TRAFFIC

ASSIGNMEN
T

FLORES, CRYSTAL FAITH O.

VIVARES, NICOLE B.
Common Problems
in Transportation

• Traffic Congestion
• Longer Commuting
TRAFFIC
ASSIGNMENT
 A process of allocating given
set of trip interchanges to
specified transportation
system.
Major Aims of Traffi c Assignment
Procedures

• Estimate the volume of traffic on the links of

the network and obtain aggregate network
measures.
• Estimate Interzonal travel time.
• Analyze travel pattern of each Origin to
Destination (O-D) pair.
• Identify congested links and to collect traffic
data useful for the design of future junctions.
METHODS
• All-or-nothing
• User Equilibrium
• System Optimum Assignment
• Incremental Increase Model
• Capacity Restraint Assignment
• Stochastic User Equilibrium Traffic Assignment
Example 1: Trip Exchange
between A & B: 100

7 min R1

8 min R2
A B
9 min

R3

Answer: • Assumes that all traffic between

particular origin and destination will take
Since R1 has the least travel,
therefore all 100 vehicles will ALL-OR-
the shortest path.
use R1 path.
NOTHING
 From/to 1 2 3 4
Trips Between Zones
1 - 150 100 200
2 300 - 250 100

Example 2: 3
4
250
250
100
150
-
300
100
-
Table 1. Trip Distribution Results

• Using the travel costs

between each pair shown
5 min 4 min
in Figure 1, assign the
traffic to the network.
1 2 3
• Load the vehicle trips from 4 min
10 9 min
the trip distribution table min
shown. After assigning the
traffic, illustrate the links
and traffic volume on each
4
of them.
Figure 1. Transportation Network
From/ 1 2 3 4 MODES
to TRAVEL
LINK PATH VOLUME
From To TIME
Trips Between Zones
1 - 150 100 200 1 2 1-2 5 150
2 300 - 250 100 3 1-2, 2-3 9 100
3 250 100 - 100 4 1-2, 2-4 9 200
4 250 150 300 - 2 1 2-1 5 300
Table 1. Trip Distribution Results 3 2-3 4 250
4 2-4 4 100
3 1 3-2, 2-1 9 250

5 min 4 min
2 3-2 4 100
1 2 3 4 3-2, 2-4 8 100
4 1 4-2, 2-1 9 250
4 min
10 9 min 2 4-2 4 150
min
3 4-2, 2-3 8 300
4
Table 2. Traffi c Volumes for Each
Route
MODES
TRAVEL
Fro LINK PATH
TIME
VOLUME LINKS VOLUME TOTAL
To
m

1 2 1-2 5 150 150+100+20

1 to 2 450
3 1-2, 2-3 9 100 0
4 1-2, 2-4 9 200 300+250+25
2 to 1 800
2 1 2-1 5 300 0
3 2-3 4 250
100+250+30
4 2-4 4 100 2 to 3 650
0
3 1 3-2, 2-1 9 250
100+250+10
2 3-2 4 100 3 to 2 450
0
4 3-2, 2-4 8 100
4 1 4-2, 2-1 9 250 1 to 4 0 0
2 4-2 4 150
4 to 1 0 0
3 4-2, 2-3 8 300
200+100+10
2 to 4 400
0
250+150+30
4 to 2 700
0
Table 2. Traffi c Volumes for Each Route
3 to 4 0 0
4 to 3 0 0
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

 Simple x Assume all traffic

 Inexpensive will travel on the

 Results easy to shortest path.

understand x Creates unrealistic

flow patterns
USER EQUILIBRIUM
• It is assumed that travelers will
always choose the shortest path and
equilibrium condition would be
realized when no traveler is able to
decrease their travel impedance by
changing path.
• Based on first principle of wardrop:
“If all routes are being utilized, their travel times will be equal to another.”

