Transportation Planning

Module V

Dr. Ritvik Chauhan

Assistant Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli
Email: [email protected]
Course Content
• Traffic Assignment - Route split analysis: Elements of transportation networks, Nodes and links -
minimum path trees - all-or-nothing assignment - Multipath assignment - Capacity restraint.

15-Nov-24 CEPE21 Transportation Planning 2

Lecture Objectives
• Introduce the concept of traffic assignment
• Discuss the shortest path method

15-Nov-24 CEPE21 Transportation Planning 3

Travel Demand Modelling
Pi
Production
1 47
2 66 Tij
3 110 Tijmr
F
r
To Zones Tijm
o 1 2 3 Mode I Route A 5
m 25 Route B
1 10 18 19 47 Mode II 15 17
Aj Z
2 30 32 4 Route C 3
o 66 40
n
Attraction e
3 5 40 65 110
s 45 90 88 223
1 45
2 90
3 88

15-Nov-24 CEPE21 Transportation Planning 4

Traffic Assignment
• Stage in transportation planning process wherein the trip interchanges are allocated to
different parts of the network forming the transportation system
• Output
• The route to be travelled
• Link flows

15-Nov-24 CEPE21 Transportation Planning 5

 major aims of traffic assignment procedures
To estimate the volume of traffic on the links of the network and possibly the turning movements at intersections.

To furnish estimates of travel costs between trip origins and destinations for use in trip distribution.

To obtain aggregate network measures, e.g. total vehicular flows, total distance covered by the vehicle, total system
travel time.

To estimate zone-to-zone travel costs (times) for a given level of demand.

To obtain reasonable link flows and to identify heavily congested links.

To estimate the routes used between each origin to destination(O-D) pair.

To analyse which O-D pairs that uses a particular link or path.

To obtain turning movements for the design of future junctions.

15-Nov-24 CEPE21 Transportation Planning 6

 Application
• To determine the deficiencies in the existing transportation system by
assigning the future trips to the existing system
• To evaluate the effects of limited improvements and additions to the
existing transportation system by assigning estimated future trips to the
improved network
• To develop construction priorities by assigning estimated future trips to
the transportation system
• To test alternative transportation system proposals
• To provide design hour traffic volumes on highway and turning
movements at junctions

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Person Trips vs. Vehicle Trips
• Trip generation step calculated total person trips
• Trip assignment deals with volume not person trips
• Need to adjust person trips to reflect vehicle trips
• Usually adjust by average auto occupancy
• Example:
• If:
• average auto occupancy = 1.2
• number of person trips from zone 1 = 550
• So:
• Vehicle trips = 550 person trips/1.2 persons per vehicle = 458.33 vehicle trips

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General Principles
• All assignment techniques are based on route selection
• The choice of route is made on the basis of number of criteria-journey time, length, cost, comfort,
convenience and safety
• Journey time considered as the sole criteria, as length and cost can be considered as function of time
• Route selection is made manually for small networks and computer programs can be used for larger
networks
• Highway network is considered as a system of links and nodes
• Link is a section of a highway network between two intersections
• Node is either a centroid of the zone or intersection of two or more links
• Minimum path-route of travel which has the least accumulation of time, distance or other parameters
• The sequence of nodes which defines the link comprising minimum path between two zone centroid
is called tree

15-Nov-24 CEPE21 Transportation Planning 9

Find the shortest path from node 1 to all other nodes (from Garber and Hoel)

