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Management Consulting

Tacoma Travel Demand Model

Services Provided: Socio-Economic Data Development, Roadway Network Development/Refinement, Transit Network Development

EXPLORE

CTPS (Boston) STOPS Model Development

Services Provided: Model Development, Visualization Tool Development


EXPLORE

Miami-Dade TPO On-call

MTC PBA50+ Modeling Support

Services Provided: Ridership Demand Estimation, Alternatives Analysis, Traffic Intersection Analysis, Travel Demand Model Development, General Planning On-Call  

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MTC PBA50+ Modeling Support

Maryland State Highway Modeling On-call

MTC PBA50+ Modeling Support

Services Provided: Network Performance Metrics, Model Network Coding, Network Wrangler, Python 

explore

Maryland State Highway Modeling On-call

Maryland State Highway Modeling On-call

Maryland State Highway Modeling On-call

Services Provided: Transit Modeling, Travel Demand Modeling

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Twin Cities Regional STOPS Model

Maryland State Highway Modeling On-call

Maryland State Highway Modeling On-call

Services Provided: Model Development, Transit Ridership Forecasting, Post-Pandemic Travel

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MassDOT/MBTA Commuter Rail Modeling

Services Provided: Data/GIS Analysis, Scripting, Model Development, Calibration and Validation, Economic Benefits, Data Visualization 

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MARTA Campbellton BRT Project Development

Services Provided: Ridership Demand Estimation, Transit Planning, Service Planning, CIG Evaluation

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ARC Demand Model Development

ARC Demand Model Development

Services Provided: Model Validation Support, Regional STOPS Model Support, Air Passenger Model Update, Data Visualization

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Implementation of Twin Cities ActivitySim Model

Services Provided: Model Development, Model Sensitivity Testing, ActivitySim Implementation, Model Results Dashboard 

EXPLORE

Piedmont Travel Demand Model Development

Services Provided: Travel Demand Model Development, Household Survey Processing 

EXPLORE

Inglewood Transit Connector Study

Sunrail Sunshine Corridor Partnership Ridership Study

Services Provided: Ridership Forecasting, STOPS Modeling, FTA CIG Coordination, Special Events Modeling, Parking Analysis, Survey Planning  

EXPLORE

Sunrail Sunshine Corridor Partnership Ridership Study

Sunrail Sunshine Corridor Partnership Ridership Study

Services Provided: Commuter Rail, Travel Demand Forecasting, Special Markets Ridership Forecasting, Calibration/Validation

EXPLORE

Columbus Northwest Corridor BRT Project Development

Services Provided: Market Analysis, STOPS Ridership Forecasting, Special Events Ridership, Service Plan Development, FTA CIG Coordination

EXPLORE

Houston Galveston Area Council Model Update

Services Provided: Household Travel Survey Processing; Trip Generation; Trip Distribution, Mode Choice Model; Sensitivity Testing 

EXPLORE

BART Link21 Model Development and Application

BCT Broward Commuter Rail South Project Development

BCT Broward Commuter Rail South Project Development

Services Provided: Ridership Forecasting, Demand Model Development and Application, Modeling in EMME, Uncertainty Analysis

EXPLORE

BCT Broward Commuter Rail South Project Development

BCT Broward Commuter Rail South Project Development

BCT Broward Commuter Rail South Project Development

Services Provided: Ridership Modeling and Demand Estimation, Air Passengers Ridership Estimation, CIG Evaluation

EXPLORE

FDOT D5 CFRPM7 Model Review and Technical Support

BCT Broward Commuter Rail South Project Development

FDOT D5 CFRPM7 Model Review and Technical Support

Services Provided: Overall Project Management, Model Technical Support, TransCAD Travel Demand Model Review  

EXPLORE

Tacoma Travel Demand Model

Location: City of Tacoma, Washington

Services Provided: Socio-Economic Data Development, Roadway Network Development/Refinement, Transit Network Development 

Insight is part of a team assisting the City of Tacoma in developing a travel demand model for the base year 2023. This critical initiative improves the model's ability to evaluate policy questions, ensure accuracy in land use, and support regional transportation planning objectives. 


