A CONVEX CONTROL MODEL OF DYNAMIC SYSTEM OPTIMAL TRAFFIC ASSIGNMENT

In this paper, a dynamic system-optimal traffic assignment model is fo rmulated as a convex control problem for a congested general network w ith many origins and many destinations. Analytical and computational d ifficulties caused by the nonconvexity of the previous models are elim inated. The modeling of are traffic dynamics is improved to prohibit i nstantaneous flow propagation on each are even though the concave exit functions are still employed to represent the physical process of tra ffic congestion. An economic interpretation of the optimality conditio ns is given as a dynamic assignment principle which requires equilibra tion of actual marginal costs on all the paths that are used. A numeri cal example is also presented. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All righ ts reserved.