1 1 2 3 3 6 4

2 4 2 1

5 2 6 3 7 2 8 Moore's Algorithm

2 3 1 1

9 4 10 3 11 3 12

2 4 1 1

13 4 14 4 15 4 16

Yellow numbers 3 represent link travel times in minutes

STEP 1
1
1 1 2 3 3 6 4

2 4 2 1

2
5 2 6 3 7 2 8

2 3 1 1

9 4 10 3 11 3 12

2 4 1 1

13 4 14 4 15 4 16
STEP 2
1 4
1 1 2 3 3 6 4

2 4 2 1

2 5
5 2 6 3 7 2 8

2 3 1 1

9 4 10 3 11 3 12

2 4 1 1

13 4 14 4 15 4 16
STEP 3
1 4
1 1 2 3 3 6 4

2 4 2 1

2 5
5 2 6 3 7 2 8
4

2 3 1 1

4
9 4 10 3 11 3 12

2 4 1 1

13 4 14 4 15 4 16
STEP 4
1 4
1 1 2 3 3 6 4

Eliminate
2 4 2 1
5 >= 4
2 5
5 2 6 3 7 2 8
4

2 3 1 1

4
9 4 10 3 11 3 12

2 4 1 1

13 4 14 4 15 4 16
STEP 5
1 4 10
1 1 2 3 3 6 4

2 4 2 1

2 6
5 2 6 3 7 2 8
4

2 3 1 1

4
9 4 10 3 11 3 12

2 4 1 1

13 4 14 4 15 4 16
STEP 6
1 4 10
1 1 2 3 3 6 4

2 4 2 1

2 6
5 2 6 3 7 2 8
4 7
Eliminate
7 >= 6
2 3 1 1

4 7
9 4 10 3 11 3 12

2 4 1 1

13 4 14 4 15 4 16
STEP 7
1 4 10
1 1 2 3 3 6 4

2 4 2 1

2 6
5 2 6 3 7 2 8
4

2 3 1 1

4 7
9 4 10 3 11 3 12
8
Eliminate
4 8 >= 7 1
2 1

6
13 4 14 4 15 4 16
STEP 8
1 4 10
1 1 2 3 3 6 4

2 4 2 1

2 6 8
5 2 6 3 7 2 8
4

2 3 1 1

4 7 7
9 4 10 3 11 3 12

2 4 1 1

6
13 4 14 4 15 4 16
STEP 9
1 4 10
1 1 2 3 3 6 4

2 4 2 1

2 6 8
5 2 6 3 7 2 8
4

2 3 1 1

4 7 7
9 4 10 3 11 3 12

2 4 1 1

6 10
13 4 14 4 15 4 16
STEP 10
1 4 10
1 1 2 3 3 6 4

2 4 2 1

2 6 8
5 2 6 3 7 2 8
4

2 3 1 1

4 7 7
9 4 10 3 11 3 12
10
Eliminate
Eliminate 4 1 10 >= 7
2 1

6 11
13 4 14 4 15 4 16
10
11 >= 10
STEP 11
1 4 10
1 1 2 3 3 6 4

2 4 2 1

2 6 8
5 2 6 3 7 2 8
4

2 3 1 1

4 7 7 10
9 4 10 3 11 3 12

2 3 1 1

6 8
13 4 14 4 15 4 16
10
 Eliminate 10 > 9
STEP 12
1 4 10
1 1 2 3 3 6 4
9

2 4 2 1

2 6 8
5 2 6 3 7 2 8
4

2 3 1 1
10 >= 9
4 10 9
7 7
9 4 10 3 11 3 12

Eliminate
2 3 1 1

6 8
13 4 14 4 15 4 16
10
STEP 13
1 4
1 1 2 3 3 6 4
9

2 4 2 1

2 6 8
5 2 6 3 7 2 8
4

2 3 1 1

4 9
7 7
9 4 10 3 11 3 12

2 3 1 1
12 >= 10
6 12 8 12
13 4 14 4 15 4 16
10
Eliminate
STEP 14
1 4
1 1 2 3 3 6 4
9

2 4 2 1

2 6 8
5 2 6 3 7 2 8
4

2 3 1 1

4 9
7 7
9 4 10 3 11 3 12

2 3 1 1
12 >= 10

6 8 12 10
13 4 14 4 15 4 16
10
Eliminate
FINAL
1 4
1 2 3 4
9

2 6 8
5 6 7 8
4

4 9
7 7
9 10 11 12

6 8 10
13 14 15 16
10
Lecture Objectives
• Introduce different traffic assignment techniques
• Discuss the AON method

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Network assignment techniques
• All-or-nothing assignment (Free assignment or desire assignment)
• Multiple route or multipath assignment
• Capacity restraint assignment
• Diversion curves

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 Approaches to Traffic Assignment
Traffic Assignment
Models

Static Assignment Models Dynamic Assignment Models

User Equilibrium System Optimum

Assignment (UE) ✓ Dynamic User Optimum
Assignment (SO)
✓ Dynamic Stochastic User Optimum
✓ Dynamic System Optimum
Stochastic Deterministic ✓ Macroscopic
✓ Mesoscopic
Assignment Assignment
✓ Microscopic

Pure Stochastic Stochastic User

Assignment (SUN) Equilibrium (SUE) All-or-Nothing
Assignment (DUN)

Heuristic Method of Successive Incremental Capacity Restraint

Methods Averages (MSA) Assignment Assignment
As the number of increments grows,
Flow patterns closer to UE

15-Nov-24 CEPE21 Transportation Planning 28

All-or-nothing assignment
• Assumption that the route followed by vehicles travelling from zone of origin to destination will be one with
least travel resistance.
• Resistance can be measured in terms of travel time, distance, cost or a suitable combination of these
parameters
• Procedure
• Determination of the minimum path from each zone to all other zones
• In this type of trip assignment, all the trips are assigned to the link which falls on the shortest path.
• No trip is assigned to the link which does not fall on the minimum path.
• Once traffic volume are assigned to the various links, check is made to see that no link is loaded beyond
the capacity. If overloading is found to exist, the journey times on this overloaded links are altered and the
assignment is repeated.