Insight developed the transportation network and socio-economic data. Starting with the regional geodatabase, the team developed a geographically precise transportation network incorporating highway and transit systems, updated for conditions as of 2023. The transportation analysis zone (TAZ) layer was updated to align with the revised network and to integrate findings from recent studies. Land use and socio-economic data were refreshed using authoritative sources such as the 2020 Census, American Community Survey (ACS), Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) data, and regional datasets. The process ensured households, stratified by income, size, and employment characteristics, were correctly represented in the model.


Insight also incorporated truck count data from roadway links and normalized these metrics to represent Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) for five time periods. These updates significantly improved the calibration and validation processes, particularly for freight movement. 

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CTPS (Boston) STOPS Model Development

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Services Provided: Model Development, Visualization Tool Development

Insight led the development of the first regional scale STOPS model of the Boston metropolitan area for the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). These regional “base” models ease coordination among multiple forecasting efforts performed by different project teams and agencies. These types of models also allow the MPO to use STOPS for regional planning efforts. This model will help the region in multiple ways:  

  • It provides a consistent modeling set that minimizes ridership model development for      multiple corridors. 
  • It minimizes the variation among multiple forecasting efforts in the region.  
  • It also includes an innovative reporting HTML file that can be used to demonstrate modeling results to project managers and staff.


The Regional STOPS model has a base year of 2024 and was calibrated and validated to the corresponding year boarding and alighting counts. The calibrated model was also tested on a corridor to evaluate the sensitivity of the ridership forecasts. In addition to developing the model, Insight also developed a visualization HTML report in R Markdown, which reads and summarizes the extensive STOPS results output file. Insight also provided a Model Development Report, User Guide and internal guidance document on maintaining and updating the model.

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Miami-Dade TPO On-call

Location: Miami-Dade, Florida

Services Provided: Ridership Demand Estimation, Alternatives Analysis, Traffic Intersection Analysis, Travel Demand Model Development, General Planning On-Call

Insight was part of a consultant team that provided general planning support services to the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization (TPO). Insight assisted the TPO in the following projects:


  • US 1 Intersection Analysis in Coral Gables: Insight developed traffic forecasts for a 4-mile segment of US 1 in Miami-Dade County to support a traffic analysis focused on evaluating vehicle and pedestrian access along and across the corridor. The analysis aimed to identify multimodal or roadway improvements to enhance corridor capacity. Forecasts were developed using historical growth trends from FDOT traffic counts (2010–2019) and growth rates from the SERPM regional travel demand model, with reasonableness checks performed using the 2015 and 2045 model years. The impact of potential traffic pattern changes, such as new signals and previously restricted turning movements, was also evaluated using the model for concept development. 


  • CSX Railroad Corridor Assessment: Insight provided travel demand modeling, ridership forecasting, and data analysis support for the CSX Corridor Assessment. Three transit alternatives—West Kendall Link, South Link, and Kendall Link—were analyzed along segments of the CSX freight corridor. Insight reviewed service plans, fleet assumptions, and bus connections to develop GTFS datasets, which were used with the county-calibrated STOPS model to forecast ridership. The analysis incorporated population and employment data within a half mile of proposed stations to generate 2045 forecasts and evaluate station boardings, peak vehicle needs, and transit dependency. 


  • MIA – PortMiami Transit Feasibility Study: Insight led the ridership forecasting efforts for this study, which focused on evaluating a direct transit connection between two major regional hubs. Four alternatives were analyzed—two Automated Transit Network (ATN) options and two heavy rail alignments. Insight compiled and reviewed relevant data including air passenger enplanements, cruise passenger volumes, and employment at PortMiami and the airport. Planning-level, market-specific forecasts were developed for cruise passengers and employees; STOPS was used for employee forecasts, while cruise passenger estimates were derived from existing data and travel patterns. Forecasts were validated for plausibility by comparing them with actual transit usage at MIA and were used to estimate peak vehicle requirements. 

