A Generic Mode Choice Model Applicable for Small and Medium-Sized MPOs

PI: Chandra Bhat

Population growth projections show that the Texas population will significantly increase in the coming years. This trend, and the continued increase in total motorized vehicle miles traveled in the urban areas of Texas (and its associated congestion, air quality, and energy dependence problems), has led the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to examine multi-modal solutions to manage the growing auto travel demand. As part of this effort, TxDOT’s Transportation Planning and Programming (TPP) Division is initiating another enhancement of their travel demand modeling system to be able to analyze alternative transportation modes (carpooling, public transportation, bicycling/walk modes) and evaluate (and prioritize) multimodal projects at the regional level. Accordingly, the focus of this project is to develop an operational stand-alone generic mode choice model for Texas urban regions.