Route Planning in Transportation Networks

We survey recent advances in algorithms for route planning in transportation networks. For road networks, we show that one can compute driving directions in milliseconds or less even at continental scale. A variety of techniques provide different trade-offs between preprocessing effort, space requirements, and query time. Some algorithms can answer queries in a fraction of a microsecond, while others can deal efficiently with real-time traffic. Journey planning on public transportation systems, although conceptually similar, is a significantly harder problem due to its inherent time-dependent and multicriteria nature. Although exact algorithms are fast enough for interactive queries on metropolitan transit systems, dealing with continent-sized instances requires simplifications or heavy preprocessing. The multimodal route planning problem, which seeks journeys combining schedule-based transportation (buses, trains) with unrestricted modes (walking, driving), is even harder, relying on approximate solutions even for metropolitan inputs.Comment: This is an updated version of the technical report MSR-TR-2014-4, previously published by Microsoft Research. This work was mostly done while the authors Daniel Delling, Andrew Goldberg, and Renato F. Werneck were at Microsoft Research Silicon Valle

Algorithm Engineering for Realistic Journey Planning in Transportation Networks

Diese Dissertation beschäftigt sich mit der Routenplanung in Transportnetzen. Es werden neue, effiziente algorithmische Ansätze zur Berechnung optimaler Verbindungen in öffentlichen Verkehrsnetzen, Straßennetzen und multimodalen Netzen, die verschiedene Transportmodi miteinander verknüpfen, eingeführt. Im Fokus der Arbeit steht dabei die Praktikabilität der Ansätze, was durch eine ausführliche experimentelle Evaluation belegt wird

A Multicriteria Optimization for Flight Route Networks in Large-Scale Airlines Using Intelligent Spatial Information

Air route network optimization, one of the airspace planning challenges, effectively manages airspace resources toward increasing airspace capacity and reducing air traffic congestion. In this paper, the structure of the flight network in air transport is analyzed with a multi-objective genetic algorithm regarding Geographic Information System (GIS) which is used to optimize this Iran airlines topology to reduce the number of airways and the aggregation of passengers in aviation industries organization and also to reduce changes in airways and the travel time for travelers. The proposed model of this study is based on the combination of two topologies – point-to-point and Hub-and-spoke – with multiple goals for causing a decrease in airways and travel length per passenger and also to reach the minimum number of air stops per passenger. The proposed Multi-objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA) is tested and assessed in data of the Iran airlines industry in 2018, as an example to real-world applications, to design Iran airline topology. MOGA is proven to be effective in general to solve a network-wide flight trajectory planning. Using the combination of point-to-point and Hub-and-spoke topologies can improve the performance of the MOGA algorithm. Based on Iran airline traffic patterns in 2018, the proposed model successfully decreased 50.8% of air routes (184 air routes) compared to the current situations while the average travel length and the average changes in routes were increased up to 13.8% (about 100 kilometers) and up to 18%, respectively. The proposed algorithm also suggests that the current air routes of Iran can be decreased up to 24.7% (89 airways) if the travel length and the number of changes increase up to 4.5% (32 kilometers) and 5%, respectively. Two intermediate airports were supposed for these experiments. The computational results show the potential benefits of the proposed model and the advantage of the algorithm. The structure of the flight network in air transport can significantly reduce operational cost while ensuring the operation safety. According to the results, this intelligent multi-object optimization model would be able to be successfully used for a precise design and efficient optimization of existing and new airline topologies

Zone-based public transport route optimisation in an urban network

The majority of academic studies on the optimisation of public transport routes consider passenger trips to be fixed between pairs of stop points. This can lead to barriers in the use of the developed algorithms in real-world planning processes, as these usually utilise a zone-based trip representation. This study demonstrates the adaptation of a node-based optimisation procedure to work with zone-to-zone trips. A core element of this process is a hybrid approach to calculate zone-to-zone journey times through the use of node-based concepts. The resulting algorithm is applied to a input dataset generated from real-world data, with results showing significant improvements over the existing route network. The dataset is made publicly available to serve as a potential benchmark dataset for future research

Development of transportation and supply chain problems with the combination of agent-based simulation and network optimization

