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ASSESSING THE QUALITY AND APPLICABILITY OF LOCAL TRAVEL DEMAND MODELS

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The Research Project
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Division of Research and Innovation (DRI) has awarded the Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS) at the University of California, Irvine funding for a study of local travel demand models. The primary research goal is to evaluate the extent that travel demand models used at the local level (i.e., county and city level) are able to quantify the travel impacts and benefits associated with:

land use location, density, design, and configuration (e.g., smart growth principles)
alternative modes of travel (e.g., transit-oriented development, mass transportation, and non-motorized travel).

Research Questions
There are two key questions that serve as the catalyst for this research. First, can standard travel forecasting models, which were designed primarily for application in infrastructure planning, be successfully applied in evaluating the impacts of land use and demand-oriented policies that deal with sustainable systems? Second, can new "alternate analysis" techniques, which reflect these land use and demand-oriented policies, be successfully integrated into standard travel demand models used in transportation planning and assessment for local applications?

The Research Team
The research team, consisting of Dr. Michael G. McNally of UC Irvine, Dr. Anthony Chen and Dr. Ming Lee of Utah State University (and ITS Research Associates), William Loudon of DKS Associates, and Dr. Kostas Goulias of UC Santa Barbara, is responsible for reviewing current modeling practice at the local level, identifying improvement areas, and sharing this information with local agencies in California. Terry Parker serves as the project contract and technical monitor for Caltrans.

Research Tasks:
Major tasks for this project include:

conducting a thorough review of local travel model documentation
inventorying models currently in use throughout California
assessing "sketch planning" evaluation methodologies, such as INDEX, PLACE3S, and the 4-D Process
engaging a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to provide oversight and guidance.

Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)
The TAC consist of representatives from local and regional agencies plus appropriate Caltrans District modeling staff. Committee members review research results and will advise the research team in refining efforts to ensure that the research reflects and meets the needs of local modeling practice in California, as well as Caltrans' need for information.

Project Web Site
This Web site is intended for disseminating information collected, analyzed, and produced by the project team. The site will also be used by TAC members to view and download information about this study, including meetings notes, reports, and other related documents. It is expected that such a web-based communication will maximize opportunities for input and the dissemination of research findings.


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