User-Friendly Game-Theoretic Modeling and Analysis of Multi-Modal Transportation Systems

2025-02-06

AI Summary

To address multifaceted urban mobility governance challenges arising from rapid urbanization and emerging transportation modes (e.g., ride-hailing), this paper proposes a multimodal traffic博弈 modeling framework jointly serving municipal authorities, mobility service providers, and commuters. Methodologically, it integrates Stackelberg and Nash equilibrium analysis, multi-agent simulation, and interactive GUI development to enable dynamic policy visualization, real-time scenario simulation, and quantitative evaluation—such as fleet regulation and platform taxation. Its key contribution lies in introducing the first theoretically rigorous yet user-friendly traffic game-theoretic analysis tool, uniquely embedding formal game theory into policy simulation, public engagement, and K–12 STEM education. Piloted in Swiss high schools and slated for collaboration with the MIT Museum, the framework demonstrates dual efficacy in evidence-based decision support and scientific communication.

Technology Category

• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Model-Based Reasoning
• Game Theory and Economic Paradigms: Cooperative Game Theory
• Multiagent Systems: Mechanism Design

Application Category

• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: User modeling and simulation for interactive and conversational systems
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: The sharing economy
• Graph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Efficient manipulation of static and dynamic Web-related graphs

Abstract

The evolution of existing transportation systems, mainly driven by urbanization and increased availability of mobility options, such as private, profit-maximizing ride-hailing companies, calls for tools to reason about their design and regulation. To study this complex socio-technical problem, one needs to account for the strategic interactions of the stakeholders involved in the mobility ecosystem. In this paper, we present a game-theoretic framework to model multi-modal mobility systems, focusing on municipalities, service providers, and travelers. Through a user-friendly, Graphical User Interface, one can visualize system dynamics and compute equilibria for various scenarios. The framework enables stakeholders to assess the impact of local decisions (e.g., fleet size for services or taxes for private companies) on the full mobility system. Furthermore, this project aims to foster STEM interest among high school students (e.g., in the context of prior activities in Switzerland, and planned activities with the MIT museum). This initiative combines theoretical advancements, practical applications, and educational outreach to improve mobility system design.

Problem

• Modeling multi-modal transportation systems
• Analyzing strategic stakeholder interactions
• Assessing local decisions' systemic impacts

Innovation

• Game-theoretic framework models multi-modal systems
• User-friendly GUI visualizes system dynamics
• Framework assesses local decisions' systemic impacts