𝒕 𝟏 =𝒕 𝟐
• Route 1 has a free-flow travel time of
6 minutes and the average travel
time on this route increases by 2
minutes for every 500-vehicle
increase in hourly volume.

• Route 2 has a free-flow travel time of Example:

4 minutes and its average travel
time increases by the square of its a. Travel times on each route
volume in thousands of vehicles per
hour. b. Traffic volumes on each
route
• Assuming equilibrium conditions,
c. Total system travel
SOLUTION:
the highway performance functions can be written as:

where:
average travel times on routes 1 and 2 in minutes
= traffic flow on routes 1 and 2 in 1000s of vehicle/hour

The basic flow conservation identity is:

where: q = total traffic flow between the O-D pair in 1000s of

vehicles per hour.
• Check to see that both routes are used: • From flow conservation,
- if all traffic is assigned to route 1:

or 2,899 veh/hr

or 1,601 veh/hr
- if all traffic is assigned to route 2:

• Route travel times:

War drop's user equilibrium definition

gives:
•

• Total system travel time:

SYSTEM
OPTIMIZATION
• A single route choice strategy is
possible that results in the lowest
possible number of total vehicle
hours of travel for some origin traffic
flow.
• For a set of routes, total system travel time is:

• System optimal route choice is made operational by the following

mathematical program:
EXAMPLE: (Using the example from User Equilibrium)
Revising the prior example, determine the system optimal solution and calculate the
following:
• Travel times on each route
• Travel volumes on each route
• Total system travel time
 Using the previous performance functions

 From the flow conservation, , therefore:

• To find the minimum, the first derivative • In the SO, total travel time is
is set to 0;

= 2033 veh(14.13 min) + 2467

veh(10.08 min)
• Which gives, =53593.65 min
= 893.2 veh – hr

= 2.033 • Under UE, total time was 930 veh –

hr
• The SO solution results in a system-
• For system-optimal travel times wide travel time saving, of 36.8 veh –
hr
min
min
: not user equilibrium travelling
CAPACITY
RESTRAINT METHOD

• As the volume on a roadway

link in any path increases,
travel time increases.
• Therefore, not just the link
travel time, but also its
capacity is important.
• Capacity restraint can be used
into stochastic assignment.
Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) formula used as a default in most models:

where:
t = congested link travel time;
= original link (free flow) travel time;
v = assigned traffic volume;
c = link capacity;

o α and β are parameters for specific types of links and are

calibrated using the field data. In the absence of any field
data, it is usually assumed α = 0.15, and β = 4.0.
Example:
Assume the traffic volume on a path
between zone i and j was 525. The travel
time recorded on this path is 15 minutes. If
the capacity of this path would be 550,
then calculate the new travel time for
future iteration of the model.

Solution:

t = 16.87 minutes
INCREMENTAL Steps:
INCREASE MODEL 1. Find the path for each
zone.
Philosophy: 2. Assign a portion of the trip
exchange matrix (40, 30,
Incrementally assign a 20, 10%) to shortest paths.
portion of the trip exchanges
between zone pairs while 3. Update travel times after
update the travel times each increment.
between increments.
4. Repeat till all trips are
New travel time = functions assigned.
of volume that is assigned
thus far. 5. Sum
Example:
Free- flow travel times for all links are
marked on the links. The capacity of all links
is 30. The following travel time function to all
links.

7 min
L1

Asked: Perform an
incremental assignment of
10 min
A B
100 trip exchanges between
L2

A and B.
16 min
L3
Solution: Iteration 1 – Assign 40% trips
o New travel time
Steps: =10.32 min (L1)
• Assign 40% in iteration 1 =10 min (L2)
• Assign 30% in iteration 2 =16 min (L3)
• Assign 20% in iteration 3
• Assign 10% in iteration 4

10.32 40
min L1

A 10 min
L2
B
16 min
L3
Iteration 2 – Assign 30% trips Iteration 3 – Assign 20% trips
o New travel time o New travel time
=10.32 min (L1) =23.8 min (L1)
=11.5 min (L2) =11.5 min (L2)
=16 min (L3) =16 min (L3)