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Example
The travel time functions for both the links is given by:

t1 = 10
t2 = 15

Total flows from 1 to 2 is given by. q12 = 12

Since the shortest path is Link 1, all flows are assigned to it

making x1 =12 and x2 = 0.

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Example

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Disadvantages
• If time alone is considered, other important factors such as cost, reliability convenience and safety
will be neglected. Driver may attach more value to these neglected factors thus causing error in the
assigned flow.
• Too many vehicles tend to be assigned to more attractive routes. May cause increasing congestion
• If a superior facility is available, for e.g. expressways people tend to prefer to use this facility for
longer journeys. If travel time or cost is the sole factor, AON might not reflect the tendency
• Small differences in journey time by different routes between the same origin and destination can
result in unrealistic journey paths

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Lecture Objective
• To discuss multipath assignment and capacity restrained assignment

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Multiple Route Assignment
• Multipath assignment
• All road users may not be able to judge the minimum path for themselves
• It may happen that all road users may not have the same criteria for judging the shortest
route
• Method consists of assigning the inter zonal flow to a series of routes, the proportional of
total flow assigned to each being the function of the length of the route in relation to the
shortest route

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Capacity restraint assignment
• Philosophy
• As the volume on a roadway link in any path increases, travel time increases
• Indicates that not just travel time, capacity is also important
• AON does not consider capacity of the link
• Link impedance depends on link flow levels
• It involves volume-delay relationship
• Average travel speed decreases with increased flow (volume)
• Average travel time increases as the volume-to-capacity ratio on a link increases
• The Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) formula, used as default in most model packages

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BPR Formula

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Steps

Step 1: Step 2: Step 3:

Find shortest Assign trips to Update link travel
times using capacity
routes shortest routes
restraint function

Step 6: Average Step 5: Step 4: Compute

trips for last two new shortest routes
Assign trips to
assignments using new travel
shortest route
times

Step 7: Update link Step 8 : Step 9: Continue

travel times using until volumes and
Go back to
average trips assigned travel times on links
Step 1.
and capacity restraint are in equilibrium
function.

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Example
• Obtain the flow patterns over the network shown in Figure. The volume-delay curves are as
given below. Link 1

t1 = 17 [1+0.3(x1/4)2] Link 2
t2 = 16 [1+0.5(x2/5)3 ]
O D
t3 = 12 [1+0.6(x3/7)3] Link 3

x1 + x2 + x3 = 12 flow units

15-Nov-24 CE604 Transportation Planning 38

Solution
Iteration Algorithmic step Link 1 Link 2 Link 3
Number
0 Initialization t10=17 t20=16 t30=12
x10=0 x20=0 x30=12
1 Update t 1=17 t21=16 t31=48
1
Loading x 1= x21=12 x31=0 The algorithm does not
1 converge, as the flow flip- flops
2 Update t12=17 t22=126 t32=12 between links 2 and 3, whereas
link 1 does not get loaded at all
Loading x12=0 x22=0 x32=12
3 Update t13=17 t23=16 t33=48
Loading x13=0 x23=12 x33=0
….. …. ….. ….

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Lecture Objective
• To discuss incremental assignment technique

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Incremental assignment technique
• Incrementally assign a portion of the trip between zone pairs while updating the travel time
between increments
• Steps:
• Find shortest path tree for each zone
• Assign a proportion of the trip interchange matrix (usually 40, 30, 20 and 10%) to shortest
paths
• Update travel times after each increment
• Repeat this until all trips are assigned

15-Nov-24 CEPE21 Transportation Planning 41

Problem
• Network with the free flow travel time is given. The capacity of all links is 30. BPR travel time
function can be applied. Perform incremental analysis of 100 trips from zone 1 to 2.
• Steps
• Assign 40% in iteration 1, update time
• Assign 30% in iteration 2, update time 7 min
• Assign 20% in iteration 3, update time
• Assign 10% in iteration 4, update time 1
10 min
2

16 min

15-Nov-24 CEPE21 Transportation Planning 42

Solution
• Iteration 1-Assign 40% trips • Calculate link travel time using BPR
function
𝑣 4
𝑡 = 𝑡0 1 + 0.15
𝑐
7 min 40
• For link 1
10 min 40 4
1 0
2 𝑡 = 7 1 + 0.15 =10.32
30
• For link 2
16 min 0 0 4
𝑡 = 10 1 + 0.15 =10
30
• For link 3
0 4
𝑡 = 16 1 + 0.15 =16
30

