Skip to main content
Log in

Joint pricing and design of urban highways with spatial and user group heterogeneity

  • Published:
NETNOMICS: Economic Research and Electronic Networking Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper addresses the joint optimization of capacity investments and toll charges imposed on multi-group users in monopolistic private highways within general road networks. A game-theoretic formulation is provided that leads to a nonconvex bilevel program. The proposed modeling framework handles several complex issues raised in realistic applications, such as regulations on the levels of tolls and service, and the discrete nature of highway capacity, using a genetic optimization technique. Real-application results show the importance of considering the spatial heterogeneity of prices, and the tradeoff between investments and pricing strategies in regulated private highways.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kim, B. J., & Kim, W. (2006). An equilibrium network design model with a social cost function for multimodal networks. Annals of Regional Science, 40(3), 473–491.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Dimitriou, L., Tsekeris, T., & Stathopoulos, A. (2007). Evolutionary combinatorial programming for discrete road network design with reliability requirements. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 4448, 678–687.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Yang, H., & Zhang, X. (2002). Multi-class network toll design problem with social and spatial equity constraints. Journal of Transportation Engineering, 128(5), 420–428.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Yang, H., Tang, W. H., Cheung, W. M., & Meng, Q. (2002). Profitability and welfare gain of private toll roads in a network with heterogeneous users. Transportation Research Part A, 36(6), 537–554.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Chen, M., Bernstein, D. H., & Spasovic, L. N. (2004). Toll-design problem with stochastic route choice. Environment and Planning Design, 31(5), 731–742.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Shepherd, S. P., & Sumalee, A. (2004). A genetic algorithm based approach to optimal toll level and location problem. Networks and Spatial Economics, 4(2), 161–179.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Yang, H., Zhang, X., & Meng, Q. (2004). Modeling private highways in networks with entry–exit based toll charges. Transportation Research Part B, 38(3), 191–213.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Keeler, T. E., & Small, K. A. (1977). Optimal peak-load pricing, investment and service levels on urban expressways. Journal of Political Economy, 85(1), 1–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Mills, G. (1995). Welfare and revenue divergence for a tolled link in a road network. Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, 29(2), 137–146.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Viton, P. A. (1995). Private roads. Journal of Urban Economics, 37(3), 260–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Verhoef, E. T., & Rouwendal, J. (2004). Pricing, capacity choice, and financing in transportation networks. Journal of Regional Science, 44(3), 405–435.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Yang, H., & Meng, Q. (2000). Highway pricing and capacity choice in a road network under a build–operate–transfer scheme. Transportation Research Part A, 34(3), 207–222.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Chen, A., Subprasom, K., & Ji, Z. (2006). A simulation-based multi-objective genetic algorithm (SMOGA) for BOT network design problem. Optimization and Engineering, 7(3), 225–247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Chen, A., & Subprasom, K. (2007). Analysis of regulation and policy of private toll roads in a build-operate-transfer scheme under demand uncertainty. Transportation Research Part A, 41(6), 537–558.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Dimitriou, L., Tsekeris, T., & Stathopoulos, A. (2008). Genetic computation of road network design and pricing Stackelberg games with multi-class users. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 4974, 670–679.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Ben-Ayed, O., Boyce, D. E., & Blair, C. E. (1998). A general bi-level programming formulation of the network design problem. Transportation Research Part B, 22(4), 311–318.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Yin, Y. (2000). Genetic-algorithms-based approach for bilevel programming models. Journal of Transportation Engineering, 126(2), 115–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Zhao, Y., & Kockelman, K. M. (2006). On-line marginal-cost pricing across networks: Incorporating heterogeneous users and stochastic equilibria. Transportation Research Part B, 40(5), 424–435.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Cantarella, G. E., & Binetti, M. (1998). Stochastic equilibrium traffic assignment with value of time distributed among users. International Transactions in Operational Research, 5(6), 541–553.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Daganzo, C. F., & Sheffi, Y. (1977). On stochastic models of traffic assignment. Transportation Science, 11(3), 253–274.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Yang, H., & Bell, M. G. H. (1997). Traffic restraint, road pricing and network equilibrium. Transportation Research Part B, 31(4), 303–314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Colson, B., Marcotte, P., & Savard, G. (2005). Bilevel programming: a survey. 4OR. Quarterly Journal of Operations Research, 3(2), 87–107.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Poorzahedy, H., & Rouhani, O. M. (2007). Hybrid meta-heuristic algorithms for solving network design problem. European Journal of Operational Research, 182(2), 578–596.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Goldberg, D. E. (1989). Genetic algorithms in search, optimization and machine learning. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Osyczka, A., & Kundu, S. (1995). A new method to solve generalized multicriteria optimization problems using the simple genetic algorithm. Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 10(2), 94–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Cascetta, E., Russo, F., Viola, F., & Vitetta, A. (2002). A model of route perception in urban road networks. Transportation Research Part B, 36(7), 577–592.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Loukas Dimitriou.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dimitriou, L., Tsekeris, T. & Stathopoulos, A. Joint pricing and design of urban highways with spatial and user group heterogeneity. Netnomics 10, 141–160 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11066-008-9021-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11066-008-9021-2

Keywords

Navigation