Figure 2. Criteria for selecting a traffic analysis tool category. Diagram.
This diagram outlines seven criteria to consider within a planning, design, or operations/construction analytical context.
Each criterion contains a question to consider and possibilities stemming from that question. The first criterion is
Geographic Scope. The question is What is your study area? and the possibilities are isolated location, segment, corridor or
small network, and region. The second criterion is Facility Type. The question is Which facility types do you want to include?
and the possibilities are isolated intersection, roundabout, arterial, highway, freeway, HOV lane, HOV bypass lane, ramp, auxiliary
lane, reversible lane, truck lane, bus lane, toll plaza, and light-rail line. The third criterion is Travel Mode.
The question is Which travel modes do you want to include? and the possibilities are SOV, HOV (2, 3, 3 plus), bus, rail, truck,
motorcycle, bicycle, and pedestrian. The fourth criterion is Management Strategy. The question is Which management strategies
should be analyzed? and the possibilities are freeway management, arterial intersections, incident management, emergency management,
work zone, special event, APTS, ATIS, electronic payment, RRX, CVO, AVCSS, weather management, and TDM. The fifth criterion is
Traveler Response. The question is Which traveler responses should be analyzed? and the possibilities are route diversion
(both pre-trip and en route), mode shift, departure time choice, destination change, and induced or foregone demand.
The sixth criterion is Performance Measures. The question is What performance measures are needed? and the possibilities are LOS,
speed, travel time, volume, travel distance, ridership, AVO, V to C ratio, density, VMT/PMT, VHT/PHT, delay, queue length,
number of stops, crashes/duration, TT reliability, emissions/fuel consumption, noise, mode split, and benefit/cost.
The seventh criterion is Tool Cost-Effectiveness. The question is What operational characteristics are necessary? and the
possibilities are tool capital cost, effort (cost/training), ease of use, popular/well-trusted, hardware requirements, data
requirements, computer run time, post-processing, documentation, user support, key parameters user definable, default values,
integration, and animation/presentation.