Cell-Based Dynamic Equilibrium Models

Cell-based dynamic equilibrium models are one class of dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) models that can capture equilibrium conditions and realistic traffic dynamics, such as queue spillback, queue formulation, and queue dissipation. However, compared with point-queue DTA models or DTA models using whole-link delay models for flow propagation, cell-based equilibrium models are often more computational demanding. This may raise issues for actual applications, in particular, for the implementation for real-time traffic control and route guidance applications, because the solution must be obtained quickly. Moreover, recent cell-based dynamic equilibrium models tend to capture more realistic travel behavior and traffic dynamics but this made the resulting models even more complicated and more difficult to solve for optimal solutions. Hence, this article aims at reviewing the recent development of cell-based dynamic equilibrium models, the formulation approaches, solution methods used, and the components of these models so as to point out the implementation issues of the latest cell-based dynamic equilibrium model with the consideration supply stochasticity for traffic control and route guidance applications as well as some gaps for future research directions.