Relationship between Criticality and Travel Time Reliability in Transportation Networks

This study examines the relationship between criticality and travel time reliability (TTR) in transportation networks, exploring whether one can serve as a proxy or an auxiliary measure for the other. Criticality identifies essential components requiring strengthening or protection during disruptive events, while TTR reflects day-to-day performance in maintaining reliable travel times. The correlation analysis in this study reveals that the majority (92%) of the calculated correlations between criticality and TTR metrics are statistically significant. The correlation coefficients range from 0.13 to 0.85, indicating diverse relationships. However, most correlations fall within the moderate strength range (0.4 to 0.6). A non-model specific feature selection analysis identifies influential network characteristics, with "closeness average" ranking highest in predictive power. These findings can inform policymakers in infrastructure investments and disruption mitigation strategies, improving the resilience and reliability of transportation systems.