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

Feng Xie and David Levinson

No 200803, Working Papers from University of Minnesota: Nexus Research Group

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; Networks; Transportation; Structure; Entropy; Pattern; Continuity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D10 D83 D85 O33 R40 R42 R48 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2007
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-geo and nep-net
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Published in Transportation Research part E 44 100-113, doi:10.1016/j.tre.2006.09.001

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http://hdl.handle.net/11299/179972 First version, 2007 (application/pdf)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nex:wpaper:weakestlink

DOI: 10.1016/j.tre.2006.09.001

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