Transportation Modeling

Abstract

Informatics are rapidly and radically transforming urban transportation in ways not seen since the introduction of the automobile over a hundred years ago. Near-ubiquitous smartphone usage, pervasive cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity, powerful and cost-effective computing capabilities, advanced GIS software and databases, advanced platforms for managing and scheduling service operations, etc., are combining to enable the introduction of new mobility services and technologies that are increasingly disrupting conventional trip-making behavior and the “rules of the game” in terms of transportation network operations and the regulation of system performance. The implications of these major informatics-driven changes for transportation modeling are equally disruptive and major. These include changes in: travel behavior; transportation system performance; the data available for model development and application; and modeling methods. Each of these broad areas of impact are discussed in this chapter.