Efficiency and Fairness of System-Optimal Routing with User Constraints

Andreas S. Schulz (schulzmit.edu)
Nicolás E. Stier-Moses (nicolas.stiercolumbia.edu)

Abstract: We study the route-guidance system proposed by Jahn, Möhring, Schulz and Stier-Moses (2004) from a theoretical perspective. This approach computes a traffic pattern that minimizes the total travel time subject to user constraints, which ensure that routes suggested to users are not much longer than shortest paths. We show that when distances are measured with respect to travel times at equilibrium, the resulting traffic assignment is efficient and fair.

Keywords: Selfish Routing, Price of Anarchy, Computational Game Theory, Multicommodity Flows, Route Guidance, Traffic Assignment

Category 1: Network Optimization

Category 2: Applications -- OR and Management Sciences (Transportation )

Citation: Working Paper 4274-02, Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, December 2002, revised August 2004.

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Entry Submitted: 08/15/2004
Entry Accepted: 09/01/2004
Entry Last Modified: 08/15/2004

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