Evaluation and improvement of the urban transportation networks resilience in short-term non-recurring traffic congestion: a novel graph connectivity-based criteria

•We provided practical criteria to evaluate transportation network resilience.•Criteria are based on connectivity concepts and travel time satisfaction threshold.•A real case study has shown the validity and efficiency of the proposed criteria.•Urban TNR improvement projects are also compared with the proposed criteria. Work or study purpose trips usually make up most intercity trips during peak hours. Being at a destination at a specific time is one of the characteristics of such trips, and the occurrence of non-recurring short-term traffic congestion can damage these trips. Due to the necessity of the subject, this study examines the urban transportation networks resilience (TNR) in the face of non-recurring traffic accidents with short-term effects. This paper defines a novel criteria to measure the urban TNR by developing the connectivity concept graph theory. Then, based on the proposed criteria, the resilience of the Isfahan transportation network (one of Iran's metropolises), has been evaluated, and the critical nodes and arcs of this network have been identified. Also, by performing sensitivity analysis, the role of the travel time satisfaction threshold is discussed. Finally, a series of projects have been introduced, which are believed to increase Isfahan's TNR. The projects have been compared and evaluated based on the proposed method.