The Weakest Link: A Model of the Decline of Surface Transportation Networks

Transportation Research, Vol. 44, No. 1, pp. 100-113, 2008

39 Pages Posted: 12 Feb 2008

See all articles by Feng Xie

Feng Xie

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

David Matthew Levinson

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Abstract

This study explores the economic mechanisms behind the decline of a surface transportation network, based on the assumption that the decline phase is a spontaneous process driven by decentralized decisions of individual travelers and privatized links. A simulation model is developed with a degeneration process by which the weakest link is removed iteratively from the network. Experiments reveal how the economic efficiency of a network evolves during the degeneration process and suggest an 'optimal' degenerated network could be derived during the decline phase in terms of maximizing total social welfare.

Keywords: decline, transportation network, degeneration, welfare, accessibility

Suggested Citation

Xie, Feng and Levinson, David Matthew, The Weakest Link: A Model of the Decline of Surface Transportation Networks. Transportation Research, Vol. 44, No. 1, pp. 100-113, 2008, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1091817

Feng Xie (Contact Author)

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ( email )

420 Delaware St. SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455
United States

David Matthew Levinson

affiliation not provided to SSRN

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