Route choice behavior of freeway travelers under realtime traffic information provision–application of the best route and the habitual route choice mechanisms

Abstract

The route choice behaviour on freeways between Taipei and Taichung in Taiwan under real-time traffic information provision is investigated. Two types of route choice mechanisms (the best-route and habitual-route) are analysed using ordered probit models to identify the major influences on freeway travellers’ route choice behaviour. The level of service associated with each route is defined as a generalized cost saving and specified non-linearly with a spline-like threshold inherent to travellers. The marginal (dis)utility thresholds in the ‘best’ and ‘habitual’ behaviour models are identified through a grid search assessed on overall goodness of fit. The findings from this study provide a better understanding of the effects of Advanced Traveller Information Systems on drivers’ route choice behaviour, and a useful reference when planning for the provision of realtime information for drivers.