Tour-Based Model Development for TxDOT: Implementation Steps for the Tour-Based Model Design Option and the Data Needs

Travel demand modeling, in recent years, has seen a paradigm shift with an emphasis on analyzing travel at the individual level rather than using direct statistical projections of aggregate travel demand as in the trip-based approach. Specifically, several metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) in the U.S. are developing and implementing advanced travel demand models that are based on a behaviorally more realistic representation of demand for travel. In addition, a number of planning agencies are considering the transition toward advanced travel demand modeling, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) being one of them. Toward this end, this report provides the details of implementing a tour-based travel demand model system. Specifically, the implementation steps are provided for a tour-based model system (with no recognition of the interactions among tours). This includes discussion on data assembly and data preparation, model estimation and calibration (validation), trip assignment output validation, and software recommendations and budgetary considerations.