Equilibrium properties of the morning commuting in a many-to-one corridor network

This paper analyzes the equilibrium properties of the morning commuting pattern in a many-to-one corridor network. In the equilibrium state of the multi-origin corridor, no commuter can reduce his/her total commuting cost by unilaterally changing his/her arrival time or departure time. It is found that commuters living closer to the workplace always join the traffic cohorts of those who live farther away from the workplace. In particular, the more distant a residence to the workplace is, the longer the arrival time period of commuters from that place is. Furthermore, there exists a 'saturated' time period for each place, during which the arrival rate of commuters is identical and maximal. ©2010 IEEE