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MTC PBA50+ Modeling Support

Location: Bay Area, California

Services Provided: Network Performance Metrics, Model Network Coding, Network Wrangler, Python

Insight supported the Bay Area’s Metropolitan Transportation Commission's Transit 2050+ initiative by providing demand modeling support services. As part of this work, Insight contributed to the region’s long-range planning (named Plan Bay Area 50+) efforts by developing and refining project coding in the regional travel demand model (TM 1.6.1), including quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC), documentation, and coordination with various MTC staff. The Insight team ensured timely technical support and attended project management meetings to discuss model- and project-related questions, and helped MTC develop model networks that reflect the proposed PBA50+ scenario. Insight worked used Network Wrangler and Tableau software to perform and support network coding and reviews. 


Insight also led the development of performance metrics to support the MTC’s Network Performance Assessment (NPA) for Plan Bay Area 2050+. Adding on to available existing scripts, Insight designed and coded Python/R scripts and interactive Tableau dashboards to help evaluate how well future transit networks perform across equity, ridership, and reliability goals. These custom tools quantify metrics such as job accessibility for priority populations, transit mode share, and transit-to-auto travel time comparisons across multiple scenarios. These NPA scripts integrate seamlessly with MTC’s existing modeling systems. MTC is using them to make data-informed decisions to shape a more equitable and connected future. 

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Maryland State Highway Modeling On-call

Location: Statewide Maryland

Services Provided: Transit Modeling, Travel Demand Modeling

Insight led an effort exploring options to enhance the transit modeling capabilities of the Maryland Statewide Travel Model (MSTM). The objective was to redesign the transit component to support a more granular zone system and better address intercity and long-distance transit demands. Insight’s high-level services included transit model development, strategic planning, and stakeholder coordination. 


Insight’s primary task was to design a flexible, efficient, and maintainable transit model within the MSTM’s evolving framework. This upgrade provided an opportunity for the Maryland DOT to rethink the transit modeling approach. Insight evaluated the existing MSTM structure, focusing on agility, reduced staff maintenance workload, and performance under increased zoning complexity. Several modeling approaches were considered, ranging from minimal updates to comprehensive overhauls. Among the proposed options was an offline implementation of the Federal Transit Administration’s Simplified Trips on Project Software (STOPS), designed to offer more robust ridership forecasting. Through extensive analysis, Insight outlined five strategic pathways, each varying in development effort, maintenance requirements, and technical complexity. The options accounted for the need to support multiple rail agencies including the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), Virginia Railway Express (VRE), and Amtrak, while preserving runtime feasibility and modeling accuracy.  

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Twin Cities Regional STOPS Model

Location: Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota

Services Provided: Model Development, Transit Ridership Forecasting, Post-Pandemic Travel 

Insight led the development of the regional scale STOPS model of the Minneapolis/St. Paul (Twin Cities) region for the Metropolitan Council, the region’s Metropolitan Planning Organization. These regional “base” models ease coordination among multiple forecasting efforts performed by different project teams and agencies. These types of models also allow the MPO to use STOPS for regional planning efforts. This model will help the Met Council in multiple ways: 

  • It provides a consistent modeling set that minimizes ridership model development for multiple corridors.
  • It minimizes the variation among multiple forecasting efforts in the region. 
  • It also includes an innovative reporting HTML file that can be used to demonstrate modeling results to project managers and staff


The Regional STOPS model utilizes the post-pandemic transit ridership survey and is calibrated to post-pandemic boarding and alighting counts, and park-and-ride lot utilization data. The calibrated model will be tested to review the impacts on pandemic on the ridership forecasts of several corridors being planned for premium transit service. As part of this model development effort, Insight staff are coordinating with FTA STOPS staff since this will be among the first few STOPS models to utilize post-pandemic region-wide transit on-board surveys. In addition to developing the model, Insight will also update the visualization report that reads and summarizes the extensive STOPS results output file.

