A user equilibrium traffic assignment model based on the most reliable paths

In some situations, drivers prefer to select the most reliable paths (MRP). In the minimum-delay routing problem in communication networks, signals need to be transmitted on the MRPs. Since a minimum cost path may not be an MRP, the traditional minimum cost path based user equilibrium does not apply to such scenarios. Therefore, the study of the connectivity reliability based user equilibrium (RUE) model which is based on the MRPs is needed. Unfortunately, none of the previous studies ever covered the RUE based on the MRPs. In this paper, a RUE variational inequality (VI) model based on the MRPs is presented. The path reliability is the multiplication of the reliability of the links on the path. A heuristic algorithm is presented to solve the VI model. A multiplication-based algorithm is used to find the MRP in the solution process. The model and algorithm are applied to two networks and their validity is shown. The method presented in this paper is useful for the emergency evacuation on transportation networks or the minimum-delay routing problem in communication networks.