Multiple equilibria in a dynamic traffic network

This study provides an example in which the dynamic user equilibrium (DUE) assignment of a congested road network with bottlenecks is non-unique. In previous studies, the uniqueness of DUE assignments with the bottleneck model has been shown in limited cases such as single-origin and single-destination networks. Consequently, it is still an important issue whether or not uniqueness is a general property of DUE assignments. The present study describes a network in which multiple patterns of link travel time are found, thus providing a negative answer to this question. The network has a loopy structure with multiple bottlenecks and multiple origin–destination (OD) pairs. Given a certain demand pattern of departure times for vehicles leaving their origins, a non-convex set of equilibria with a non-unique pattern of link travel times is shown to exist.

► Multiple equilibria were found for the dynamic user equilibrium. ► There is a non-convex solution set consisting of multiple equilibria. ► The pattern of link travel time is not unique in the solution set.