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MassDOT/MBTA Commuter Rail Modeling

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Services Provided: Data/GIS Analysis, Scripting, Model Development, Calibration and Validation, Economic Benefits, Data Visualization 

Insight is supporting the commuter rail ridership forecasting tool effort for MassDOT and MBTA. This tool will consider a wide range of initiatives and provide critical outputs showing ridership demand as well as societal and economic benefits to help MBTA develop the case for change and prioritize investments. The tool will use software that can be easily transferred to MassDOT and MBTA staff for in-house use. 


As part of this contract, Insight supported the development of the zone system for the forecasting tool. The finer zone system used in the Boston Regional Metropolitan Planning Organization’s travel demand model (CTPS model) was agglomerated into a smaller number of zones based on proximity to rapid transit and commuter rail stations.


As the end-user anticipates adding and removing stations repeatedly, a tool to create updated zone systems was needed. Accordingly, Insight used R to develop a tool capable of using any set of stations as input and dynamically generating a new set of three catchments around each station, as well as ‘external’ zones’ beyond station-access areas. The tool also included capability to resolve a wide variety of edge cases where proximity based selection crossed waterbodies, or the catchmetns failed to include residual zones.


Insight also developed R scripts to aggregate the MPO’s demand model skim and demand matrices to the MBTA tool zone system format. Going forward, Insight is expected to support the calibration and validation of the tool under development. Specifically, Insight is expected to support the development of the economic benefits module and visualization functionalities for the tool. Insight’s effort is supporting the development of ridership and revenue forecasting tool to help MassDOT and MBTA prioritize future investments. 

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MARTA Campbellton Bus Rapid Transit

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Services Provided: Ridership Demand Estimation, Transit Planning, Service Planning, CIG Evaluation

Insight is part of a consultant team that is providing general planning support services to MARTA. Insight led the travel demand modeling and ridership forecasting work, provided service planning support, helped in identifying travel markets that have a high potential for transit usage, assisted in CIG analysis, provided travel data analysis services, and supported traffic and transit studies as needed by the team. 


MARTA, in collaboration with the City of Atlanta, is conducting a study of high-capacity transit options in the Campbellton Corridor to improve connectivity, accessibility, and mobility in southwest Atlanta. Insight performed ridership forecasting and other planning tasks for this six-mile corridor study. Using a regional STOPS model from MARTA, Insight calibrated a corridor specific model for the Campbellton corridor and used it to develop pre-pandemic ridership forecasts for MARTA. When the updated STOPS model for post-pandemic conditions became available, Insight developed post-pandemic ridership forecasts in support of CIG submission to the FTA. Insight staff delivered multiple sets of ridership forecasts, some under tight timelines.  

Insight also helped refine the service plan for the project and connecting local bus services to help maximize project ridership and achieve a medium rating for the CIG application. Finally, Insight developed operating and maintenance (O&M) costs based on the service plans that were used in the project’s financial plan. The service plan and O&M cost updates were used in support of the CIG application. Insight performed all the refinements and associated ridership model runs needed for a medium rating in two months.


As a result of Insight’s work, the Campbellton Road BRT ridership forecasts were submitted to FTA as part of a CIG application. FTA recently approved the ridership forecasts without revision, and a formal rating is forthcoming.

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ARC Demand Model Development

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Services Provided: Model Validation Support, Regional STOPS Model Support, Air Passenger Model Update, Data Visualization 

Insight, as part of a consultant team, provided travel demand modeling technical support to the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), providing critical technical support, calibration, and enhancement of ARC’s Regional Activity-Based Model (ABM). Insight provided the following services for the ARC model update: 

