Regional Dynamic Traffic Assignment Framework for Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram Multi-regions Models

In this paper, we propose a regional dynamic traffic assignment framework for macroscopic fundamental diagram (MFD) models that explicitly accounts for trip length distributions. The proposed framework considers stochasticity on both the trip lengths and the regional mean speed. Consequently, we can define utility functions to assess the cost on alternatives, depending on which terms are considered stochastic. We propose a numerical resolution scheme based on Monte Carlo simulations and use the method of successive averages to solve the network equilibrium. Based on our test scenarios, we show that the variability of trip lengths inside the regions cannot be neglected. Moreover, it is also important to consider the stochasticity on the regional mean speeds to account for correlation between regional paths. We also discuss an implementation of the proposed dynamic traffic assignment framework on the sixth district of the Lyon network, where trip lengths are explicitly calculated. The traffic states are modeled by considering the accumulation-based MFD model. The results highlight the influence of the variability of trip lengths on the predicted traffic states.