A dynamic traffic assignment model for a continuum transportation system

A predictive continuum dynamic user‐optimal (PDUO‐C) model is formulated in this study to investigate the dynamic characteristics of traffic flow and the corresponding route‐choice behavior of travelers within a region with a dense urban road network. The modeled region is arbitrary in shape with a single central business district (CBD) and travelers continuously distributed over the region. Within this region, the road network is represented as a continuum and travelers patronize a two‐dimensional continuum transportation system to travel to the CBD. The PDUO‐C model is solved by a promising solution algorithm that includes elements of the finite volume method (FVM), the finite element method (FEM), and the explicit total variation diminishing Runge–Kutta (TVD‐RK) time‐stepping method. A numerical example is given to demonstrate the utility of the proposed model and the effectiveness of the solution algorithm in solving this PDUO‐C problem.