Transit equilibrium assignment: a model and solution algorithm under congested networks in Chinese cities

The factors that affect passengers during their trips in Chinese cities are complicated. This paper investigates impedance functions by combining the concept of effective frequency, the discomfort function under congested networks, and considering different fare systems and road congestion. An equilibrium assignment model appropriate for Chinese congested networks was proposed based on the optimal strategy theory, and a three-layer circulation iteration algorithm based on diagonalisation was presented as well. The model and the algorithm were applied in large scale networks in the city of Xi’an using the EMME/2 platform. The proposed model presented in this paper needs to be further evaluated on even larger scale networks due to the complexity of the transit networks in China, and the value of the parameters needs to be further calibrated to improve the degree of accuracy of this model.