Strategic Planning & Consulting

Services Provided: Network Performance Metrics, Modeling Support, Network Coding, Network Wrangler, Cube, 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 2050+) 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 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.

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

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.

Services Provided: Market Analysis, Accessibility, Ridership Forecasting, STOPS Modeling, CIG Evaluation 

Insight provided market analysis, ridership forecasting and CIG support services for the Akron BRT Feasibility Study. The study identified the level of BRT investment feasible on each corridor, created a prioritized project list for further development, and outlined the specific next steps that are required to fund and implement the highest priority BRT project(s). 

Insight conducted travel market assessment for the Metro service area using a variety of data sources to understand the travel patterns in the corridor. Insight analyzed from the American Community Survey, Census LEHD, AMATS travel demand model, and 2020 systemwide on-board survey to understand the potential travel market where BRT is feasible. This analysis also helped with the development of service plans in the corridor. 

Following the market analysis, Insight also utilized the Simplified Trips on Project Software (STOPS) for ridership forecasting for several of the BRT alternatives under consideration. Insight first developed the region’s STOPS model utilizing the 2020 on-board survey and the 2020 network and ridership data. Using the model, Insight developed forecasts for several BRT alternatives to support the project prioritization process. Insight analyzed the alternatives to assess their readiness for funding eligibility under FTA’s CIG evaluation criteria. Insight also utilized the STOPS to estimate job accessibility measures on transit for the alternatives under consideration. 

Insight’s efforts helped Metro prioritize future BRT corridors in the Akron region. 

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. 

Services Provided: Model Development, Ridership Peer Review and Estimation, CIG Evaluation, Service Plan Development

Insight was part of the Purple Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) peer review team supporting the study of the proposed BRT service in Ramsey County. Insight led the review of the ridership model and forecasts being developed by the Engineering and Project Management Consultant for the Bruce Vento Trail alignment. As part of the review, Insight performed several sensitivity tests and upgraded the model to use the most recent available version of Simplified Trips-on-Project Software (STOPS). Insight’s review assisted the team in identifying alternatives that have the best chance of meeting the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Capital Investment Grant (CIG) medium rating threshold for Small Starts funding. 

A cornerstone of the Purple Line BRT project was the meticulous development of run time estimates, a critical component of ridership forecasting and CIG evaluation. The Metropolitan Council, in partnership with Metro Transit, recognized that accurate run time estimates were essential not only for realistic ridership modeling but also for securing FTA funding under the CIG program. These estimates formed the backbone of the project’s modeling framework, influencing service levels and overall project feasibility among the many alternatives. 

Insight also led the development of ridership forecasts for the White Bear Avenue/Purple Line alignment. Insight developed and calibrated a post-pandemic STOPS model based on the 2022 regional on-board transit survey. For the STOPS model, Insight also: 

(1) Developed station-to-station travel times for seven alternatives, 

(2) Developed supporting bus service plan in the corridor, 

(3) Applied the calibrated STOPS model to develop ridership forecasts for the alternatives, 

(4) Performed sensitivity tests on the forecasts, and 

(5) Evaluated the alternatives against FTA’s CIG rating criteria.  

The analysis helped Metro Transit in evaluating alternatives with different operating environments, station locations, and northern termini. Insight led all ridership-related coordination efforts with FTA. Metro Transit was preparing for a CIG rating submittal in August 2025 but paused it based on local recommendations  

Services Provided: Ridership Forecasting, STOPS Modeling, FTA CIG Coordination

Insight provided senior technical review and support for the development of the Monterey Countywide STOPS model to analyze ridership impacts due to the implementation of the proposed Bus Rapid Transit fixed guideway along the congested Highway 1 corridor in the County. Insight supported the project during the Small Starts Project Development phase. The ridership model developed was the first STOPS model used in the County and by Monterey-Salinas Transit. In addition, Insight led the ridership forecasting coordination with the FTA staff.  

