01020653

Component

The paper describes how the application of regional travel demand modeling results has historically been limited to large-scale transportation projects of regional significance. However, there is an increasing demand for sensitivity to regional travel and mode choice in operational analysis at an intersection or corridor scale. This paper examines the application of an innovative VISUM/VISSIM approach to bridge this gap in the context of the Downtown Denver Multimodal Access Plan (DMAP). Key benefits, challenges, and lessons learned are discussed. For the DMAP, this integrated and multimodal approach was necessitated by the project scale, its regional influence, and the importance of light rail and bus transit in the circulation alternatives analysis. The planning area includes over 160 signalized intersections, 72 local bus routes, two existing and six planned rail routes, and bus rapid transit on a pedestrian mall. Downtown Denver’s travel shed includes a metro area of over 2 million residents. Circulation alternatives analysis included multiple transit technologies and route choices and measures of effectiveness included system-wide, corridor, and intersection level performance. The PTV Vision VISUM/VISSIM software suite used in this project was an effective integration tool, bridging the gap between the macroscopic planning forecasts and microscopic traffic analysis. Roadway networks and trip tables from the regional MINUTP model were imported and all circulation alternatives were coded in VISUM for subsequent export into VISSIM. These tools also allow for dynamic assignment of traffic, which can provide a more accurate trip assignment than a regional travel demand model because it includes all of the real time delays caused by signal or stop sign operations, the influence of bus and rail operations, bicyclist and pedestrian activity, and traffic related to major parking facilities. Significant aspects of the VISSIM conversion and operations analysis include integration of the regional bus and light rail transit network, incorporation of regional origin and destination data, disaggregation of analysis zones, and multimodal analysis for over 160 signalized intersections.

01020180

06-2256

English

7p

2006

Transportation Research Board 85th Annual Meeting

CD-ROM

Figures (1) ; Tables (1)

Accessibility; Bus transit; Integrated systems; Microsimulation; Mode choice; Multimodal transportation; Public transit; Rail transit; Real time information; Regional transportation; Travel demand; Trip tables

VISSIM (Computer model)

Denver Metropolitan Area

Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Railroads; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2006 Paper #06-2256

TRIS, TRB

Mar 3 2006 10:56AM