  • Visualization Tools: Insight developed and enhanced existing R Markdown-based visualization tools to process and summarize key inputs and outputs from the ABM. These tools help ARC dynamically compare data inputs between model runs, enabling staff to identify errors in input data or parameter files before starting multi-day model run, thus providing significant time savings. Additionally, the tools also provided insights into trip distribution and assignment metrics.  
  • Ancillary Model Updates: Insight led the update to the air passenger model utilizing the most recent data available in the region. Further, Insight developed TAZ level student control totals for 10 key universities and colleges in support of an updated University destination choice model.  
  • Regional STOPS Model Update: Insight updated the post-pandemic regional STOPS model with the latest available Census files from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and addressed previous comments received by ARC. This update enabled ARC to share the model with consultants and stakeholders in the region who wish to use the latest STOPS model for transit studies.  
  • Assessing Modeling Software Platforms: Insight developed a memorandum that discusses key considerations related to multiple competing travel modeling software platform’s compatibility, data handling capabilities, and other core functionalities relevant to ARC's current and future modeling needs.  
  • Model Validation Support: Insight assisted the team with the validation of the ABM/s transit and highway assignment modules. This included developing validation metrics such as % Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and deviation by facility class, volume group, and area type, and screenline volumes to validate the regional flow patterns. Further, the NextGen NHTS OD, Replica Synthetic OD, and the LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) datasets were analyzed to validate the model’s trip distribution patterns. The validation documentation was developed in RMarkdown and included dynamic maps and tables.

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Implementation of Twin Cities ActivitySim Model

Location: Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota

Services Provided: Model Development, Model Sensitivity Testing, ActivitySim Implementation, Model Results Dashboard  

Insight supported the implementation of the ActivitySim model – an advanced, open-source activity-based transportation model – for the Twin Cities area. Insight supported the project during both phase 1 and phase 2 of the model development. During phase 1, Insight performed four different sensitivity tests. These tests included: (1) a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) base tax scenario (2) adding a new transit project in the system, (3) an increased telecommuting scenario, and (4) a Transportation Network Companies (TNC) cost change scenario. Insight was able to perform the above sensitivity tests and develop a report within a three-week timeframe. Insight also developed the model summary dashboards using the ActivitySim visualization tool for all the scenarios. 


The sensitivity tests and summary dash allowed MetCouncil staff to become more familiar with the inner workings of the model and also informed the team of the adjustments needed to the model parameters and procedures to improve its readiness for Phase 2 implementation. 


During the Phase 2 implementation of ActivitySim, Insight reviewed the transit model implementation in Cube Voyager and helped improve the representation of transit travel in the model. In addition, additional test model runs were performed to help the team find errors and issues in the model setup.    

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Piedmont Travel Demand Model Development

Location: Greensboro, North Carolina

Services Provided: Travel Demand Model Development, Household Survey Processing 

Insight, as part of a consulting team, supported the development of the comprehensive update of the Piedmont Triad Regional Model (PTRM), a multi-county, multi-agency travel demand model used for regional transportation planning and federal funding justification in North Carolina. The project, managed by Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportatin (PART) in collaboration with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and the Triad MPOs, aimed to recalibrate and modernize the PTRM to reflect current travel behavior with an expanded geographic coverage.


Insight’s primary responsibilities included the redevelopment of the household submodels and trip generation components using data from the 2023 PART Household Travel Survey and the American Community Survey (ACS). Insight executed advanced data integration and statistical techniques, including lifecycle segmentation and cross-classification analysis, to generate updated trip production rates and attraction coefficients. These rates were validated statistically, ensuring alignment with observed behaviors across demographic strata. 


The project also entailed transitioning legacy Fortran scripts to GISDK scripts within TransCAD, enhancing model transparency and maintainability. Insight developed a new GISDK-based destination choice model and implemented automated routines to replace manual processes, streamlining the model execution and model workflows.


A notable technical contribution was the creation of smoothed household demographic distribution curves using ACS Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS), facilitating more accurate socioeconomic forecasting at the TAZ level. Insight’s work was integral in incorporating refined model inputs such as TAZ-level household size, auto ownership, and income distributions, critical for accurate travel forecasting.This model update was critical for PART and its partners to support long-range planning, funding applications, and strategic infrastructure investments.  

