Road pricing and spatial distribution of traffic flow in radial-arc network

Abstract

This paper discusses the effect of road pricing on the spatial distribution of traffic flow. The traffic flow density is derived for a circular city with a radial-arc network. The traffic flow density describes the amount of traffic as a function of position and allows us to identify the location of potential congestion areas. The analytical expression for the traffic flow density demonstrates how the size of the toll area and the toll level affect the spatial distribution of traffic flow. As the size of the toll area increases, the decrease in traffic flow inside the toll area becomes smaller. As the toll level increases, the increase in traffic flow at the boundary of the toll area becomes greater. The effect of the travel cost on the spatial distribution of traffic flow is also examined. These findings can be used to determine the size of the toll area and the toll level required to achieve a certain level of traffic congestion.