Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Travel Model Improvement Program Peer Review

2.0 Overview of Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)

2.1 State of Virginia

Virginia consists of 95 counties and the population of the state has grown from 7.1 million in 2000 to 8.0 million in 2010, an increase of about 13% (according to the Census Bureau). Median household income is approximately $64,000.

Virginia contains 15 Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), three of which are only partially contained in Virginia. Table 2-1 shows a complete list of MPOs in the state.

According to the existing statewide travel model, most travel within the state is short distance in nature, with 95% of passenger trips under 100 miles in length. While long-distance trips make up only 5% of all trips, they account for over 25% of the VMT in the state (at least on arterials and freeways). Richmond tends to generate more long-distance intrastate trips than other areas, while Virginia Beach is a key attraction for long-distance intrastate travel. Intrastate passenger rail is a relatively small market compared with auto.

According to the statewide model, the largest freight movements in terms of tonnage are by trucks with about 60% of the market. Rail accounts for 35% of freight movement, while water (4%) and air (less than 1%) account for the remainder. Only slightly greater than half of freight movements within the state originate or terminate (or both) within the state, with the remainder being through movements.

A key piece of legislation related to travel improvement projects in Virginia is the Virginia House Bill 2 (HB 2), signed into law in 2014. HB 2 requires the development of a prioritization process for projects funded by the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB). According to HB 2, the "prioritization process shall be based on an objective and quantifiable analysis that considers, at a minimum, the following factors relative to the cost of a project or strategy: congestion mitigation, economic development, accessibility, safety, and environmental quality." The CTB shall select projects for funding pursuant to the provisions of this Act beginning in 2016.

2.2 VDOT Responsibilities

The Transportation and Mobility Planning Division (TMPD) of VDOT maintains the Virginia Transportation Modeling (VTM) Program. One of the primary goals of the VTM is to assist in the maintenance of models and enhancement of modeling practice in the state, including at the MPO level. It also serves as a peer exchange for discussing modeling techniques and procedures with local and regional agencies and it sponsors modeling training. The group also developed a manual of modeling policies and procedures[1] for the state.

One of the primary responsibilities of the TMPD is the maintenance of several of the state's MPO models. However, district planners and MPO staff also have key roles in maintaining these models, as illustrated in Figure 2-1. Figure 2-2 shows the location of each regional model in Virginia, and the agency responsible for maintaining each model. In total, 12 models are maintained by VDOT's central office staff. The statewide model was the focus of the peer review meeting.

Figure 2-1: Stakeholder Roles in Transportation Model Maintenance

Figure 2-2: Virginia Transportation Model Responsibilities

2.3 Role of the Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment

A key partner for VDOT is the Virginia Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment (OIPI). OIPI leads transportation planning for the state. The OIPI's goals are "to provide solutions that link existing systems, promote the coordination of transportation investments and land use planning, reduce congestion, improve safety, mobility, and accessibility, and provide for greater travel options."[2] The OIPI serves as an advisory group to the Virginia Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) and the state's Secretary of Transportation.

The OIPI is particularly important with respect to HB 2, described above. Both OIPI and VDOT recognize the importance of an application and policy sensitive statewide travel demand model to support the project prioritization process emphasized by HB 2. Because of this, OIPI would like a higher degree of comfort with the accuracy of the statewide model. In the past, they have experienced problems with models, so looking back to assess what made previous models successful or unsuccessful is important as is willingness to try new approaches and techniques. The OIPI listed several items of particular importance for the development of the new statewide model:

• Wants the model to accurately forecast where people are going and how long it is taking them.
• Would like the model to be dynamic, with the ability to incorporate new data and new tools as they become available.
• Would like to use the model for the multimodal long-range plan.
• Use the model for HB 2 project prioritization.
• Would like the model to be understandable to the general public.

With this in mind, VDOT's goal is to operationalize their new statewide model before HB 2 becomes effective in July 2016, and is working with OIPI to do so.

[1] VDOT Travel Demand Modeling Policies and Procedures, 2014. http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/resources/vtm/VTM_Policy_Manual.pdf.

[2] Code of Virginia, § 2.2-229. Office of Intermodal Planning and Investment of the Secretary of Transportation. http://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title2.2/chapter2/section2.2-229/.