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Trip Assignment Models in Transcad: Murtaza Haider

Trip assignment models in TransCAD take estimated trip flows between zones and assign them to the transportation network to determine link flows and analyze congestion. The document provides an overview of trip assignment procedures in TransCAD, including generating inputs, running assignments using different methods, and interpreting results. Example applications for highway and transit assignment are also presented.

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Yaneth Vera
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138 views

Trip Assignment Models in Transcad: Murtaza Haider

Trip assignment models in TransCAD take estimated trip flows between zones and assign them to the transportation network to determine link flows and analyze congestion. The document provides an overview of trip assignment procedures in TransCAD, including generating inputs, running assignments using different methods, and interpreting results. Example applications for highway and transit assignment are also presented.

Uploaded by

Yaneth Vera
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Trip Assignment models in TransCAD

Murtaza Haider

[email protected]
Tel: 416.979.5000, ext. 2480

Trip Assignment Procedures


Goal: understand how to use TransCAD to:
Generate inputs for trip assignment
Run trip assignment
Understand, interpret and analyze procedure results

Trip Assignment
Trip assignment models take the estimated flow of
trips from zone to zone and assign them to the
network to determine network flow on links or
routes
The output of trip assignment models is typically
link flows or route riderships
If links contain capacities, congestion can also be
measured
Usually, each mode is assigned separately

Example: Highway Assignment

Example: Transit Assignment

Assignment Methods #1
All or Nothing
All traffic flow between an O-D pair is assigned to the
shortest path connecting the origin and destination

Incremental Assignment
Traffic flow is assigned in steps. After a partial flow is
assigned, link costs are recalculated and the next set of flows
is assigned based on new link costs

Assignment Methods #2
Capacity Restraint
Approximates equilibrium solution by iterating between
all or nothing loadings and recalculating travel times
based on congestion function, reflecting link capacity

Assignment Methods #3
User Equilibrium
Iterative method that makes an all or nothing assignment,
calculates flows, calculates travel times based on capacity
restraints and uses congested travel times in the next
iteration
In this model no travelers can improve their travel times
by changing paths.

Assignment Methods #4
Stochastic User Equilibrium
A generalization of user equilibrium that adds a random
perturbation to the calculated travel times.

System Optimum
This model minimizes total system travel time such that
no user can change paths without increasing total travel
time on the network.

Required Inputs for Traffic Assignment


OD matrix containing vehicle (or passenger)
volumes. The IDs in the rows and columns must
match the node IDs in the network
Line geographic file open in a map window
TransCAD network associated with the line
database

Example: Assignment Setup

Network Attributes
Time: travel time to traverse link
Capacity: upper flow limit on link
Preload: background flow on link (e.g. buses)
Link Type: code representing type of link
Alpha: alpha parameter in BPR function
Beta: beta parameter in BPR function
Not all attributes are required

Parameter Settings
Iterations: maximum iterations to perform
Convergence: convergence criteria to stop
iterations, based on maximum absolute change in
link flows between iterations
Alpha: global default BPR value
Beta: global default BPR value
Not all parameters are required

Getting Ready to Do Traffic Assignment


Choose File-Close All, then choose File-Open or
click on the toolbar.
Open the workspace TR_ASSGN.WRK in
TCW\TUTORIAL. TransCAD displays the
UTOWN scenario.
Make the Street layer the working layer.
Open the network file UTOWN.NET.

Performing a Traffic Assignment


Choose [*FF_Time] from the Time drop-down list.
All the other settings are correct. Click OK.
Enter MYASSIGN as the output filename and click
OK. TransCAD performs the assignment, generates
a summary report file and joins the flow file to the
streets layer.

Displaying Assignment Results


Make your map the active window.
Choose Map-Scaled Symbol Theme.
Choose AB_Flow in the Field drop-down list and
click OK. TransCAD shows the flow on the line
layer.
Click

on the toolbar.

Choose AB_Flow in the Field drop-down list and


click OK. TransCAD shows the volume on each
link in each direction.
ALSO: Planning>Planning Utilities>Create flow
map

Assignment Options #1
Preloading
Fixed background volumes on links, for trips that are not
contained in OD matrix but do affect link travel times and
BPR functions (e.g. bus and truck trips)
Input is through an extra network field

Critical Link Analysis


Report of estimated volume between each O-D pair that
uses the critical links
Input is line selection set

Assignment Options #2
Cold Start Analysis
To report emission-related flow data, for specified length
of cold start period

Flow Range Tabulation


Frequency distribution matrix of assigned link flows

V/C Range Tabulation


Frequency distribution matrix of assigned volume-tocapacity ratios

Report File Outputs


Assignment inputs and results
Total vehicle hours assigned
Total vehicle miles assigned

Binary Table Outputs


For all links:
Flow for each direction and total flow
Cost for each direction and maximum cost
Volume-to-capacity ratios
Cold start flows (optional)

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