Commuting and internet traffic congestion

Berliant, Marcus (2024): Commuting and internet traffic congestion.

Abstract

We examine the fine microstructure of commuting in a game-theoretic setting with a continuum of commuters. Commuters' home and work locations can be heterogeneous. A commuter transport network is exogenous. Traffic speed is determined by link capacity and by local congestion at a time and place along a link, where local congestion at a time and place is endogenous. The model can be reinterpreted to apply to congestion on the internet. We find sufficient conditions for existence of equilibrium, that multiple equilibria are ubiquitous, and that the welfare properties of morning and evening commute equilibria differ on a generalization of a directed tree.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Commuting; Internet traffic; Congestion externality; Efficient Nash equilibrium; Price of anarchy
• Subjects: L - Industrial Organization > L8 - Industry Studies: Services > L86 - Information and Internet Services ; Computer Software; R - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics > R4 - Transportation Economics > R41 - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion ; Travel Time ; Safety and Accidents ; Transportation Noise

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