VMT Reduction Mode Shift Modeling

Met Council Regional VMT Reduction Mode Shift Study First, the consultant will use reproducible, script-based methods (see Task 2, Analysis and Task 3, QA/QC) to determine the route each trip in the TBI Survey dataset would have taken if made by driving, walking, transit and bicycling on the existing transportation network. During this phase, the Consultant will construct an internal-facing interactive QA/QC tool to visualize trips in their original and re-routed forms. The visualization tool will be used to adjust the Consultant’s re-routing analysis, while also flagging areas for development when the Council assumes ownership of the tools. Second, the consultant will work with the Project Management Team to identify which re-routed trips could have possibly (technically feasible) or plausibly (feasible and likely) be shifted (Task 4). In developing a classification scheme, the consultant will use data from the re-routing analysis such as the amount of time needed to make the switch, the level of traffic stress (active travel modes) and other contextual factors from the Travel Behavior Inventory survey, such as time of day, type of trip, age of the traveler, presence of children and other passengers, the likelihood of cargo (e.g., groceries) and weather on the day of travel. This phase of the project includes two optional tasks; the Consultant may propose to do one, two, or neither of these optional tasks. Finally, the consultant will analyze and share the results of the survey as a written report and presentation (Task 5). The report will aggregate results of the “mode shift feasibility” classification system developed in the study to address some of the research questions highlighted above. An optional task (C) asks the Consultant to develop an interactive visualization for publication on the Council’s website.