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Inglewood Transit Connector Study

Location: Inglewood, California

Services Provided: Ridership Forecasting, STOPS Modeling, FTA CIG Coordination, Special Events Modeling, Parking Analysis, Survey Planning 

Insight provided ridership forecasting leadership and technical support for the Inglewood Transit Connector Study in support of the project’s National Environmental Policy Act documentation and FTA CIG application. The Inglewood Transit Connector is a proposed 1.5-mile elevated automated passenger mover connecting downtown Inglewood and the Inglewood K Line (Crenshaw) station with multiple special event venues, including The Forum, Sofi Stadium, and the upcoming International Basketball and Entertainment Center (IBEC). These venues host over 300 musical and art events per year and two National Football League teams (Chargers and Rams). The IBEC will be home to the Clippers NBA team. All three venues are expected to hold Olympic events when the Summer Games are hosted by Los Angeles in 2028. 


Insight proposed the ridership forecasting approach for this unique project. Average weekday ridership was estimated using FTA’s Simplified Trips-on-Project Software (STOPS). Insight provided senior technical reviews of the STOPS model and its forecasts. Ridership from events was estimated using customized ridership models that can reflect changes in the auto and transit networks due to the project. Insight scoped the special event models (SEMs) and provided technical leadership in their design and calibration.  


The SEM for The Forum and SoFi Stadium were based on ridership surveys developed, scoped, and led by Insight staff. Insight developed the survey instruments, sampling plans, and coordinated logistics with the fieldwork staff. These surveys focused on attendees using transit, Uber/Lyft-style services, and fringe parking. These surveys were distinctive because the fieldwork was conducted within 30 days of their approval, and they were held during the Omicron surge during the COVID pandemic. Both surveys were conducted successfully and safely as well as incorporated successfully into the SEMs. Insight’s ability to develop customized survey designs and ridership models helped the project team receive a “Medium” CIG project rating by the FTA.  

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Sunrail Sunshine Corridor Partnership Ridership Study

Location: Orlando, Florida

Services Provided: Commuter Rail, Travel Demand Forecasting, Special Markets Ridership Forecasting, Calibration/Validation

Insight is the lead ridership forecasting firm for a multi-rail project in Orlando assisting, assisting the Florida Department of Transportation District 5 (FDOT-D5)and the Sunshine Corridor Partnership The Sunshine Corridor Partnership is a team of agencies and companies working together to expand rail in Central Florida. The Partnership consists of FDOT-D5, four counties, the City of Orlando, BrightLine (a private inter-city passenger rail company), Universal Studios, as well as additional stakeholders and agencies.  


The Partnership seeks to introduce both commuter and inter-city rail to the Sunshine Corridor. Insight conducted a ridership study to evaluate demand for proposed commuter rail service in the Sunshine Corridor. 


The proposed SunRail commuter rail extension would link Orlando International Airport (OIA) with the Orange County Convention Center (one of the nation’s largest) and serve the International Drive business district, Universal Studios, and potentially Walt Disney World. This corridor includes six of the world's 12 most-visited theme parks, more than 70,000 hotel/resort rooms, nearly 90,000 jobs, and the nation’s eighth-busiest airport.


Insight developed customized models for the corridor’s airport passengers and major attractions. A regional Simplified Trips on Project Software (STOPS) transit model estimated average weekday commuter ridership. An air-passenger mode-choice model, calibrated with a 2023 Air Passenger Survey, assessed ground-access options to and from OIA for residents and visitors. A third model estimate transit ridership to the region’s theme parks.

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Columbus Northwest Corridor BRT Study

Location: Columbus, Ohio

Services Provided: Market Analysis, Ridership Forecasting, STOPS Modeling, Special Events Ridership, Service Plan Development, FTA CIG Coordination, Streetlight Data 

Insight Transportation Consulting Inc. is providing market analysis, service planning and ridership forecasting support for the Columbus Northwest Corridor BRT Study to develop a BRT service in the corridor that is efficient and funding eligible. Insight is supporting the 30% design phase of the study and supporting the project’s forthcoming CIG submission. Insight led the ridership forecasting during the 10% design phase of the study, leading to a locally preferred alternative and advancing the project into FTA’s CIG Project Development phase.


