2013: Transportation Modeling

Transportation models are integral to the transportation industry from a planning, engineering, and policy-making perspective. Transportation forecasts estimate the number of vehicles on a road, riders on a rail line, passengers visiting an airport, or ships calling on a seaport, and are used to calculate infrastructure capacity, estimate the financial and social viability of projects, and anticipate environmental impacts.

Similarly, transportation simulation is used to help plan, design, and operate transportation systems.

Simulations can evaluate the impacts of urban development patterns on the performance of transportation infrastructure, analyze scenarios to help develop land use policies that lead to more sustainable travel, and investigate lane configurations to improve system effectiveness and efficiency.

Transportation practitioners use these models because they are the best tools available to forecast and visualize future circumstances. Their development is based on a series of assumptions and a level of precision that can be challenging for the public to grasp, even if a relatively “simple” tool is used. Moreover, technological improvements and availability of data have led to improved models, resulting in greater degrees of complexity that make it difficult for stakeholders and the average citizen to fully understand the results.

In response to the competition call, 18 entries were submitted. Of these, Five recipients were selected for their communication efforts. These communication tools epitomize the spirit of communicating complex information in an uncomplicated manner.

UDOT Goes Hollywood: New Animation Techniques Engage and Educate Public Utah Department of Transportation

In 2011, more than 200 roadway projects were under construction across the state of Utah. One of the most innovative was Utah’s first ThrU Turn Intersection (TTI) at 12300 South and State Street in Draper. To educate the public about Utah’s first TTI, UDOT implemented a variety of communication techniques. The central component of this communication effort involved the preparation of two instructional animation videos to explain the existing conditions, identify the benefits of the innovative new design, and demonstrate how to navigate the intersection. A post-construction video was prepared as a follow-up to communicate UDOT’s decision-making process and to highlight the safety, mobility, and economic growth benefits provided by the TTI. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W_OVKIriIo

Interactive Travel Time and Housing Cost Map for the San Francisco Bay Area Metropolitan Transportation Commission, San Francisco Bay Area

In the nation’s larger metropolitan areas, where housing is expensive and traffic is congested, the choice of where to live often involves a trade-off between housing cost and commute length. Better planning, however, can help mitigate this persistent dynamic, as outlined in California Senate Bill 375, a 2008 law that directs regional agencies to formally consider the joint impacts of land use and transportation planning decisions.

To help illustrate this trade off, during the development of the recently adopted (July 2013) Plan Bay Area, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (together with its partner agency, the Association of Bay Area Governments), created an interactive map that combines housing price and travel shed information. http://maps.onebayarea.org/travel_housing/

The Big Move: Engaging the Public on a 25-year Transportation Plan Metrolinx, Ontario, Canada

The Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area is Canada’s largest urban region and the fifth largest in North America. The region is growing quickly, and the transportation system has not kept pace with population growth. This underinvestment has left local residents grinding out an 82-minute commute on average every day.

The next wave of transportation projects requires $34 billion in public investment. To secure funding, Metrolinx needed to build public understanding about benefits and costs, and solicit input concerning transportation fees, tolls, and taxes. Metrolinx teamed up with MASS LBP, a public engagement firm, to develop and implement a public engagement and communications strategy that educated residents and enabled a two-way conversation about transportation projects and funding.

The strategy was based on a three-pronged approach that combined a Conversation Kit, Public Roundtable Meetings and an in-depth Residents’ Reference Panel. Together, these efforts effectively communicated the many elements of The Big Move and empowered residents to learn about the need for – and to provide input into – the transformation of transportation across the region. http://www.bigmove.ca/

AWV Construction and Detour Simulation Tool Parsons Brinckerhoff

The SR 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct’s south end, between South Holgate and South King streets, is being replaced with two side-by-side bridges. In addition, the structure’s waterfront section is being replaced with a bored tunnel beneath downtown Seattle.

Parsons Brinckerhoff created a flash tool that allows the public to see the project at key points in the schedule and to view detour routes and impacted areas from different angles. SR 99 through downtown Seattle carries approximately 110,000 vehicles daily, so public outreach and information has been critical. Since its inception, Parsons Brinckerhoff has continued to work with Washington State Department of Transportation to revise and update the tool to reflect current schedules and milestones. http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/Viaduct/

Strategic Model Results in 3-D using Google Earth Sinclair Knight Merz

There are many ways to show transport model results. For example, results can be shown within the modeling software interface itself, within a spatial software interface such as MapInfo or ArcGIS, or even analysis interfaces such as Microsoft Excel. The downside of all these methods are that the viewer would need some form of license to access the software. To improve the accessibility for users who only want to view and analyze model results, Sinclair Knight Merz developed a tool that converts these results into the Google Earth software platform. Link- and node-based results can be shown seamlessly and interactively in a three-dimensional form with an imagery background. With a simple click of any link, viewers are able to see detailed data, such as total private vehicles, commercial vehicles, volume-to-capacity ratio, posted speed, modeled speed, and other scenario information.