Welcome

Friday, November 17, 2023

MTF 2023 Summary and Presentations

More than 120 transportation professionals attended the November 7-9, 2023, Model Task Force meeting in Orlando. The meeting summary and presentation slides are listed below.

Meeting summary

Presentations:

• Keynote Address - Kim Holland, FDOT Assistant Secretary
• Emerging Modeling Resources - Jeremy Raw, FHWA
• D4 Traffic Forecast Accuracy - Raj Shanmugam, FDOT, and Ashutosh Kumar, Insight Transportation Consulting
• AASHTO Census Transportation Solutions Overview - Penelope Weinberger, AASHTO
• Turnpike State Model Next Generation - César Segovia, Florida's Turnpike Enterprise
• Disaggregation of Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) Data for Local Freight Planning Studies - Lissy La Paix Puello, CTS Engineering
• Artificial Intelligence for Future of Travel Demand Modeling - Shenhao Wang, University of Florida
• UF GeoPlan Center Resilience Tools & Resources - Crystal Goodison, University of Florida GeoPlan Center
• Data-Driven Modeling Engine for Short-Term Forecasting - Nikhil Puri, Cambridge Systematics
• Model Task Force: A Look Back - Terry Corkery, FDOT
• Model Task Force: A Path Forward - Andrew Tyrell, Dana Reiding, Thomas Hill, FDOT
• Committee Forum - Dana Reiding and Thomas Hill

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Model Task Force 2023 Registration Closes Soon

We are making final preparations for the 2023 Florida Model Task Force meeting November 7-9, 2023, in Orlando at the Embassy Suites on Jamaican Court/International Drive. We need time to plan accommodations and print name badges, so please register your attendance before October 31 at: http://www.fsutmsonline.net/modeling_training.aspx. There is no registration fee. Please note this year the Model Task Force committees will meet the morning of the last day, November 9. The full MTF meeting begins November 7 at 1:30 PM.

• Agenda
• Speaker Bios
• Dates: November 7 at 1:30 PM to November 9 at 10:30 AM
• Location: Embassy Suites Hotel Orlando-International Drive/ICON Park, 8250 Jamaican Ct, Orlando, FL 32819

Thursday, August 10, 2023

Model Task Force 2023 Open for Registration

Please join us for the 2023 Florida Model Task Force meeting on November 7-8, 2023, in Orlando at the Embassy Suites Hotel Orlando-International Drive/ICON Park on Jamaican Court. To give us time to plan accommodations and print name badges, please register your attendance before October 31 at: http://www.fsutmsonline.net/modeling_training.aspx. There is no registration fee. Please note that Model Task Force committees will also meet the morning of November 9. The full MTF meeting begins November 7 at 1:30 PM.
 
The Model Task Force brings together travel demand modelers and other transportation professionals to exchange ideas that advance transportation data forecasting, including travel demand modeling. The agenda will include:

• FDOT Keynote
• MPO Perspectives: Hot Topics for Data-Driven Decisions
• The Art of the Practice: A Showcase
• Workforce Development: Students and Young Professionals
• Model Task Force: A Lookback
• Model Task Force: A Path Forward
• Committee meetings (11/9)

The Art of the Practice: A Showcase is an opportunity for you or your organizations to highlight practices that further the future of transportation data forecasting and modeling. We are specifically interested in practices, projects, or tools that demonstrate advancements in:

• Relevancy & timeliness. This may include new uses for travel demand models, new modeling methodologies or topics, other forecasting methodologies or projects, use of new data sources, and forecasting/models for different timeframes or that shorten response time.
• Accessibility. This may include new user interfaces, new visualization or other outputs, successful communication practices across jurisdictions or for public/elected official engagement or reporting.
• Consistency & efficiency: This may include collaboration between jurisdictions to align models or modeling outputs, use of shared or normalized data sources, and onboarding or training practices.

We have time for up to eight 15-minute presentations. Please submit your interest in presenting to Terrence.Corkery@dot.state.fl.us no later than September 8, 2023. In your request, please include:

• The name(s) of presenter(s)
• A presentation title
• One paragraph describing the presentation
• Related links or attachments

Please use the link below to reserve your hotel room. Please note that the hotel room block closes October 8, 2023.
 
Hotel: Embassy Suites Hotel Orlando International Drive/ICON Park
Booking Link: MTF Room Reservation (Change arrival/departure dates as needed.)
By Phone: 1-800-871-5831
Group Name: FDOT-MODEL TASKFORCE
Special Group Rate: $145/night if reserved by Oct 8
Hotel Cancellation Policy: 72 hours prior to arrival

Monday, March 27, 2023

Modeling Training Courses to be held in Central and South Florida

The FDOT Forecasting and Trends Office will host several one-day modeling training courses and a three-day Python programming course in May and June 2023. 

