Operating efficiency evaluation for urban road network

The operating efficiency of road network using the system analysis method with multi-inputs and multi-outputs was evaluated. The evaluation index system was constructed considering its representativeness, objectiveness and availability, which includes six input indexes and three output indexes. The data envelope analysis (DEA) was applied to establish the efficiency evaluation model for road network. Six scenarios were proposed to improve the operating efficiency for Guangzhou Tianhe district road network. Software MaxDEA was used to solve the efficiency evaluation model, ranking order was obtained for these six scenarios. The results indicate that these six scenarios can improve operating efficiency of road network, hereinto, reduce traffic demand through traffic demand management and enhance connectivity through opening up the dead end links, which can better improve operating efficiency of road network, comparing with other scenarios, such as increasing road length and raising road grade. DEA method can guarantee the completeness and objectiveness of efficiency evaluation, as well, it can find the critical factors of reducing the operation efficiency, which can provide basis for road network enhancement.