Activity Based Model Analysis Considerations

In the last decade, numerous peer regions and states have adopted a new approach to travel demand modeling by transitioning from traditional trip based methodologies to activity-based frameworks. While traditional trip-based models generate trips between zones based on aggregate productions and attractions, activity-based models simulate individual households and travelers seeking to access various destinations over the course of a day. Activity-based models capture peoples’ choices and constraints more realistically (Rasouli and Timmermans, 2014), and therefore can better represent pricing (e.g. managed lanes), provide more realistic representation of non-home- based trip making, and give forecasters the ability to consider project benefits and impacts at a finer resolution than is possible with a trip- based model (Bills et al., 2012). Additionally, activity-based models are better able to represent or support innovative transportation modes, complex public transit path choices, the effects of travel time reliability in trip making and destination choices, and dynamic network assignment procedures. Many of Utah Department of Transportation's (UDOT’s) peer agencies have transitioned to activity-based models, including the Oregon and Idaho departments of transportation and the Denver, Portland, Seattle, and Phoenix metropolitan planning organizations. At the same time, the additional complication of methods and software implementations has reportedly created additional costs for agencies and their contractors in terms of staff training, computational resources, and model development and support contracts. This research seeks to illustrate the tradeoffs of these modeling approaches and help UDOT understand all relevant considerations to potentially supporting an activity-based modeling framework.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $54000
• Sponsor Organizations:

  Utah Department of Transportation

  4501 South 2700 West
  Project Development
  Salt Lake City, UT  United States  84114-8380
• Managing Organizations:

  Utah Department of Transportation

  4501 South 2700 West
  Project Development
  Salt Lake City, UT  United States  84114-8380
• Project Managers:

  Chamberlin, Robert

• Performing Organizations:

  Brigham Young University

  Provo, UT  United States  84602-4081
• Principal Investigators:

  Macfarlane, Greg

• Start Date: 20230221
• Expected Completion Date: 20250628
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Activity choices; Travel demand
• Identifier Terms: Utah Department of Transportation
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01898444
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Utah Department of Transportation
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Nov 8 2023 11:16AM