Title: Route-choice models reflecting the use of travel navigation information in a vehicle-based microscopic simulation system

Authors: Heng Wei, Tianze Xu, Hongchao Liu

Addresses: Advanced Research in Transportation Engineering & Systems (Art-Engines) Laboratory, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati, 792 Rhodes Hall, P.O. Box 210071, Cincinnati, Ohio 45221, USA. ' Advanced Research in Transportation Engineering & Systems (Art-Engines) Laboratory, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati, 735 Engineering Research Center, P.O. Box 210071, Cincinnati, Ohio 45221, USA. ' Multidisciplinary Research Center in Transportation, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Texas Tech University, M.S. 1023, Lubbock, Texas 79409, USA

Abstract: To evaluate the impacts of traveller information through microscopic simulation, it is essential and critical to build route-choice models that are expected to correctly represent the use of traveller information by various categories of drivers. Urban commuters| route choices are usually based on the perceived delay between actual arrival time and preferred arrival time (indifference band of route delay). In this study, a fuzzy set is used to represent the effect of an indifference band of route delay on the tendency for a specific category of drivers to change routes. Fuzzy sets are used to describe the reactions of drivers to traveller information with respect to their tendency to change routes. This methodology shows potential to more realistically represent the effects of real-time information on route choice than can be accomplished using binary choice models.

Keywords: travel navigation information; microsimulation; communication systems; route choice; fuzzy sets; indifference band; route delay; modelling; simulation; traveller information; urban commuters; route selection; arrival time; route changes; vehicle communications.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVICS.2009.027744

International Journal of Vehicle Information and Communication Systems, 2009 Vol.2 No.1/2, pp.27 - 39

Published online: 09 Aug 2009 *

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