10.32 40 23.8 40+20

min L1 min L1

30
A 11.5
min L2
B A 11.5
min
30
L2
B
16 min 16 min
L3 L3
Iteration 4 – Assign 10% trips
o New travel time
=23.8 min (L1)
=14.74 min (L2)
=16 min (L3)

23.8 40+2
min 0 L1

30+10
A 14.74 min
L2
B
16 min
L3
STOCHASTIC USER
EQUILIBRIUM

• Stochastic means having a

random pattern that may be
analyzed statistically.
Theory:
 Each competing route in the path has a utility
value.
 The utility will determine the probability of usage
of that route.
 Choice probabilities using logit model.
The probability of using each path is Example:
calculated with the following logit There is a flow of 200 trips between two
formula shown in the equation: points and their possible path, each of
which has a travel time specified in
figure below. Calculate the traffic flow
of each path.
where: 21 min

= utility function for path i

23 min
1 2
26 min
 Solution: Traffic flow would be:
Using the mentioned logit formula for
these paths, we have:

− 21
𝑒
𝑃𝑖= − 21 −2 3 −26
=𝟎 . 𝟖𝟕𝟓
𝑒 +𝑒 +𝑒

− 23
𝑒
𝑃𝑖= − 21 −2 3 −26
=𝟎 . 𝟏𝟐
𝑒 +𝑒 +𝑒

− 26
𝑒
𝑃𝑖= − 21 −2 3 −26
=𝟎 . 𝟎𝟎𝟓
𝑒 +𝑒 +𝑒
TRAFFIC ASSIGNMENT
• Trip assignment, traffic assignment, or route choice
concerns the selection of routes (alternative called
paths) between origins and destinations in
transportation networks.

• It is the fourth step in the conventional

transportation forecasting model, following trip
generation, trip distribution, and mode choice
MAJOR AIMS
1. To estimate the volume of traffic and possibly the
turning movements at intersections.
2. To furnish estimates of travel costs between trip origins
and destinations
3. To obtain aggregate network measures
4. To estimate zone-to-zone travel costs (times) for a given
level of demand.
5. To obtain reasonable link flows and to identify heavily
congested links.
6. To estimate the routes used between each origin to
destination (O-D) pair.
7. To analyze which O-D pairs use a particular link or path.
8. To obtain turning movements for the design of future
junctions.
LINK PERFORMANCE FUNCTION

• One of the most important and fundamental concepts of the

traffic assignment process.

• The function is usually used for estimating travel time, travel

cost, and speed on the network .

• This equation estimates travel time on a Free-flow road

(travel with speed limit) adding a function that increases
travel time exponentially as the road gets more congested.

t= [1+ α
 LINK PERFORMANCE FUNCTION

t = [1+ α

Where:
t and x = travel time and vehicle flow;
= is the link free flow travel time ;
K = the link capacity;
α and β = are parameters for specific types of
links. Assumed value of α = o.15 and β = 4.0.
 LINK PERFORMANCE FUNCTION

EXAMPLE:

Assume the traffic volume on a path between zone i

and j was 525.The travel time recorded on this path is 15
minutes. If the capacity of this path would be 550, then
calculate the new travel time for future iteration of the model.

Given:
= 15 minutes
x = 525
k = 550

SOLUTION:
t = [1+ α
t = [1+ 0.15 ]
t = 16.87
TRAFFIC ASSIGNMENT MODELS
• All-or-nothing Model
• User Equilibrium
• System Optimum Assignment
• Incremental Increase model
• Capacity Restraint Assignment
• Stochastic User Equilibrium Traffic Assignment
• Dynamic Traffic Assignment
All-or-nothing Model
• Is the most basic form of trip
assignment, which loads all trips for
each zone pair to one shortest path.
• Assume that the impedance of a road
or path between each origin and
destination is constant and is equal to
the free-flow level of service.
• Simplest one among all assignment
models.
• This method is also called the 0-1
assignment model, and its advantage
is its simple procedure and calculation.
The assumptions of this method are:

