the dynamic MPO-driver game, it will determine which network architectures and operating rules make a traffic network resilient to incidents such as accidents, signal failures, and inclement weather. This project will also explore the role of social networking and ubiquitous personal computing in achieving and maintaining efficient traffic flows. Likewise, it will investigate the role of taxes, tolls, and maintenance in the financial sustainability of road infrastructure. Finally, it will explore what contributions network design can make to the important issue of environmental sustainability. Results of such individual explorations will be combined to create general principles for designing complex road networks. Additionally, via a project website, this project will make available the methodology, including details of game-theoretic mathematical model and solution software, for complex road network design.