A modelling framework to simulate paths and routes choices of freight vehicles in sub-urban areas

It is commonly accepted in literature that the path choice decision process of a road user (Path Choice Problem, PCP) is composed by two levels/models: definition of perceived alternative paths (choice set); and choice of path belonging to the path choice set. Consolidated modelling frameworks simulate the PCP process, based on the Mansky paradigm. The general objective of the research concerns the extension of the Mansky paradigm (two-levels models) to the route choice decision process (Vehicle Routing Problem, VRP). According to the above objective, the paper contribution concerns the integration of the PCP and VRP levels through methodological and experimentation activities: (1) a similarity analysis of criteria for generating route alternatives; and (2) building of a route choice model of freight vehicles. The similarity analysis provided indications about the most frequently adopted criteria for choosing paths. In the case examined, the set consisted of three criteria: minimum distance, minimum energy, minimum time. The results of the specification-calibration-validation of route choice models, using label variables associated to the criteria, showed the statistical significance of the label parameters, in terms of t-student, and a greater capacity of the model to capture the observed patterns, in terms of ρ2-statistics, respect to models’ specifications without labels.