FL-MTF meeting

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Agenda

• Overview
• Why TransCAD
• Challenges/tips
• Initiatives
• Applications

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• Overview

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Role of Statewide Planning

• Transportation planning and policy guidance
• 3 C process
• Planning tools
• Travel demand modeling
• Project level forecasts

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Organizational Structure
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Model Research and Development Team

• Technical service center for the branch
• Provide expertise, research, and training in
  travel modeling
• Advance travel modeling and analysis for the
  State of North Carolina
• 6 positions for advanced modeling

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Planning Groups

• MPO/RPO planning
• 17 MPOs
• 20 RPOs
• Modeling for communities greater than 10,000
  population
• 40 positions for planning/modeling

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TransCAD Modeling Status

• 3 regional models under development
• Covering 9 MPOs
• 6 TransCAD MPO models currently in use
• Developed ground up/converted
• 6 TransCAD MPO models in progress
• Upgrades/new starts
• 10 non-MPO models

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NCDOT Modeling Improvement Goals

• Develop best modeling practices.
• Investigation of model improvements
• New procedures to better address land use
  feedback
• Tools to improve efficiency and reliability

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• Why TransCAD?

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Why NCDOT Decided to Switch Platforms?

• Older platform no longer supported
• Limited capabilities
• Graphics, network size, TAZs
• More GIS integration
• Movement towards GIS based analysis
• Compatible with ArcGIS
• Ability to do spatial analysis

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Why TransCAD?Diverse Users

• Advanced developers
• Developers
• Advanced end users
• Basic end users

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Why TransCAD?General

• Windows based
• Scenario manager for easy file management
• Visualization
• Data and database
• GISDK

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Why TransCAD?GIS Capabilities

• Integration of GIS tools and technologies
• Improved linkage between land use,
  transportation, and air quality
• Development of database structures
• Application batch files, GIS tools, and Graphical
  Users Interface

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Why TransCAD?Modeling Process

• Data
• Interface with ArcGIS
• GIS database
• Existing data sources (census, others)
• Visualization

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Why TransCAD?Modeling Process

• Networks
• GIS database with unlimited attribute
  capabilities
• GIS distances and shapes
• Database linkages to other data sets

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Why TransCAD?Modeling Process

• Trip generation
• Robust cross classification model
• GISDK programming for custom applications
• Unlimited trip purposes
• Multiple variables can be stored in TAZ land use
  data base or linked via parcel data base

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Why TransCAD?Modeling Process

• Trip distribution
• Geocode survey data to determine trip lengths
• Visualize desire lines between zones or districts
• Utilize curve functions for friction factors in
  place of lookup table

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Why TransCAD?Modeling Process

• Mode choice
• Built in procedures for streamlined transit
  analysis
• Use GISDK to customize nested LOGIT model

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Why TransCAD?Modeling Process

• Traffic assignment
• Easy time of day analysis
• User defined link volume-delay equation
• Multiple assignment algorithms
• Comparison tools for evaluating different
  assignments

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Why TransCAD?Modeling Process

• Performance measures
• Use database fields to easily query link types
  for evaluation
• GISDK allows for consistent checking and
  reporting of model results
• Visualization of results
• Screenline analysis
• User log available

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• Challenges/tips

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Challenges/tipsConversion Process

• TIP recommended for immediate use of TransCAD on
  existing models
• TRIP converted base is NOT ready to go
• TIP use performance measures to build confidence
  in converted model - will need to adjust for
  differences
• TRIP TransCAD recognizes real numbers - will
  account for differences

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Challenges/tips

• Think about things differently
• File management
• Dataview save
• MAP save
• Powerful computer

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• Initiatives

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Initiatives

• Training
• Standards
• Users group
• Applications

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• Applications

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GISDK Tools for Travel Demand Modeling Model
Research Development UnitNCDOT Statewide
Planning Branch
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The Geographic Information System Developers
Kit (GISDK) provides you with a tool kit that you
can use to get outside the box and customize
TransCAD in any way you desire.
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Model Team Goal Process Improvement

• Through the development of applications tools for
  streamlining the model development process

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Meeting the Process Improvement Goal

• Data management tool
• Trip generation tool
• Performance management tool
• Miscellaneous tools

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Data Management
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Old Way of Managing Model Data

• Create separate fields for attribute data
• Travel time, capacity, ADT, facility type,
  functional classification, etc.
• Enter data using TransCAD interface
• Create multiple geographic files for different
  alternatives

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Disadvantages of the Old Way

• Manual recalculation of travel times and other
  attribute data
• Current data entry approach is time consuming and
  prone to errors
• Maintaining multiple geographic files is
  cumbersome and requires more disk space
• Maintaining multiple geographic files increases
  the chance of introducing errors in the files

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Model Data Management Tools
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Model Data Management Tools

• TransCAD GISDK script
• Select data values automatically calculated
• Travel time, 1-way attributes, facility type, etc
• Easy user interface for entering data
• Provides a data management system for multiple
  model alternatives
• Alternatives managed from master file

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Benefits of Using Data Management Tools

• Reduced errors
• Increased efficiency
• Eliminates duplicated data
• Requires less disk space
• Maintains the consistency of the model data
• Standardizes model data management

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Calculate Travel Time Tool

• Calculates travel time, 1-way capacity, 1-way
  ADT, facility code and functional classification
  code automatically every time data is changed

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Enter Base Data Tool

• Provides a GUI (graphic user interface) to enter
  or modify base model data for single or multiple
  links

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Build Base Network Tool

• Builds the base network from the master line
  layer

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Identify New Link Tool

• Identifies the future links that are not in the
  base network

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Enter Alternative Data Tool

• Provides a GUI to enter or modify alternative
  network data for single or multiple links

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Build Network Alternative Tool

• Builds the network alternative from the master
  line layer

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Trip Generation
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NCDOT Trip Generation Procedure

• Average trip rate per household
• Percentage applied to total trips to determine
  trips by trip purpose
• Accounts for CV trips and non-home based trips by
  non-residents
• Data input in ASCII format and executed in C
  program

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Disadvantages of the Old Way

• Data input methodology is cumbersome and prone to
  data entry error
• No ability to visualize data
• User cannot easily interpret the data

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Benefits of Using Trip Generation Tool

• Reduced errors
• Increased efficiency
• Eliminates duplicated data
• TransCAD data file facilitates visualization of
  data

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Output Files
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Output Files
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Export to TransCAD
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Performance Management
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Model Calibration and Validation

• Iterative process
• Based on observed data and reasonableness
  checking
• GOAL model performing within acceptable
  standards
• Resources
• Http//tmip.Fhwa.Dot.Gov/clearinghouse/docs/mvrcm
• Http//ntl.Bts.Gov/docs/377cas.Html

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Benefits of Using Performance Management Tool

• Standardization
• Increased efficiency
• Process is automated
• Reduced user error
• Great reporting tool

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Under Development
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Under Development
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Miscellaneous Tools
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Scenario Builder
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For the things we have to learn before we can do
them, we learn by doing them. -Aristotle