01044628

Component

The ability of travel demand models to accurately represent travel behavior is largely dependent on the availability of reliable and up to date data. Most transportation agencies have access to traditional network data (i.e., geometry, traffic control, traffic counts, etc). However, there are areas of serious data deficiencies, including: trip-making behavior and network performance data to support model calibration. In fact, recent travel survey data are rarely available, especially for the smaller Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs). As for traffic data, they are often developed in absence of careful consideration of their potential use in the travel demand model calibration. There have been several efforts to automate some data collection functions for supporting planning models. These efforts generally rely on Global Positioning System (GPS)-based travel data collection devices, replacing the traditional paper-based trip diaries. These devices provide a relatively easy user interface while increasing data accuracy (spatial and temporal trip characteristics). An added benefit of these systems is their ability to generate additional data such as speed, travel time, and delay about network routes. This information is very valuable in supporting travel demand model calibration and measuring the performance of the system. This presentation reports on a pilot study to establish route-specific travel time performance measures using one GPS unit. The main focus of the study was not the travel behavior characteristics of the driver, but rather to measure the performance of key routes under seasonal, time-of-day, and day-of-week variations. Four volunteer drivers in the Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota area who each took turns using the GPS to track their daily trip to and from work were used for the pilot. The data were downloaded weekly and transferred into a Geographic Information System (GIS) for easy viewing and data management. Route information such as travel time, speed, and congestion variations were clearly identified by the unit. Sample data and analysis are shown, demonstrating the value of this method to enhance travel demand model calibration, even with a small number of participants.

01044603

English

10p

2006

10th National Conference on Transportation Planning for Small and Medium-Sized Communities

CD-ROM

Figures (1) ; References (18) ; Tables (1)

Calibration; Data collection; Data management; Geographic information systems; Global Positioning System; Mathematical models; Pilot studies; Small cities; Traffic congestion; Traffic speed; Travel demand; Travel time

Fargo (North Dakota); Moorhead (Minnesota)

Highways; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

TRIS, TRB

Mar 23 2007 10:16AM

• 1995-2004 CARTS Pedestrian/Bicyclist Crash Analysis
• A Pavement Management System for County Roads in the State of Alabama
• Application of an Internet-Based Travel Survey in a Medium-Sized Community
• Applying Value Methodology to Metropolitan Transportation Planning
• Better, Stronger Faster; How Oblique Aerial Imagery Is Changing the Face of Transportation Planning
• Bozeman Bicycle Network Plan
• Comparison and Evaluation of Simplified Transportation Project Selection and Prioritization Methodologies for Use by Small and Medium Sized Planning Agencies
• Design Considerations to Mitigate Non-Response in Regional Household Travel Surveys
• Developing a Consistent, Flexible, and Defensible Methodology for State and Regional Transportation Planning
• Development of Travel Demand Modeling Tools for Small Area Planning Purposes
• Discrete Event Simulation of Forecasted Non-Urban Freight Movement
• Evaluating the Relative Safety of Access Management Treatments in Micro-Simulation
• Getting Innovative Traffic Forecasting Model Networks "In Shape" Quickly Using GIS Datasets
• Highway Ranking Model
• Implementation of a Public Transportation System in Casper, Wyoming
• Importance of Modeling Ozone Formation Attributable to Rural Interstate Traffic
• Innovative Financing at the Local Level: Project Funding for a Regional Transportation Agency
• Integrating Access Management into Local Transportation Planning
• La Entrada al Pacifico: Viability and Potential Impacts on the Odessa-Midland, Texas Area and Other Small Communities
• Local Road Safety Audits: A New Approach to an Old Problem
• Microsimulation for Transportation Planning for Small Communities
• New Approach for Updating Highway Functional Classifications
• PlanCheyenne - Co-Planning for MPOs
• Planning Analysis Toolbox for Small Urban Areas in North Carolina
• Safe Routes to School in Superior, WI and Duluth, MN
• Safety Conscious Planning for Small and Medium Size Urban Areas
• Six Hints for Better Public Process
• Strategic Transportation, Environmental Planning Process for Urbanizing Places (STEP UP)
• Successful Use of Public Involvement Tools - Johns Pass Bridge Project
• Supporting Transportation Planning in Small MPOs Through Partnerships and Innovative Methods
• The Bridge Between NEPA and Corridor Studies: The Story of Northern Bridge Corridor Study
• US-280 Access Management - Managing Small Town Economics
• Using Simplified Regression Analysis in Financial Planning for an MTP, or Seeing the Forest for the Trees
• Web-Based Delivery of Geospatial and Transportation Data for a Rural Intelligent Transportation Systems Project
• When Big Projects Come to Smaller Places: The Communication Challenge
• Which Came First? The SR 386 Area Study