In California, where travel demand models often guide project-level decisions and analysis, a new report finds many are outdated, poorly documented, and ill-suited to the purposes agencies sometimes use them for. Transportation agencies rely on models to forecast traffic and guide billions of dollars in infrastructure investment. Without updates, these tools risk locking in old assumptions about growth and travel behavior rather than helping agencies plan for a more sustainable and efficient future.
induced travel
Workers offset their commute travel when working from home
The massive shift to remote work during the pandemic altered the way many offices operate and increased interest in the potential for widespread telecommuting to help reduce traffic, transportation emissions, and other harmful impacts. We have reported several studies, however, that suggest remote work simply lets people drive at different times of day and for purposes other than commuting. A new study backs that finding.
USDOT could advance travel modeling and help planners account for induced demand
A provision of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Sec. 11205) requires USDOT to review existing travel demand models and, among other things, consider the potential implications of induced travel. Federal officials, committed to that mandate, were at the TRB annual meeting last week to learn from modeling experts and practitioners. This blog post offers one perspective on the issues and lays out several opportunities gleaned through discussions at TRB.