Mode Shift Potential Evaluations Using Desire Lines & Connections to Active Functional Classification Systems
Cite as:
Wasserman, D., Singleton, P., Foster, D., & Young, G. (2022, November). Mode Shift Potential Evaluations Using Desire Lines & Connections to Active Functional Classification Systems. UTRAC. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pgGuYsJ_fAnR6sF6LSKJ_H81he1bB5vy/view
Abstract
Understanding which active transportation facilities have a high potential for mode shift is a potent metric of success for funders seeking to make high-impact transportation investments. This report documents the development and validation of a traveler alignment analysis tool that looks at the orientation and magnitude of short trips in origin-destination (OD) data to evaluate mode shift potential. This alignment analysis operates by using line features created by a Utah statewide OD matrix of vehicle trips taken from Replica Places’ activity-based modeling data platform. OD lines were then further disaggregated using a preprocessing technique known as jittering, that creates sub-OD pairs from more aggregated ones to make them more geographically diffuse and relevant to active transportation. To tune parameters related to proximity, angle, and trip distance, a sensitivity analysis was conducted comparing similar mode shift potential indices generated by the alignment analysis and 25 StreetLight Data pass-through zone analysis. This sensitivity analysis found that this method can produce reasonable results that can be used to evaluate different projects and provided some indication of what thresholds for different tool parameters were most suitable. A demonstration of this quick-response tool using Transportation Investment Fund (TIF) active facilities was submitted to the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) for evaluation, and its outputs illustrate that this tool can be a useful complement to existing prioritization criteria for consideration.
Transportation Research Board Publication - 2023
A TRB Publication on this research can be found at:
Young, G., Wasserman, D., Foster, D., Singleton, P. A., & Tomlin, S. (2023). Evaluating Segment-Level Active Mode Shift Potential Using Desire Lines. Transportation Research Record, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/03611981231175155
Excerpt from Report
This review of existing methods highlights the opportunity to develop a new tool for estimating mode shift potential at the early stages of active transportation project proposal, informed by elements of each of the previously discussed methods. The tool presented in this research approximates the number of car trips taken along an existing or new network link segment that may reasonably be converted to active modes, using trip data represented by OD desire lines. Implemented as an ArcGIS Pro tool, the workflow determines the minimum distance and difference in bearing between each desire line and input network link for evaluation. It then applies weights based on defined proximity and angle thresholds to estimate the fraction of trips represented by each desire line that may be attributed to the network link. Next, it considers the average trip distance of all trips represented by the desire line and applies an additional weighting procedure to estimate which trips attributed to the network link may reasonably be converted to active modes, acknowledging the role of trip distance in mode choice. An illustration explaining key concepts behind this traveler alignment analysis methodology is shown in Figure 2.1.
