Multimodal Transportation Operations: Evaluation Methods & Performance Measures (TE-43) Course Outline

Module One (2 hours) 

  • Introductions & Course Overview 
  • Your project’s evaluation needs, data, performance measures, and results ∙ Categorizing evaluation methods and performance measures 
  • Mainstream Transportation Performance Measures 
  • Scope & Scale (and purpose) of Evaluation Techniques 
    • Time (peak hour, peak period, average weekday, annual, long-term trends)
    • Location (intersection/roadway segment, corridor, sub-area,system-wide measures)
    • What decision process are the analysis results being used for? 

Modules Two & Three (Two 2-hour sessions) 

  • Traffic flow fundamentals for Intersections and Street Segments (Interrupted Flow)
  • Multimodal Analysis of Signalized Intersections 
  • Multimodal Analysis of Unsignalized Intersections 
  • Multimodal Analysis of Roundabouts 
  • Street Segment and Facility Analysis 
  • Additional Pedestrian and Bicycle Performance Measures 

Module Four (2 hours) 

  • Multimodal Analysis of Freeways 
  • Traffic flow fundamentals for freeways & access controlled arterials (Uninterrupted  Flow) 
    • Analytic Procedures: HCM version 7 Basic, Merge, Diverge, Weave 
  • Empirical Procedures: Direct Measurement for Before-After Studies 
  • Transit Data (AVL & APC data for reporting transit performance measures)
  • Data Management, Summarizing the Data, Data Visualization & “Telling the Story”

Module Five (2 hours) 

  • Data Sources & model/analysis parameters: inputs to the analysis process
    • Caltrans PeMS (Agency provided ATMS data) 
    • INRIX & HERE data (big data, probe vehicles) 
    • Locally collected data & data collecting technologies: Bluetooth, probe vehicles, video vs tube, etc. 
  • How reliable are the analytic methods – How much can we trust the numbers?
  • How reliable are the data & empirical analysis – How much can we trust the numbers?
  • Combining empirical & analytic procedures for better results 
  • With all these analysis techniques & data sources – how to choose best data & methods for your particular project needs! 

Module Six (2 hours) 

  • Analytical and Simulation Software Tools – Tool types, criteria for 
  • selection, and performance measures(with examples) 
  • With all these analysis techniques & data sources – how to choose best data & methods for your particular project needs! 
  • Closing remarks & course summary