A network equilibrium approach for modelling activity-travel pattern scheduling problems in multi-modal transit networks with uncertainty

An understanding of the interaction between individuals’ activities and travel choice behaviour plays an important role in long-term transit service planning. In this paper, an activity-based network equilibrium model for scheduling daily activity-travel patterns (DATPs) in multi-modal transit networks under uncertainty is presented. In the proposed model, the DATP choice problem is transformed into a static traffic assignment problem by constructing a new super-network platform. With the use of the new super-network platform, individuals’ activity and travel choices such as time and space coordination, activity location, activity sequence and duration, and route/mode choices, can be simultaneously considered. In order to capture the stochastic characteristics of different activities, activity utilities are assumed in this study to be time-dependent and stochastic in relation to the activity types. A concept of DATP budget utility is proposed for modelling the uncertainty of activity utility. An efficient solution algorithm without prior enumeration of DATPs is developed for solving the DATP scheduling problem in multi-modal transit networks. Numerical examples are used to illustrate the application of the proposed model and the solution algorithm. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014