Demand drives a different range of supply chain and logistics location decisions, and agent-based modeling (ABM) introduces innovative solutions to address supply chain and logistics problems. This dissertation focuses on an agent-based and network optimization approach to resolve those problems and features three research projects that cover prevalent supply chain management and logistics problems. The first case study evaluates demographic densities in Norway, Finland, and Sweden, and covers how distribution center (DC) locations can be established using a minimizing trip distance approach. Furthermore, traveling time maps are developed for each scenario. In addition, the Nordic area consisting of those three countries is analyzed and five DC location optimization results are presented. The second case study introduces transportation cost modelling in the process of collecting tree logs from several districts and transporting them to the nearest collection point. This research project presents agent-based modelling (ABM) that incorporates comprehensively the key elements of the pick-up and delivery supply chain model and designs the components as autonomous agents communicating with each other. The modelling merges various components such as GIS routing, potential facility locations, random tree log pickup locations, fleet sizing, trip distance, and truck and train transportation. The entire pick-up and delivery operation are modeled by ABM and modeling outcomes are provided by time series charts such as the number of trucks in use, facilities inventory and travel distance. In addition, various scenarios of simulation based on potential facility locations and truck numbers are evaluated and the optimal facility location and fleet size are identified. In the third case study, an agent-based modeling strategy is used to address the problem of vehicle scheduling and fleet optimization. The solution method is employed to data from a real-world organization, and a set of key performance indicators are created to assess the resolution's effectiveness. The ABM method, contrary to other modeling approaches, is a fully customized method that can incorporate extensively various processes and elements. ABM applying the autonomous agent concept can integrate various components that exist in the complex supply chain and create a similar system to assess the supply chain efficiency.Tuotteiden kysyntä ohjaa erilaisia toimitusketju- ja logistiikkasijaintipäätöksiä, ja agenttipohjainen mallinnusmenetelmä (ABM) tuo innovatiivisia ratkaisuja toimitusketjun ja logistiikan ongelmien ratkaisemiseen. Tämä väitöskirja keskittyy agenttipohjaiseen mallinnusmenetelmään ja verkon optimointiin tällaisten ongelmien ratkaisemiseksi, ja sisältää kolme tapaustutkimusta, jotka voidaan luokitella kuuluvan yleisiin toimitusketjun hallinta- ja logistiikkaongelmiin. Ensimmäinen tapaustutkimus esittelee kuinka käyttämällä väestötiheyksiä Norjassa, Suomessa ja Ruotsissa voidaan määrittää strategioita jakelukeskusten (DC) sijaintiin käyttämällä matkan etäisyyden minimoimista. Kullekin skenaariolle kehitetään matka-aikakartat. Lisäksi analysoidaan näistä kolmesta maasta koostuvaa pohjoismaista aluetta ja esitetään viisi mahdollista sijaintia optimointituloksena. Toinen tapaustutkimus esittelee kuljetuskustannusmallintamisen prosessissa, jossa puutavaraa kerätään useilta alueilta ja kuljetetaan lähimpään keräyspisteeseen. Tämä tutkimusprojekti esittelee agenttipohjaista mallinnusta (ABM), joka yhdistää kattavasti noudon ja toimituksen toimitusketjumallin keskeiset elementit ja suunnittelee komponentit keskenään kommunikoiviksi autonomisiksi agenteiksi. Mallinnuksessa yhdistetään erilaisia komponentteja, kuten GIS-reititys, mahdolliset tilojen sijainnit, satunnaiset puunhakupaikat, kaluston mitoitus, matkan pituus sekä monimuotokuljetukset. ABM:n avulla mallinnetaan noutojen ja toimituksien koko ketju ja tuloksena saadaan aikasarjoja kuvaamaan käytössä olevat kuorma-autot, sekä varastomäärät ja ajetut matkat. Lisäksi arvioidaan erilaisia simuloinnin skenaarioita mahdollisten laitosten sijainnista ja kuorma-autojen lukumäärästä sekä tunnistetaan optimaalinen toimipisteen sijainti ja tarvittava autojen määrä. Kolmannessa tapaustutkimuksessa agenttipohjaista mallinnusstrategiaa käytetään ratkaisemaan ajoneuvojen aikataulujen ja kaluston optimoinnin ongelma. Ratkaisumenetelmää käytetään dataan, joka on peräisin todellisesta organisaatiosta, ja ratkaisun tehokkuuden arvioimiseksi luodaan lukuisia keskeisiä suorituskykyindikaattoreita. ABM-menetelmä, toisin kuin monet muut mallintamismenetelmät, on täysin räätälöitävissä oleva menetelmä, joka voi sisältää laajasti erilaisia prosesseja ja elementtejä. Autonomisia agentteja soveltava ABM voi integroida erilaisia komponentteja, jotka ovat olemassa monimutkaisessa toimitusketjussa ja luoda vastaavan järjestelmän toimitusketjun tehokkuuden arvioimiseksi yksityiskohtaisesti.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

A dynamic and scalable user-centric route planning algorithm based on Polychromatic Sets theory

Existing navigation services provide route options based on a single metric without considering user's preference. This results in the planned route not meeting the actual needs of users. In this paper, a personalized route planning algorithm is proposed, which can provide users with a route that meets their requirements. Based on the multiple properties of the road, the Polychromatic Sets (PS) theory is introduced into route planning. Firstly, a road properties description scheme based on the PS theory was proposed. By using this scheme, users' travel preferences can be quantified, and then personalized property combination schemes can be constructed according to these properties. Secondly, the idea of setting priority for road segments was utilized. Based on a user's travel preference, all the property combination schemes can be prioritized at relevant levels. Finally, based on the priority level, an efficient path planning scheme was proposed, in which priority is given to the highest road segments in the target direction. In addition, the system can constantly obtain real-time road information through mobile terminals, update road properties, and provide other users with more accurate road information and navigation services, so as to avoid crowded road segments without excessively increasing time consumption. Experiment results show that our algorithm can realize personalized route planning services without significantly increasing the travel time and distance. In addition, source code of the algorithm has been uploaded on GitHub for this algorithm to be used by other researchers