Insight also provided technical expertise to assess the project’s performance against the project justification criteria used by the FTA to rate CIG projects. The assessment helped the team in supporting the development of the project scope. In March 2023, the SURF! Busway and Bus Rapid Transit Project was selected to receive a $14M grant from the FY 24 FTA Capital Investment Grant Program. 

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.

Services Provided: Technical Expertise, Reasearch & Analytical Skills and Instruction 

Insight is exploring innovative uses of the Federal Transit Administration's Simplified Trips-on-Project Software (STOPS) beyond Capital Investment Grant (CIG) projects seeking discretionary funding. STOPS, pivotal in generating transit ridership forecasts for CIG projects, is being used in other ways due to its national scope, FTA sponsorship, and ability to accept publicly available transit networks and geospatial data. The team, in collaboration with FTA, is documenting the diverse applications of STOPS across the United States since its release in 2013. 

In the second phase of the project, the team will develop detailed case studies in two distinct metropolitan areas. These case studies will serve as practical examples of STOPS' effective utilization in transit planning. The selection of these case studies will be based on several criteria, including the soundness of the procedures used, the availability and types of local data, and the potential for the findings to be applied in other locations. The team will work closely with FTA staff and local agencies to ensure that the case studies are robust, insightful, and provide valuable information for future applications of STOPS.  

Finally, the team will create a series of webinars and presentations to share their findings and insights. These materials will be developed based on the technical memorandums produced during the research and will include interactive elements to engage the audience. The goal of these presentations is to disseminate the findings to a wider audience and stimulate discussion on the innovative uses of STOPS. By the end of this project, the team aims to contribute significantly to the understanding and application of STOPS, paving the way for future enhancements and applications in the transportation planning industry.

Services Provided: Scenario Planning, Big Data Analytics, COVID Impacts on Travel Demand, Travel Market Analysis and Forecasting 

Insight provided data analytics support for Metra’s Systemwide Network Planning Study. Metra is the commuter rail system in the Chicago metropolitan area serving the city of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs via the Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, and other railroads. The system operates 242 stations on 11 rail lines. The primary task of this project was to analyze regional trip origin-destination data sets and use the findings to make recommendations to Metra’s schedules to better serve various ridership markets, such as core market to CBD as well as weekend and off-peak markets. For this project, Insight helped develop scenarios of future travel markets in the Chicago region for the year 2050 based on previous work, regional projections, and trend analysis. 

Insight’s previous work on Metra’s Route Restoration Study (RRS) identified current travel markets based on analysis of Replica data. For this study, Insight revisited trip flows that the RRS identified as market opportunities but could not be served without additional capital investments. Insight also reviewed recent regional efforts to forecast future travel market changes including CMAP’s Mobility Recovery Efforts and RTA’s Strategic Plan. Insight helped develop a market assessment summary of findings leading to the identification of an initial list of up to eight future travel demand scenarios, based on: 

• Commute times deviate from traditional peak periods. 
• Employment decentralized away from Chicago’s Downtown with no new infill development. 
• Employment clustered around existing centers and all new developments were infilled. 
• Work-from-home rates varied from pre-pandemic to mid-pandemic norms.  

Building on work from the RRS and leveraging relevant CMAP, RTA, and other regional efforts along with additional LBS data, Insight led the development of custom spreadsheet-based travel forecast scenario models to test potential service proposals in subsequent tasks. Insight worked closely with Metra staff to review the initial future travel demand scenarios and target up to four scenarios to be carried forward and integrated into custom spreadsheet-based models for each scenario. The scenario models were utilized as “what if” analysis tool that support planning-level assessments of future demand and their concomitant impacts to operational needs and requirements. Insight also supported the project team in preparing a travel market scenario development technical memorandum detailing the methodology, inputs, findings, and recommendations of this task. 

Finally, Insight also prepared zone-to-zone travel times, transfers required, and service headways using Metra’s GTFS schedules. These inputs fed directly into the ridership forecasting model used for the study.