Optimal Congestion Zone Analysis is a computational urban analytics framework developed at the University of Illinois at Chicago to determine optimal congestion pricing zone boundaries. It integrates OpenStreetMap road network data, census tract geometries, and origin-destination trip flows to identify road network cycles enclosing city centers. The system leverages graph theory algorithms (NetworkX), geospatial analysis (GeoPandas, Shapely), and transportation data processing to evaluate candidate boundaries based on trip coverage, monitoring requirements, and spatial efficiency. The modular pipeline spans graph construction, cycle detection, tract-trip analysis, and cut edge optimization, producing visual outputs for decision-making. Designed for scalability, it enables evidence-based policy design for congestion pricing in urban environments.

Key Features

• Automated Boundary Detection
• Geospatial Trip Flow Analysis
• Cut Edge Optimization
• Quantitative Evaluation Metrics
• Modular Pipeline Architecture
• Scalable Multi-City Framework