Braess’s Paradox in the Real World
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/25/health/what-if-they-closed-42d-street-and-nobody-noticed.html?mcubz=1
This is an old article, but the Braess Paradox fascinates me, so I’m writing about it anyway. On Earth Day in 1990, New York City’s Transportation Commissioner decided to close 42nd Street. Everyone expected terrible traffic, but as it turns out, traffic improved. This is a direct, real-world example of Braess’s Paradox at work. Mathematicians at Rockefeller University analyzed the road network and confirmed that removing a resource from the road network improved the equilibrium travel time through the network.
We spent a lecture discussing Braess’s paradox. It seemed very counterintuitive at first, and while it worked out mathematically, I didn’t think it would actually apply to the real world. I found this article a very interesting example of Braess’s paradox at work. The article mentioned a city in Germany where this also occurred. However, as GPS and mapping technology improves, mapping systems like Google Maps will probably be able to analyze, in real time, traffic conditions and networks that could be susceptible to Braess’s paradox and guide drivers on routes that would minimize driving time for everyone.