Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6897580 | European Journal of Operational Research | 2014 | 15 Pages |
Abstract
An equilibrium network design model is formulated to determine the optimal configuration of a vehicle sharing program (VSP). A VSP involves a fleet of vehicles (bicycles, cars, or electric vehicles) positioned strategically across a network. In a flexible VSP, users are permitted to check out vehicles to perform trips and return the vehicles to stations close to their destinations. VSP operators need to determine an optimal configuration in terms of station locations, vehicle inventories, and station capacities, that maximizes revenue. Since users are likely to use the VSP resources only if their travel utilities improve, a generalized equilibrium based approach is adopted to design the system. The model takes the form of a bi-level, mixed-integer program. Model properties of uniqueness, inefficiency of equilibrium, and transformations that lead to an exact solution approach are presented. Computational tests on several synthetic instances demonstrate the nature of the equilibrium configuration, the trade-offs between operator and user objectives, and insights for deploying such systems.
Keywords
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Computer Science
Computer Science (General)
Authors
Rahul Nair, Elise Miller-Hooks,