Hierarchy Analysis and Strategies on the Imbalance between Supply and Demand of Urban Traffic

It is well-known that traffic congestion results from the imbalance between supply and demand of urban traffic. However, the phenomenon of “shifting the burden” exists in urban traffic management. This phenomenon stems from the lack of understanding of the essential cause of traffic imbalance and the validity evaluation of the traffic strategies. To probe the essence of traffic imbalance, traffic imbalance concept is classified into structural imbalance and coupling imbalance. It is also pointed out that game relationships with conflict of interest and dynamic reaction between traffic suppliers and travelers exist. Based on the effect analysis of game relationships on the urban traffic, the hierarchical strategy frame is proposed to balance the relationship between traffic supply and demand.