-Norm Path Flow Estimator for Handling Traffic Count Inconsistencies: Formulation and Solution Algorithm
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 136, Issue 6
Abstract
Path flow estimator (PFE) is a single-level network observer proposed to estimate path flows and origin-destination flows from traffic counts in a transportation network. The PFE model handles the traffic count inconsistency problem by allowing user to specify appropriate error bounds (or confidence interval) on the traffic counts. This approach, although flexible, introduces a systematic bias in underestimating the total demand when improper error bounds are specified. This paper presents an -norm PFE model that minimizes the systematic bias of the total demand estimate encountered in the PFE model by determining the least maximum absolute error needed to accommodate measurement errors and traffic count inconsistencies within the estimation process. A solution algorithm based on the dual formulation combined with a column generation procedure is developed for solving the proposed -norm PFE model. Numerical results are presented to illustrate the features and applicability of the proposed -norm PFE model and solution algorithm.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported in part by the California Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways (PATH) program through Grant No. UNSPECIFIEDTO 5502. The contents of this paper reflect the views of the writers who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein and do not necessarily reflect the views of our sponsor.
References
Bell, M. G. H., and Iida, Y. (1997). Transportation network analysis, Wiley, New York.
Bell, M. G. H., and Shield, C. M. (1995). “A log-linear model for path flow estimation.” Proc., 4th Int. Conf. on the Applications of Advanced Technologies in Transportation Engineering, ASCE, Carpi, Italy, 695–699.
Bierlaire, M. (2002). “The total demand scale: A new measure of quality for static and dynamic origin-destination trip tables.” Transp. Res., Part B: Methodol., 36(9), 837–850.
Cascetta, E. (2001). Transportation systems engineering: Theory and methods, Kluwer, Dordrecht.
Chen, A., Chootinan, P., and Recker, W. (2005). “Examining the quality of synthetic origin-destination trip table estimated by path flow estimator.” J. Transp. Eng., 131(7), 506–513.
Chen, A., Chootinan, P., and Recker, W. (2009). “Norm approximation method for handling traffic count inconsistencies in path flow estimator.” Transp. Res., Part B: Methodol., 43(8–9), 852–872.
Chen, A., Pravinvongvuth, S., Chootinan, P., Lee, M., and Recker, W. (2007). “Strategies for selecting additional traffic counts for improving O-D trip table estimation.” Transportmetrica, 3(3), 191–211.
Chootinan, P., Chen, A., and Recker, W. (2005a). “Improved path flow estimator for estimating origin-destination trip tables.” Transportation Research Record. 1923, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C., 9–17.
Chootinan, P., Chen, A., and Yang, H. (2005b). “A bi-objective traffic counting location problem for origin-destination trip table estimation.” Transportmetrica, 1(1), 65–80.
Fang, S. -C., Rajasekera, J. R., and Tsao, H. S. J. (1997). Entropy optimization and mathematical programming, Kluwer, Boston.
Fisk, C. (1980). “Some developments in equilibrium traffic assignment.” Transp. Res., Part B: Methodol., 14(3), 243–255.
Gan, L., Yang, H., and Wong, S. C. (2005). “Traffic counting location and error bound in origin-destination matrix estimation problems.” J. Transp. Eng., 131(7), 524–534.
Ortuzar, J. de D., and Willumsen, L. G. (2001). Modeling transport, 3rd Ed., Wiley, New York.
Yang, H., Iida, Y., and Sasaki, T. (1991). “An analysis of the reliability of an origin-destination trip matrix estimated from traffic counts.” Transp. Res., Part B: Methodol., 25(5), 351–363.
Yang, H., Yang, C., and Gan, L. (2006). “Models and algorithms for the screen line-based traffic-counting location problems.” Comput. Oper. Res., 33(3), 836–858.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Feb 26, 2009
Accepted: Oct 7, 2009
Published online: May 14, 2010
Published in print: Jun 2010
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.