Orlando, Florida's Turnpike Headquarters/Turkey Lake Service Plaza, Auditorium B

• May 17, 2023 - Modeling for Planners
• May 18, 2023 - Model Validation and Calibration
• May 19, 2023 - Incorporating Emerging Transportation Technologies into Models

Orlando, Florida's Turnpike Headquarters/Turkey Lake Service Plaza, Auditorium B 

• June 14-16, 2023 - Introduction to Python and Discrete Choice Modeling

Fort Lauderdale, FDOT District 4 Broward Operations Center Auditorium, 5548 NW 9th Ave

• June 27, 2023 - Executive Summary Modeling Workshop
• June 28, 2023 - Model Validation and Calibration
• June 29, 2023 - Incorporating Emerging Transportation Technologies into Models
• June 30, 2023 - Modeling for Planners

Seating is limited; FDOT Districts and MPOs will be given seating preference. Click the link below to place your name on the seat-request lists:

https://www.fsutmsonline.net/modeling_training.aspx

Monday, March 27, 2023

STOPS Workshop for Transit Agencies and Users

The Simplified Trips on Project Software (abbreviated as STOPS) is being utilized as the ridership forecasting tool in multiple transit studies throughout the state. The Florida Department of Transportation’s Transit Office is offering free workshops to train transit planning managers, directors, STOPS reviewers and appliers. Each workshop will be broken into two parts:

• The morning session is intended for transit planning managers and directors. It will cover the basics of STOPS software, give an overview of the Capital Investment Grant (CIG) program, and discuss example applications of STOPS.
• The afternoon session is designed for STOPS model developers and appliers. It will cover the steps for developing and maintaining a STOPS model, as well as analyzing and presenting results from STOPS. Three one-day workshops will be held – two in-person and one virtual. The same content will be covered in each of the three workshops.

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Registration is free and open to all agencies and their consultants. Be sure to register for one of the following webinars!

• Workshop #1 (Ft. Lauderdale, in-person), Tuesday, April 18, 2023, 8:30 am – 5:30 pm, click here to register.
• Workshop #2 (Tampa, in-person), Monday, April 24, 2023, 8:30 am – 5:30 pm, click here to register.
• Workshop #3 (Virtual), Thursday, May 11, 2023, 8:30 am – 5:30 pm, click here to register.

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What is STOPS?

The 2013 Final Rule on major capital investment projects revised the measures that FTA uses to evaluate, and rate proposed major transit projects. STOPS is a ridership forecasting tool widely used by sponsors of New Starts and Small Starts projects to evaluate the measures used by FTA to rate projects and is used by transit and other public agencies throughout Florida. STOPS has evolved since its release in 2013 and is now applied to support a wider range of planning applications – such as systems planning, operations planning, and QA/QC of forecasts from local travel demand models.

The training is eligible for 7.5 AICP CM credit hours.

If you have any questions, please contact David Schmitt at david.schmitt@insighttcinc.com

Tuesday, June 21, 2022

FSUTMS NextGen Working Group

The February 2022 Model Task Force (MTF) meeting introduced a progressive and extensive update to the Florida Standard Urban Transportation Modeling Structure. As part of this effort, a working group made up of a broad spectrum of MTF members is proposed to provide direction, research, and review of existing and new modeling guidelines. We  request that all of those wishing to participate in the FSUTMS Next Gen Working Group complete and submit a form indicating their interest. Working group members will be selected from among those who have submitted this form. Even if you have previously expressed interest in participating, we ask that you submit the form located at [CLOSED JULY 1]. 

Thursday, May 12, 2022

Modeling Training Courses Open for Registration

In-Person Modeling Training Courses Open for Registration

FSUTMS Executive Summary Modeling Seminar - Tuesday, May 31
FSUTMS Modeling Disruptive Technologies Seminar - Wednesday, June 1

Data Mining for Travel Model Development - Monday, June 20

Online/Virtual Training Course Open for Registration:  
Python Programming for Transportation Modeling - June 6-17, 2022, 9:00-10:30 AM EDT every weekday morning for two weeks on Microsoft Teams.

In-Person Training Schedule:
Tuesday after Memorial Day, May 31, 2022, Florida's Turnpike HQ, Ocoee, FL
The FSUTMS Executive Summary Modeling Seminar provides an overview of the transportation planning process, travel demand forecasting methodologies, and FSUTMS modules. Participants learn the underlying theories of modeling and see how to produce presentation graphics for reports and meetings. This single-day workshop is designed for managers and other non-modelers who review model outputs.

Wednesday, June 1, 2022, Florida's Turnpike HQ, Ocoee, FL
The FSUTMS Modeling Disruptive Technologies Seminar provides an understanding of various factors related to “disruptive technologies” that are transforming how people and goods travel and need to be considered in planning.  These include connected/autonomous vehicles, Transportation Network Companies, shared micro-mobility, working from home (including hybrid approaches), and e-commerce. Participants will learn how these issues can be considered in FSUTMS travel models and provide an understanding of the assumptions made about disruptive technologies when modeling them and the impacts of these assumptions.

Monday, June 20, 2022, FDOT District 7 HQ, Tampa, FL
The Data Mining for Travel Model Development course will serve as an introductory course to the various public data sets used for travel demand modeling. These include data for both passenger and freight modeling. Data sets that will be covered will be from sources such as the Census Bureau, FHWA, Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as Florida specific data sources that are useful for model estimation, calibration, and validation.
 

Online/Virtual Training
In addition to the in-person courses above, we will be offering a live instructor-led online/virtual workshop June 6-17, 9:00 to 10:30 every weekday morning for two weeks:

Python for Transportation Modeling
This course provides a basic introduction on the use of Python for transportation planning and modeling. It includes a brief introduction to the fundamentals of writing code in Python, as well as modules on tabular data analysis, visualizations, geographic analysis, and discrete choice modeling. The course assumes that students are already somewhat familiar with the methodologies and mathematical tools of transportation modeling in general, and focuses exclusively on the how these tools and models are constructed and used within Python. 


All workshops are free of charge. Registration required.

Register