Date/Time: Thursday September 11, 2025 10:00-11:30am
Location: MAG - 586 E 800 N, Orem, UT 84097
Virtual option available through the calendar appointment. Email utahMUG@gmail.com to request the calendar appointment.
Agenda
Welcome & Introductions
- Anyone attending for the first time?
- User Spotlights
Presentations
-
Leveraging mobility data for the automated calibration of travel demand models
Gaurav Vyas, Bentley Systems.
Summary: Travel demand models whether 4-step or Agent-Based (ABMs) were traditionally based on special travel surveys such as Household Travel Surveys (HTS’s) that served as the main source for estimation of the model coefficients. Other types of data such as transit on-board surveys, traffic counts, transit ridership by line, etc., were primarily used for the model validation and possible adjustments of the coefficients. The presentation illustrates a new a new general approach where different types of data including HTS and big data, can be used in one systematic process of travel model calibration in an automated manner using the case studies from MAG Weekend ABM and Chattanooga Person Travel Demand model. -
Half Time Break
Jared Lillywhite, Mountainland Association of Governments -
Enhancing CRT Modeling in WFRC TDM v9.2: Diagnosing and Correcting Station-Level Forecast Biases
Bill Hereth, WFRC
Summary: CRT Improvements for v9.2: Current WF TDM model under models CRT production-end boardings in Utah County by 34% (with Provo Station at 90% low) and over models production-end boardings in Davis County by 58%. WFRC undertook various investigations to evaluate the causes and understand potential improvements to FrontRunner modeling. This presentation summarizes recommended improvements to the WF TDM v9.2 to enhance CRT modeling. Key refinements include adjusting the drive-access utility by setting RUNFACTOR to 2.5, which better aligns modeled behavior with observed patterns at end-of-line stations such as Provo and Ogden. Additionally, incorporating purpose and period Alternative Specific Constants (ASCs) by distance bins significantly improved the fit of modeled trip distance distributions on CRT, reducing error from -11% to -56% down to -5% to -18%. The magnitude of improvements needed to bring Utah County and Provo Station boardings into line required substantial in-vehicle adjustments in the range of 60–75 minutes. However, tests of these models demonstrate these adjustments severely impact the sensitivity of the model. The insights gained through these investigations will be documented and shared with model users to help inform modelers of the limitations of the WF TDM in producing CRT station-level boardings forecasts and support more robust model calibration for v9.2 using the 2023 Household Travel Survey and Transit On-Board Survey data.
Discussion Topics
- Utah-Specific resources:
- Model Status Update (link)
- Utah Statewide Travel Model: Hayden Atchley, UDOT
- Wasatch Front TDM: Suzie Swim, WFRC
- Cache TDM: Isaac Gardner, CMPO
- Dixie TDM: Radhika Bhandari, DMPO
- Summit-Wasatch TDM: Hayden Atchley, UDOT
- Iron TDM: Hayden Atchley, UDOT
- Presentation solicitations (link) – due by October 31st
- Others?
Next meeting
- Date/Time: Thursday, January 22, 10:00-11:30 am @ UDOT.
🍽 lunchiMUG
- Gather with us at Kneaders for lunch.
Notes
We will publish them after the meeting.