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Travel Demand Modeling
Traffic on the roads results from individuals deciding where, when, and how to travel. Decisions such as where to live, work, and shop also impact travel behavior. A travel demand model is a set of mathematical procedures and equations that represent the variety of transportation choices people make, and how those choices result in trips on the transportation network.
TRPC maintains two types of travel demand models for Thurston County. The models have a base year of 2018, and a future year of 2045.
Regional Model
The regional model is a traditional 4-step model developed in the EMME platform. The four steps are:
- How many trips and for what purpose do each household produce?
- What are their destination choices?
- What mode of travel do they use for each trip?
- What is the route they take for each trip?
The regional model includes all of Thurston, Grays Harbor, and Lewis counties, and parts of Pierce and Mason Counties. TRPC and its partners use the regional model to identify and implement a coordinated transportation vision across jurisdiction boundaries. The model is ideal for studying:
- Major transportation investment studies
- Regional land use and transportation policies
- Traffic impact studies
- Travel demand management and commute trip reduction strategies
- Air quality analyses
Dynamic Traffic Assignment Model
TRPC's dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) model is developed in the Dynameq platform. This model covers Thurston County and parts of Pierce and Lewis counties. The DTA model is integrated with the regional model, sharing a common zone structure, network, and travel demand.
The DTA model simulates the movement of individual vehicles on lanes with car-following models, gap-acceptance models, and explicit signal timings. The models focus on route choice by simulating individual driver response to other drivers and roadway/intersection design and provide more realistic estimations of congestion and delay. This finer scaled makes it ideal for evaluating:
- Signal timing strategies
- Intersection/roadway levels of service
- Intersection queuing of vehicles
- Incident management and construction impacts
- Intelligent transportation systems (ITS)
Documentation
Modeling Services
TRPC provides a range of modeling services for our members, their consultants, and non-members. Services range from a simple data requests for traffic counts or volumes to building subarea models.
- Members may receive most custom data requests free as a membership service. Large requests, such as building a subarea model, are arranged and paid for under separate contracts.
- Non-members may need to reimburse TRPC for the costs of custom data preparation, unless the request is being made on behalf of a member.
Request Travel Demand Model Services
Download, fill out, and submit the Travel Demand Model Service Request Form (PDF) to info@trpc.org or print and fax to (360) 956-7815.
Typical Model Data Requests
- Traffic counts or traffic volumes (generally no charge)
- Model file transfer (no charge for members or entities working for members)
- Zone Distribution (for non-members, a two-hour fee is generally charged, contact TRPC for the rate)
- Select Link analysis (for non-members, a two-hour fee is generally charged)
Custom Model Services
- Model development (for members or entities working for members only). Arranged and paid for under a separate contract.
- Model analysis, future conditions or development scenarios (for members or entities working for members only). Arranged and paid for under a separate contract.
Contact Us
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Aaron Grimes
Senior Transportation Modeler
grimesa@trpc.org
Thurston Regional Planning Council
2411 Chandler Court SW
Olympia, WA 98502
Ph: 360-956-7575