PDC have extensive experience in developing successful park and ride services for clients. This goes back to the early 1990’s when we were using our innovative stated preference methods to investigate perceptions and the propensity of car users to switch mode. Over recent years we have developed Visual-tm so that it can model combined mode trips alongside more traditional modes such as Highway or Bus. This new functionality now enables parking, park & ride and related combined-mode trips to be incorporated properly into transport models. It represents a major step forward in transport modelling capability.
Here are some brief details about some projects we have conducted in this area.
Gloucestershire Major Scheme Bid
Date: 2005
This project was undertaken in conjunction with Halcrow Group who is Gloucestershire County Councils term consultants. The brief involved building a multimodal model of transport in Gloucestershire which would be able to forecast demand for a new park and ride site at Elmbridge court adjacent to a proposed new parkway railway station.
The work involved building a Visual-tm model of demand which drew upon an existing SATURN highway network model. A public transport network was built in Visual-tm which was connected to the SATURN model to ensure consistent speeds. Trip generation, distribution, mode choice and public transport assignment models were calibrated and set up to iterate until the transport supply/demand had converged to equilibrium. This model was then used to forecast demand for 2011 and 2026.
Outputs were taken from the model for input into TUBA for economic appraisal. Forecasts were produced for both the major scheme and a low cost alternative. TUBA was run to produce a cost benefit ratio and outputs were used for the major scheme bid document. This bid has been presented to central government and the client is awaiting evaluation.
Truro Major Scheme Bid and Multimode Modelling
Date: 2005
This project was conducted in conjunction with Mouchel Parkman to develop a multimode model and use it to help design and appraise a transport strategy for Truro so as to support their major scheme bid for funds. The strategy involved a pair of park and ride sites feeding the city centre, major highway and junction improvements, new development sites, bus services and demand management measures so as to provide transport into Truro well into the future. We developed a multimode model integrated with the County’s SATURN model of Truro so as to investigate alternative land use and transport measures for 2011 and 2026. The model coefficients were obtained from a stated preference survey of 300 car drivers, which we undertook for the County.
The model forecasts were used to help design the transport measures including the park and ride system. The revenue forecasts were used to assess whether the scheme would be self funding and make a profit. The forecasts were also used for appraisal and to make the case for funding it.
Taunton Multimode Strategy
Date: 1996
The Taunton multimode transport strategy study aimed to develop a cohesive and sustainable transport system for the future prosperity of Taunton. Congestion was a key problem and a specific objective was to develop effective non-car measures to provide for future growth in travel demand. The study was used for the county’s successful Local Transport Plan bid.
A series of group discussions were held to develop possible new transport solutions which would be attractive to car drivers. They were turned into a creative set of possible new transport scenarios by the transport planning team and field-tested with a state-of-the-art stated preference market research survey comprising 300 household attitudinal interviews which measured what people would actually do if the scenarios were built. The results were built into a multimode model, in conjunction with a SATURN/TRIPS traffic model, covering car, bus, rail, cycle and walk as well as new modes for quality bus and park & ride.
The model was used extensively to test the viability of the scenarios to attract car drivers and relieve congestion under a range of parking and other car penalties. Measures developed included park-and-ride (both rail and bus), a quality bus network, an extensive network of cycleways; improved walking facilities, schools and work initiatives as well as parking and traffic restraint measures.