15-Nov-24 CEPE21 Transportation Planning 43

Solution
• Iteration 2-Assign 30% trips • Calculate link travel time using BPR
function
𝑣 4
𝑡 = 𝑡0 1 + 0.15
𝑐
10.32 min 40
• For link 1
10 min 40 4
1 0+30 2 𝑡 = 7 1 + 0.15 =10.32
30
• For link 2
16 min 0 30 4
𝑡 = 10 1 + 0.15 =11.5
30
• For link 3
0 4
𝑡 = 16 1 + 0.15 =16
30

15-Nov-24 CEPE21 Transportation Planning 44

Solution
• Iteration 3-Assign 20% trips • Calculate link travel time using BPR
function
𝑣 4
𝑡 = 𝑡0 1 + 0.15
𝑐
10.32 min 40+20
• For link 1
11.5 min 60 4
1 0+30 2 𝑡 = 7 1 + 0.15 =23.8
30
• For link 2
16 min 0 30 4
𝑡 = 10 1 + 0.15 =11.5
30
• For link 3
0 4
𝑡 = 16 1 + 0.15 =16
30

15-Nov-24 CEPE21 Transportation Planning 45

Solution
• Iteration 4-Assign 10% trips • Calculate link travel time using BPR
function
𝑣 4
𝑡 = 𝑡0 1 + 0.15
𝑐
23.8 min 40+20
• For link 1
11.5 min 60 4
1 2 𝑡 = 7 1 + 0.15 =23.8
30
0+30+10
• For link 2
16 min 0 40 4
𝑡 = 10 1 + 0.15 =14.74
30
• For link 3
0 4
𝑡 = 16 1 + 0.15 =16
30

15-Nov-24 CEPE21 Transportation Planning 46

Solution
• Loaded network

23.8 min
60

14.74 min
1 40 2

16 min 0

15-Nov-24 CEPE21 Transportation Planning 47

Lecture Objectives
• Introduce equilibrium assignment techniques

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User equilibrium assignment (UE)
• Based on Wardrop’s first principle
• States that no driver can unilaterally reduce his/her travel costs by shifting to another route
• User Equilibrium (UE) conditions can be written for a given O-D pair as:
𝑓𝑘 𝑐𝑘 − 𝑢 = 0
𝑐𝑘 − 𝑢 ≥ 0

where 𝑓𝑘 is the flow on path 𝑘, 𝑐𝑘 is the travel cost on path 𝑘, and 𝑢 is the minimum cost.
• If 𝑐𝑘 − 𝑢 = 0, 𝑓𝑘 ≥ 0, means that all used paths will have same travel time
• If 𝑐𝑘 − 𝑢 ≥ 0, 𝑓𝑘 = 0, means that all unused paths will have travel time greater than the
minimum cost path

15-Nov-24 CEPE21 Transportation Planning 49

Assumptions in User Equilibrium Assignment
• The user has perfect knowledge of the path cost.
• Travel time on a given link is a function of the flow on that link only
• Travel time functions are positive and increasing
𝑎
𝑀𝑖𝑛 𝑍 = ෍ න 𝑡𝑎 𝑥𝑎 𝑑𝑥
𝑎 0

Subject to σ𝑎 𝑓𝑘𝑟𝑠 = 𝑞𝑟𝑠

𝑟,𝑠 𝑟,𝑠
𝑥𝑎 = ෍ ෍ ෍ 𝛿𝑎,𝑘 𝑓𝑘
𝑟 𝑠 𝑘

𝑓𝑘𝑟,𝑠 ≥ 0
𝑥𝑎 ≥0

• where 𝑘 is the path, 𝑥𝑎 is flow on link 𝑎, 𝑡𝑎 travel time on link 𝑎, 𝑓𝑘𝑟,𝑠 flow on path 𝑘 connecting O-D
𝑟,𝑠
pair r-s, 𝑞𝑟𝑠 total flow between r-s, 𝛿𝑎,𝑘 definitional constraint

15-Nov-24 CEPE21 Transportation Planning 50

User equilibrium assignment (UE)
• The path connecting O-D pair can be divided into two categories :
• Those carrying the flow and those not carrying the flow on which the travel time is
greater than (or equal to) the minimum O-D travel time.
• If the flow pattern satisfies these equations no motorist can better off by unilaterally
changing routes.
• All other routes have either equal or heavy travel times.
• The user equilibrium criteria is thus met for every O-D pair.

