Characteristics of Weekend Travel in the City of Calgary: Towards a Model of Weekend Travel Demand

1. Characteristics of Weekend Travel in the City of Calgary: Towards a Model of Weekend Travel Demand JD Hunt, University of Calgary DM Atkins, City of Calgary 17th Annual EMME/2 User Conference Calgary AB, Canada October 2003

2. OutlineProvide an Overview • Introduction • Motivations • Background • Weekend Travel Characteristics • Times • Generation, Modes • Purposes • Model Form • Conclusions

3. Introduction;Motivations • Need weekend coverage for complete coverage • total benefits • total emissions • Acknowledge travel patterns different from weekdays • Identify present and future conditions for weekend • some congestion on Saturdays in particular • Develop transport policy for weekend • infrastructure development • transit service design

6. Weekday

7. Saturday

8. Sunday

9. Introduction;Background • Have weekday travel model • aggregate, equilibrium approach • 25 segments • nested logit choice structure • EMME/2-based • consumer benefits for travellers

12. Introduction;Background • Have observations of travel behaviour on weekends • part of Household Activity Survey (HAS) • 8,400 households in total • 2,200 households concerning weekend travel • all trips over 100m • Developing weekday commercial movements model • Seeking to be consistent in treatment of weekends • develop spec for weekend model

13. Weekend Travel Characteristics;Weekday vs Saturday vs Sunday • Excluding holiday periods • At 13 permanent count stations combined • Saturday traffic volume 78% of AAWT • Sunday traffic volume 64% of AAWT • Saturday and Sunday patterns over day very similar • Consider a single typical weekend day in model?

17. Weekend Travel Characteristics;Home to Work Purposes • Generation much lower on weekends • Mode split on weekends: • less transit and P+R • more auto passenger and walk

21. Weekend Travel Characteristics;Home to School Purposes • Generation much lower on weekends • Mode split on weekends: • Saturday and Sunday different • Saturday: • less transit, school bus, P+R and auto passenger • more auto driver, walk and cycle • Sunday: • less auto passenger and walk • no cycle, P+R and school bus • more auto driver and transit

25. Weekend Travel Characteristics;Home to Shopping Purposes • Generation much greater on weekends • Mode split on weekends: • less auto driver and transit • more auto passenger

29. Weekend Travel Characteristics;Home to Other Purposes • ‘Other’ excludes work, school and shopping • Generation somewhat greater on weekends • Mode split on weekends: • less auto driver and transit • more auto passenger

33. Weekend Travel Characteristics;Home to Other Purposes • 2 basic kinds of ‘Other’ • Other-1 attracted to retail employment • Other-2 attracted to population • Other-1 includes: • shopping • eating out • entertainment / leisure • medical / financial • Other-2 includes: • school • religious / civic • exercise • social

34. Shopping Activity Locations

35. Social Activity Locations

36. Weekend Travel Characteristics;Non-Home-Based Trips • Generation on weekends: • bit more on Saturdays • bit less on Sundays • Mode split on weekends: • highly dominated by auto throughout • less walking (fewer weekday work lunch-time trips)

40. Weekend Travel Characteristics;Activities • Shift on weekends: • away from work and school • to leisure, shopping and other activities • Less regular on weekends – less transit • More family groups on weekends – more auto passenger • About as much time spent travelling on Saturday as • a weekday, bit less on Sunday

47. Model FormConsistency with Weekday Model • Aggregate, equilibrium approach • Range of segments – about 25 or so • Nested logit choice structure for each segment • EMME/2-based

48. Model FormSegments • Separate person types based on • transit fares • driving opportunities • equity considerations • Separate purposes based on • regularity • compulsory / discretionary • behaviour • Combine ‘Adult Worker’, ‘Adult Worker need car at work’, • and ‘Adult Other’ categories used in weekday model • work distinction less important as work less prevalent • mode choice dominated by auto

50. Model FormTimes of Day • Represent peak and off-peak conditions • Several options • one peak: 12:00-16:00 • peak spreading: 2 shoulders either side • along with peak • Expect greater elasticity in time of day choice • less compulsory in time • Still undecided, need to trade-off between • representation of conditions near large retail areas • number of time periods