Comments on: El Farol Highway http://bit-player.org/2009/el-farol-highway An amateur's outlook on computation and mathematics. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:53:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Cahit http://bit-player.org/2009/el-farol-highway#comment-2460 Cahit Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:04:16 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=524#comment-2460 The situation is similar to creating virtual dynamic Brass' Paradox of the Nash equilibrium in selfish network. The situation is similar to creating virtual dynamic Brass’ Paradox of the Nash equilibrium in selfish network.

]]> By: Mario Klingemann http://bit-player.org/2009/el-farol-highway#comment-2349 Mario Klingemann Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:24:55 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=524#comment-2349 My guess is also that you took the suggested route. My thinking here is that in general humans are rather inclined to stay with a once chosen path than to deviate from it. My guess is also that you took the suggested route. My thinking here is that in general humans are rather inclined to stay with a once chosen path than to deviate from it.

]]> By: David Eisner http://bit-player.org/2009/el-farol-highway#comment-2348 David Eisner Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:49:02 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=524#comment-2348 Wednesday night I took I-95 North, from DC, through Baltimore, up to New Jersey. Between the dense traffic and the thick fog, it was a nightmare. Sunday night, going back, I took U.S. Route 40 and then 295 (the Baltimore/Washington Parkway), avoiding I-95 altogether. There was no traffic! At the same time, according to Google Maps, I-95 had major backups. I always considered Rt. 40 to be the implicit suggestion of the "Take Alternate Route" sign when I-95 had "congestion ahead", but I, too, wondered whether it would be just as bad. Maybe not. Wednesday night I took I-95 North, from DC, through Baltimore, up to New Jersey. Between the dense traffic and the thick fog, it was a nightmare. Sunday night, going back, I took U.S. Route 40 and then 295 (the Baltimore/Washington Parkway), avoiding I-95 altogether. There was no traffic! At the same time, according to Google Maps, I-95 had major backups.

I always considered Rt. 40 to be the implicit suggestion of the “Take Alternate Route” sign when I-95 had “congestion ahead”, but I, too, wondered whether it would be just as bad. Maybe not.

]]> By: Barry Cipra http://bit-player.org/2009/el-farol-highway#comment-2347 Barry Cipra Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:13:07 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=524#comment-2347 I'm going to guess you took the recommended route and it turned out to be congestion-free. My own (limited) observations in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) are that the estimates for "time to the river" or "time to I-94," which you encounter periodically on the major highways heading into town are generally pretty accurate. This even seems to take into account the fact that no one drives at the posted speed limit. One also wonders if the sign might not simply cycle through "Delays on A & B; suggest C," "Delays on B & C; suggest A," and "Delays on C & A; suggest B," with enough time between changes so that no driver sees more than one message..... I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving! I’m going to guess you took the recommended route and it turned out to be congestion-free.

My own (limited) observations in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis/St. Paul) are that the estimates for “time to the river” or “time to I-94,” which you encounter periodically on the major highways heading into town are generally pretty accurate. This even seems to take into account the fact that no one drives at the posted speed limit.

One also wonders if the sign might not simply cycle through “Delays on A & B; suggest C,” “Delays on B & C; suggest A,” and “Delays on C & A; suggest B,” with enough time between changes so that no driver sees more than one message…..

I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving!

]]> By: Isaac http://bit-player.org/2009/el-farol-highway#comment-2345 Isaac Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:36:48 +0000 http://bit-player.org/?p=524#comment-2345 For some years now, the ITS Lab at MIT has been doing research with a simulation system called DynaMIT that's dedicated to modeling this very problem. http://mit.edu/its/dynamit.html For some years now, the ITS Lab at MIT has been doing research with a simulation system called DynaMIT that’s dedicated to modeling this very problem.

http://mit.edu/its/dynamit.html

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