15-Nov-24 CEPE21 Transportation Planning 51

Problem
• Flow between zone 1 and 2 is 12. Calculate 𝑥1 and 𝑥2 .
𝑥1 𝑥2
𝑀𝑖𝑛 𝑍 = න 10 + 3𝑥1 𝑑 𝑥1 + න 15 + 2𝑥2 𝑑 𝑥2
0 0

𝑥1 2 𝑥2 2
= 10𝑥1 + 3 2 + 15𝑥2 + 2 2

Subject to 𝑥1 + 𝑥2 = 12
𝑆𝑢𝑏𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑥2 = 12 − 𝑥1 and differentiating and equating to 0,

𝑥1 = 5.8
𝑥2 = 6.2

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System Optimum Assignment (SO)
• Based on Wardrop’s second principle
• States that drivers cooperate with one another in order to minimize total system travel time.
• Not a behaviorally realistic model, but it can be useful to transport planners and engineers,
trying to manage the traffic to minimize travel costs and therefore achieve an optimum social
equilibrium
𝑀𝑖𝑛 𝑍 = ෍ 𝑥𝑎 𝑡𝑎 𝑥𝑎
𝑎
Subject to σ𝑎 𝑓𝑘𝑟𝑠 = 𝑞𝑟𝑠

𝑟,𝑠 𝑟,𝑠
𝑥𝑎 = ෍ ෍ ෍ 𝛿𝑎,𝑘 𝑓𝑘
𝑟 𝑠 𝑘

𝑓𝑘𝑟,𝑠 ≥ 0
𝑥𝑎 ≥0

15-Nov-24 CEPE21 Transportation Planning 53

Problem
• Flow between zone 1 and 2 is 12. Calculate 𝑥1 and 𝑥2 .

𝑀𝑖𝑛 𝑍 = 𝑥1 10 + 3𝑥1 + 𝑥2 15 + 2𝑥2

Subject to 𝑥1 + 𝑥2 = 12
𝑆𝑢𝑏𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑥2 = 12 − 𝑥1 and differentiating and equating to 0,

𝑥1 = 5.3
𝑥2 = 6.7

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Stochastic Assignment Technique
• Each competing path in the route has a utility value
• Utility will determine the probability of usage of a route

1
−𝛽𝐶𝑖𝑗
𝑒
𝑃𝑖𝑗1 = 𝑟
−𝛽𝐶𝑖𝑗
σ𝑟 𝑒
r-route

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Stochastic Assignment Technique
𝑒 −7
𝑃𝑖𝑗1 = −7 = 0.665
𝑒 + 𝑒 −8 + 𝑒 −9
−7
𝑒
𝑃𝑖𝑗2 = −7 = 0.245
7 min 𝑒 + 𝑒 −8 + 𝑒 −9

8 min 𝑒 −7
1 2 𝑃𝑖𝑗3 = −7 −8 −9
= 0.090
𝑒 +𝑒 +𝑒

9 min

• If 100 trips are there between zone 1 and 2, then trips in first route = 67, second route = 25, third route = 9

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Stochastic Assignment Technique
• Advantage
• More realistic compared to AON

• Disadvantage
• Complexity in arriving the utility function
• Computational complexity

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Conversion of P-A Matrix to O-D Matrix
• Production- Attraction (PA) matrix has no directional meaning
• Origin-Destination (OD) matrix required for directional traffic assignment
• For directional traffic assignment, the PA matrix must be converted to an OD matrix

A D O
Zone 2 Zone 2 Zone 2

t12 = 200 trips t12 = 80 trips t21 = 120 trips

P O D
Zone 1 Zone 1 Zone 1

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Conversion of P-A Matrix to O-D Matrix
The general formulae for finding the cell elements of an OD matrix, from the cell elements of
PA matrix, are

𝒕𝒊𝒋 = 𝝀𝒕𝒊𝒋 + (𝟏 − 𝝀)𝒕𝒋𝒊

𝒕𝒋𝒊 = 𝝀𝒕𝒋𝒊 + (𝟏 − 𝝀)𝒕𝒊𝒋

Where, 𝝀= Proportion of trips originating from the production zone

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Example
Attraction zones
• Given P-A Matrix 1 2 3 Total
Production 1 60 60 40 160
Zones 2 20 80 40 140
3 20 70 50 140
Total 100 210 130 440
• Let the proportion of trips originating from the production zone be 0.4

• O-D Matrix Destination zones

1 2 3 Total

Origin Zones
1 60 24+12 = 36 16+12 =28 124
2 8+36 = 44 80 16+42 =58 182
3 8+24 = 32 28+24 = 52 50 134
Total 136 168 136 440

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