DESIGN OF ZONAL SYSTEMS FOR AGGREGATE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING MODELS

The zonal system used to represent the spatial properties of urban areas is basic to all aggregate transportation planning models and has an important impact on their results. The current approach to design of zonal systems is essentially empirical and based on experience, local knowledge, and judgment. The results of this approach are probably neither optimal nor consistent among urban areas. For this reason, a systematic computer-based procedure for the generation of aggregated zonal systems was designed. The procedure consists of three parts: data treatment, design of the zonal systems obtained, and, the central part, the grouping algorithm that allows a complete hierarchy of zonal systems to be established. The objective function for this grouping procedure contains two components: the homogeneity of the population inside each aggregated zone and the minimization of intrazonal trips. A number of constraints on the aggregated zones are introduced to ensure that good zonal systems are developed that satisfy the requirements of the transportation planning process. These constraints include an adjacency constraint, a constraint on natural and person-made barriers, a shape constraint, a constraint on equal population and equal number of member zones inside each aggregated zone, and a constraint on total trips. The aggregation methodology was applied to two initial zoning systems of 42 and 522 zones in the city of Montreal. The results of these experiments show that the procedure is able to generate good zoning systems for transportation planning purposes. (Author)

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  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Passenger Travel Demand Forecasting. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • Baass, Karsten G
• Publication Date: 1981

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Maps; References;
• Pagination: p. 1-6
• Monograph Title: Travel Demand Forecasting and Data Considerations
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 807
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Algorithms; Cluster analysis; Computer aided design; Design; Mathematical models; Optimization; Population; Transportation planning; Urban transportation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Zone
• Old TRIS Terms: Optimum design
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00342365
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309032229
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jan 29 1982 12:00AM