Multi-Objective Decision-Making Framework for Transportation Investments using Surrogate Worth Trade-off Method

Abstract

This thesis presents a multi-objective decision framework to support decision-making process in transportation investment analysis. One important capability of the multi-objective decision framework is that it allows many intangible objectives that are difficult to express on an absolute numerical scale to be considered without the need to convert the units into monetary scale.

The multi-objective decision framework allows a decision maker to select a reduced number of alternatives from a larger number of all available alternatives while ensuring that the selected alternatives are the best possible options. The framework, which is based on the Surrogate Worth Trade-off analysis, could be applied to both discrete and continuous decision-problem scenarios. In a discrete problem, a predefined set of alternatives is available, whereas continuous problems are not characterized by a pre-defined set of alternatives. This framework is applied with the data generated for a Capital Beltway Corridor investment study by Chowdhury and Tan [2].

This thesis consists of two chapters. Chapter one is introductory in nature, Non-dominated solutions, ideal solutions, surrogate worth trade-off method applied to both discrete and continuous problem, a fast algorithm for finding a non-dominated set in multi-objective optimization, and a brief survey of literature have been also presented in this chapter. In chapter two, the problem of multi-objective decision making framework for transportation investment considered by Chowdhury and Tan [2] is reviewed by reducing the problem into three objectives and applied with the data generated by Beltway Corridor project. Non-dominated solutions are obtained with the approach used by Mishra and Harit [15]. Tradeoff evaluation also has been done in this chapter.