A corridor travel market assessment was conducted to understand the travel patterns in the corridor. Data from the American Community Survey, Census LEHD, regional travel demand model, and Streetlight data, as well as OSU student and faculty zip code information were utilized to understand the potential travel market that the project can serve. This analysis is helping the development of service plans in the corridor.  


The primary forecasting tool being used is the Simplified Trips on Project Software (STOPS). The corridor includes two of the largest employment generators in the Central Ohio region – downtown Columbus and The Ohio State University. Insight is using COTA’s regional STOPS model as the basis and incorporated corridor-specific adjustments before using it for project forecasting purposes. Because of the travel markets in the corridor, Insight is updating the STOPS model to incorporate ridership from travel to/from OSU and from the special events at the numerous stadiums along the corridor. Insight continues to coordinate with the FTA regarding STOPS modeling and ridership forecasting, as well as conducting a CIG rating evaluation to assess the trade-offs between desired project characteristics and CIG funding eligibility.  

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Houston Galveston Area Council Model Update

Location: Houston, Texas

Services Provided: Household Travel Survey Processing; Trip Generation; Trip Distribution, Mode Choice Model; Sensitivity Testing 

Insight is serving as a subconsultant to assist the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) with maintaining and updating its four-step travel demand model while providing critical technical support for model calibration, validation, sensitivity analysis, and user training. These efforts ensure the model remains an accurate and reliable tool for regional transportation planning and policy evaluation. Initially, Insight’s key activities focus on updating the freight matrix using Replica data. Insight is coordinating with the team to acquire and integrate this data, developing freight trip tables, and performing high-level checks in key freight activity zones such as ports and warehouses. This process emphasizes quality assurance and control (QA/QC), ensuring accuracy in representing freight movement. Deliverables include a technical memorandum documenting the trip table creation process and QA/QC results, laying the groundwork for informed freight-related decision-making. 


Insight is supporting the calibration and validation of the travel demand model. Insight is summarizing data from household travel surveys, Replica, and other sources like ridership and parking data to calibrate model components including trip generation, trip distribution, mode choice, and highway/transit assignments. Recommendations for improving calibration and validation processes are provided, enhancing the model’s accuracy and reliability. Insight is also leading the sensitivity analysis process by coordinating with H-GAC to define four distinct scenarios for testing. This includes adjusting model inputs and parameters, investigating unexpected results, and proposing model updates to refine outputs. The findings from these tests will be summarized in a comprehensive sensitivity analysis report detailing scenario assumptions, results, and insights. 


Finally, Insight will focus on equipping H-GAC staff with the knowledge and tools needed for effective model use. Insight is contributing content to the model user guide, detailing model inputs, setup, execution, and troubleshooting procedures. Additionally, training materials are being developed for a six-hour session tailored to H-GAC staff. This training aims to enhance staff competency in navigating the model, running simulations, and interpreting results, empowering the agency with improved operational capabilities. 

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BART Link21 Model Development and Application

Location: Miami-Dade, Florida

Services Provided: Ridership Forecasting, Demand Model Development and Application, Modeling in EMME, Uncertainty Analysis

Insight is providing travel demand modeling and data analytics support for the Link21 Program, jointly led by Bay Area Rapid Transit and the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority. The keystone of the Link21 program is a new transbay rail tunnel connecting Oakland and San Francisco. 


The primary task of this project is developing and applying the Link21 model, a state-of-the-art modeling platform that reflects the latest modeling techniques. Insight has supported the calibration of this model in two ways: (1) creating transit and highway volume datasets and developing scripts that produce easy-to-understand validation workbooks that compare observed to estimated volumes, and (2) running multiple sensitivity tests that “stress test” the model’s ability to predict change. 


