Guide for Travel Model Transfer

Federal Highway Administration2014PDFTech ReportRossi, ThomasBhat, Chandra R.United States. Federal Highway AdministrationCambridge Systematics, Inc.Sun, SarahUnited States. Federal Highway AdministrationUnited StatesTraffic modelsTransportation planningTraffic forecastingTravel behaviorData collectionData analysisTravel demand model transferabilityModel estimationModel validationFHWA-HEP-15-006DTFH61-13-P-00162Sun, SarahTravel demand models are important tools used in transportation planning to forecast the amount of travel expected to occur under various scenarios and to estimate the effects of changes in transportation supply or policies. The mathematical relationships in these models depend on parameters that reflect the sensitivity of travelers' choices to the model's input variables. The process of model transfer from one region to another has become commonplace as a way to obtain model parameter estimated when sufficient local data for model estimation are not available. This report provides guidance to transportation planners on alternative approaches to model transfer based on the amount of available resources. The guidance, which is based on research that has been conducted on model transferability, sis supplemented with simple examples of the various model transfer methods.119