Dynamic Traffic Models in Transportation Science (Dagstuhl Seminar 24281)

Abstract

Traffic assignment models are crucial for traffic planners to be able to predict traffic distributions, especially in light of possible changes in the infrastructure, e.g., road constructions, traffic light controls, etc. There is a trend in the transportation community (science and industry) to base such predictions on complex computer-based simulations capable of resolving many elements of a real transportation system. Moreover, cities worldwide, driven by critical sustainability goals, are developing digital twins of their transportation networks to inform the design and the operations of these intricate networks. On the other hand, the theory of dynamic traffic assignments in terms of equilibrium existence, computability, and efficiency, has not matured to the point matching the model complexity inherent in simulations.
The Dagstuhl Seminar was the fourth in a row on this topic and brought together leading scientists in the areas traffic simulations, algorithmic game theory, and dynamic traffic assignment. In this seminar, we tackled important open research problems that were identified in past seminars. Motivated by the increasing importance, in practice, of developing sustainable, flexible, and on-demand mobility services, this seminar identified a new set of important questions and first results in this field.