1. Congestion does not affect travel time or cost.

2. Since the method assigns one route to any travel between

each pair of OD, travelers traveling from particular zone to
another particular zone all choose the same route.
 All-or-nothing Model
EXAMPLE:
Table 1 below shows a trip distribution matrix with 4 zones. Using the
travel costs between each pair of them shown in Figure 1 below,
assign the traffic to the network.
All-or-nothing Model
 All-or-nothing Model
Results are shown in the table:
All-or-nothing Model
User Equilibrium
• The rule or algorithm is adopted from the well-known
Wardrop equilibrium (1952) conditions.

• In this algorithm, it is assumed that travelers will always

choose the shortest path and equilibrium condition
would be realized when no traveler is able to decrease
their travel impedance by changing paths.

• UE method is based on the first principle of Wardrop:

"for each origin- destination (OD) pair, with UE, the
travel time on all used paths is equal and less than or
equally to the travel time.

• The mathematical format of this principle is:

=
 User Equilibrium
EXAMPLE:
Using the UE method, assign 4,500
Veh/Hour to the network and calculate
travel time on each route after assignment,
traffic volume, and system total travel time.

A Simple Two-Zone System with Cost Function

 User Equilibrium
HIGHWAY PERFORMACE FUNCTION CAN BE WRITTEN AS:

WHERE:
• and are travel times measured by min on
each route
• and are traffic flows on each route in
1000s measured by (Veh/Hour).
 User Equilibrium
• The basic flow conservation identity is:
=
Where :
total traffic flow between the O-D pair in 1000s of vehicles per
hour

SOLUTION:
• Check, with all traffic assigned to one route, whether
that route is still the shortest path.
If all traffic is assigned to route 1:

= 24 min

= 4 min
 User Equilibrium
If all traffic is assigned to route 2:

= 6 min

= 24.25 min

Step 2: Wardrop equilibrium rule: =

Highway performance function: ,

=
=
 User Equilibrium
Total flow

The equilibrium equation can be written as:

=
=
=
=
=

a = 1, b = 4, c = -20
 User Equilibrium

a = 1, b = 4, c = -20
 User Equilibrium
• From Total flow

or 1601 Veh/hour
or 2899 Veh/hour

• Updated average travel times

are:
 User Equilibrium
• The total system travel time is:

S(x) = ) +
S(x) = 1601 Veh/hour (

S(x) = 55818 veh – min

S(x) = 930.3 veh – hr
System Optimum Assignment
Second principle of the Wardrop
• Drivers' rationale for choosing a path
is to minimize total system costs with one
another in order to minimize total system
travel time.

• Using the SO traffic assignment, problems

like optimizing departure time for a single
commuting route, minimizing total travels
from multiple origins to one destination, or
minimizing travel time in stochastic time-
dependent OD flows from several origins to
a single destination can be solved.
 System Optimum Assignment

• The basic mathematical formula for this model :

• Minimize Z=

Where:

K = is the path
= equilibrium flow in link a
= travel time on link a
= flow on path connecting OD pairs
= is constraint function defined as 1 if link a belongs to path k and 0
otherwise
Subject=

Xa =

Xa
 System Optimum Assignment

EXAMPLE: ( USING THE EXAMPLE FROM USER EQUILIBRIUM)

A Simple Two-Zone System with Cost Function

 System Optimum Assignment

• ,

• Based on the principle of the model we

have:
Z(x) = ) +
Z(x) = ) +
Z(x) = +

From the flow conservation.

