A Bi-Criterion Multi-User Class Equilibrium Traffic Assignment Model and Solution Algorithm for Evaluating Road Pricing Strategies

Abstract

To support the evaluation of road pricing strategies in a network context, this study develops a bi-criterion multi-user class equilibrium (BMUE) model, which aims to capture trip-makers; path choices in response to toll charges, and hence explicitly considers heterogeneous users with different value of time (VOT) preferences in the underlying path choice decision framework. The VOT is represented as a continuously distributed random variable in each user class across the user population, and a variation inequality formulation is established to characterize the solution to the BMUE problem. This study proposes a solution algorithm featuring with a Gauss-Hermite approximation technique to deal with the normally distributed VOT, therefore finding the multi-user class (MUC) path flow patterns. The applicability of the model has been demonstrated for the Dutch national road network to investigate how VOT distributions affect the MUC path flow patterns under the Dutch Kilometer Pricing (KMP) system.