EXPERT SYSTEM FOR SELECTION OF NETWORK-BASED TRANSPORTATION PLANNING SOFTWARE PACKAGES

The rapid proliferation of microcomputer software packages for network-based transportation planning, with different capabilities and limitations, makes it difficult to evaluate and select a package to satisfy the needs and constraints of a particular agency or transportation planner. The software selection process is complex because it involves a multi-objective decision-making process with ill-defined tradeoffs between the objectives as well as the capabilities and limitations of alternative packages. An expert system is described to assist practicing transportation planners and engineers in selecting microcomputer packages for network-based transportation planning to satisfy their agencies' needs and constraints. The Network-Based Transportation Planning Software Selection Advisor (NETSSA) is implemented in LISP on a VAX computer. NETSSA is highly interactive and user friendly. Its current knowledge base includes nine software packages; however, it can easily be expanded by its developers to include additional software packages and/or heuristics. The advice provided by NETSSA is supported with full explanation and reasoning. The user can accept it in whole or in part. NETSSA allows the user to change the relative weights placed on the different aspects and options, assign new weights, and declare specific requirements as being absolutely critical to the user. These flexibilities enable the user to use NETSSA interactively until he or she arrives at a recommendation that would optimally satisfy his or her agency's "realistic" needs and constraints.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1990/1283/1283-011.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=EXPERT+SYSTEM+FOR+SELECTION+OF+NETWORK-BASED+TRANSPORTATION+PLANNING+SOFTWARE+PACKAGES&author=K.+Safwat&author=K.+El-Araby&publication_year=1990
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309050693
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1283, Transportation Systems Planning and Applications 1990. 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:
  • Safwat, K Nabil A
  • El-Araby, Khaled
• Publication Date: 1990

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 87-96
• Monograph Title: Transportation systems planning and applications 1990
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1283
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Expert systems; Heuristic methods; Microcomputers; Networks; Software; Transportation engineering; Transportation planning; User interfaces (Computer science)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Interactive computing; Selecting
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00607713
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309050693
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Apr 30 1991 12:00AM