to
Z(x) = +
 System Optimum Assignment

Z(x) = +
Z(x) = +
Z(x) = 27 - 6)+
Z(x) = 27 - 6) +
Z(x) = 27 - 6+
Z(x) = 27 +
Z(x) =
Z(x) =
 System Optimum Assignment

a = 3, b = 8, c = - 38

2.467
 System Optimum Assignment

From Total flow

2.467
or 2033 Veh/hour
or 2467 Veh/hour

The system travel time would

be:
 System Optimum Assignment

 The total travel time of the system :

Z(x) = ) +

Z(x) = 2033 Veh/hour (

Z(x) = 53593.65 veh – min

Z(x) = 893.2 veh – hr

Incremental Increase model

 In this model, is based on the logic of the AON

model, a process is designed with multiple
steps. In each step or level, a fraction of the
total traffic volume is assigned, and travel time is
calculated based on the allocated traffic volume.

 Through this incremental addition of traffic, the

travel time of each route in step (n) is the
updated travel time from the previous step.
 Incremental Increase model

The steps for the incremental increase traffic

assignment model are:

• Finding the shortest path between each pair of O-Ds

• Assigning a portion of the trips according to the matrix

(usually 40, 30, 20 and 10 percent to the shortest path)

• Updating the travel time after each iteration (each

incremental increase)

• Continuing until all trips are assigned

• Summing the results

 Incremental Increase model

EXAMPLE: A hypothetical network accommodates

two zones with three possible links between them.
Perform an incremental increase traffic assignment
model for assigning 200 trips between the two
zones with increments of: 30%, 30%, 20%, 20%.
(The capacity is 50 trips.)
 Incremental Increase model
• Using the method of AON, we now assign
the flow to the network using the
function below:
1st iteration (route 1): 30%
t = [1+ α
t = [1+ 0.15 ]
t = 7.86
2nd iteration (route 2): 30%
t = [1+ α
t = [1+ 0.15 ] = t = 9.18
200x30%= 60 trips
 Incremental Increase model

Therefore, the shortest path among route 1 and 2

is route 1
3rd iteration (route3): 20%
200x20% = 40 trips
t = [1+ α
t = [1+ 0.15 ]
t = 8.34
t =[1+ 0.15 ]
t = 8.85

Note: route 3 is not included because it

has the longest travel time
 Capacity Restraint Assignment

• In this model, after each iteration, the total number

of trips are compared with the capacity to observe
how much increase in travel time was realized by the
added volume.

• In this model, the Iteration stops if the added volume

does not change the travel time updated.
 Capacity Restraint Assignment

Link Flow and Travel Time

Relationship
Stochastic User Equilibrium Traffic
Assignment
 Stochastic user equilibrium traffic assignment is
a sophisticated and more realistic model.
 In this model, it is assumed that based on the
first Wardrop principle, all drivers perceive the
costs of traveling in each link identically and
choose the route with minimum cost.
 However, the model allows different individuals
to have different perceptions about the costs,
and thus, they may choose non-minimum cost
routes as well.
 Stochastic User Equilibrium Traffic Assignment

Logit formula shown in the equation:

Where:

is the probability of using path i

is the utility function for path i
 Stochastic User Equilibrium Traffic Assignment

EXAMPLE: There is a flow of 200 trips between

two points and their possible path, each of
which has a travel time specified in Figure
below.
 Stochastic User Equilibrium Traffic Assignment

• SOLUTION:

Using the mentioned logit formula for these

paths, we have:
 Stochastic User Equilibrium Traffic Assignment

The distribution of the traffic flow would be:

0.875 x 200= 175 trips

= 0.12 x 200= 24 trips
= 0.005 × 200= 1 trip
Dynamic Traffi c Assignment
• Recall the first Wardrop principle, in which
travelers are believed to choose their
routes with the minimum cost. Dynamic
traffic assignment is based on the same
rule, but the difference is that delays
resulted from congestion.

• In this way, not only travelers' route choice

affects the network's level of service, but
also the network's level of service affects
travelers' choice as well. However, it is not
theoretically proven that an equilibrium
would result under such conditions.
Thank you!
End of presentation.