Insight led the model application stage of this project. Insight updated the model to reflect the region’s long-range infrastructure projects (PBA50) and travel behavior strategies, including substantial investments in transit infrastructure, telecommuting patterns, density-based increases in parking costs, a regional distance-based transit fare system, and an extensive expansion of roadway tolling. Insight coded the project’s alternatives (approximately three dozen alternatives), developed ridership forecasts to support the Business Case for the project, and modeled uncertainty tests to evaluate the project’s ability to withstand significant long-term changes in environmental and travel behavior. 


Insight also assisted project management tasks by developing multiple Quality Plans (including the Travel Demand Modeling and Network Coding Quality Management Plan) and coordinating with the program’s Planning & Engineering and Business Case Teams regarding the project’s alternatives and performance metrics.

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BCT - Broward Commuter Rail South Study

Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Services Provided: Ridership Modeling and Demand Estimation, Air Passengers Ridership Estimation, CIG Evaluation

Insight is supporting the development of the Broward Commuter Rail (BCR) South corridor, an 11.5-mile proposed commuter rail line along the Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway. This corridor, identified as an extension of the planned Northeast Corridor (NEC) service, connects the Aventura passenger station northward to downtown Fort Lauderdale, with proposed stations at Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, and South Fort Lauderdale. The project's primary objective is to advance toward a successful application for Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Capital Investment Grant (CIG) funding. 


Insight is providing strategic ridership modeling and advisory services crucial to advancing the project toward a successful federal funding application. The firm's role includes technical leadership in the Simplified Trips-on-Project Software (STOPS) model design and calibration, input data refinement, and the generation of detailed ridership forecasts that incorporate airport passenger activity. These forecasts are being used to evaluate the corridor’s performance against the FTA’s CIG project justification criteria, such as cost-effectiveness, mobility improvements, and land use. 


Insight’s contributions go beyond model development by advising on strategic grant-readiness, ensuring model outputs align with FTA expectations, and translating technical results into actionable insights for project decision-making and stakeholder communication. 

Insight’s dual focus on model integrity and grant strategy provides clear added value to the project team. This approach enables proactive coordination with FTA reviewers and ensures that ridership results support a strong case for federal funding. From this project, Insight has reinforced several best practices for future work: (1) begin FTA coordination early in the process, (2) align modeling strategies with funding criteria from the outset, and (3) integrate strategic guidance directly into technical tasks. These lessons help enhance the credibility of travel forecasts and improve the competitiveness of CIG applications. 

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FDOT D5 CFRPM7 Review and Technical Support

Location: DeLand, Florida

Services Provided: Overall Project Management, Model Technical Support, TransCAD Travel Demand Model Review

Insight Transportation Consulting Inc. (Insight) provided travel demand modeling and data analytics support to the Florida Department of Transportation District 5 (FDOT-D5). The FDOT-D5 released the Central Florida Regional Planning Model Version 7 (CFRPM 7), in early 2021. Currently, this model is used for virtually all PD&Es and traffic analyses in FDOT-D5, Long Range Transportation Plans for all Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) in the district, and numerous other planning and traffic study applications led by local agencies. As of 2023, FDOT-D5 had converted the Cube Voyager version of the model to TransCAD but needed to confirm that the CFRPM 7 TransCAD model is ready to be adopted as the model of record for all future studies.  


Insight assisted FDOT-D5 in confirming that, if needed, the CFRPM 7 TransCAD model is ready to be adopted by all MPOs in the District and determined the level of effort needed to update the model documentation and training materials. Insight reviewed the CFRPM 7 TransCAD model codes, CFRPM 7 Description and Validation Reports, and identified areas of improvement.


During this period, Insight also provided on-call technical support to CFRPM 7 users. Users submitted issues via the dedicated support@cfrom.org help desk. Insight staff responded within four business hours, and issues were resolved within one business day 

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11555 Heron Bay Blvd, Suite 219, Coral Springs, FL, 33076

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