Week 3

¶ … Transit projects a guide for practitioners" chapters 10 -11 provide two modeling approaches and explain how they could be used in the study of transportation problems? Define and explain each approach that you have chosen. 2) Explain the New Starts program and its potential benefits and weaknesses. Would you implement such a program if you were the president? What would and wouldn't you change?

Transportation Problems and Analysis and the New Starts Program

Approaches to modeling transportation systems are many. Depending on the needs of the system and the restrictions and limitations of that system, almost anything can be accomplished though ingenuity and system flexibility. Each analysis will vary depending on many factors including time of day, types of vehicles being analyzed, and the existing transportation infrastructure that the vehicles are traveling on.

One way that people analyze transportation systems is through linear optimization. This is a mathematical approach to transportation problems that involves creating a system with certain constraints and optimizations (Bazaraa, et. al., 2010). These constraints produce certain equalities and inequalities, leading the researchers toward solutions that are most efficient. This form of modeling is an excellent way of imposing theoretical externalities and controls upon existing systems. These models tend to exist within the realm of computer modeling, and can take into account any of the time and distance constraints that exist in real life in transportation systems (Bazaraa, et. al., 2010). Linear optimization is used by many other fields to perform similar functions. This type of modeling is nice because it's relatively cheap and an unlimited number of models can be generated with an unlimited number of permutations, so scientist and transportation planners can play with different solutions on a computer screen before they commit to a policy change or physical change to the transportation system (Rodrigue, et. al., 2009). These are some of the main advantages to this type of modeling.

Another approach to modeling that many transportation planners use is the called dual-matrix approach (Rodrigue, et. al., 2009). This approach is essential in planning time and loading functions for many transportation applications like shipping and cargo movement. But it can also help transportation planners come to terms with certain existing transportation systems that may not be optimized for time or space considerations. This type of modeling considers minimum-cost planning and helps to reduce costs through increased efficiency (Rodrigue, et. al., 2009). Ships that are loaded in an efficient manner help increase productivity at all the ports it stops at along its voyage. In the same manner, this type of modeling helps planners to increase efficiency in all of the places along the transportation infrastructure at once. In this way, it is a very efficient way of modeling transportation problems and finding effective, successful solutions.

The New Start Program focuses on creating exclusive use areas on major U.S. highways and other transportation structures (FTA, 2010). These exclusive use areas will serve vehicles that require either larger capacities for carrying people or operations that are efficiency sensitive. These operations include moving certain along certain routes or moving people within a city via mass transit systems (FTA, 2010). This is one of the FTA's largest, most ambitious capital investment programs to date.

The program is supporting the implementation of fixed "guideways" that enable a more efficient movement of goods and people within certain areas (FTA, 2010). It includes both light rail and buses and helps to increase accessibility for millions of Americans. The project encompasses vehicles that will have a fixed right-of-way.