Transportation & Multi-modal Planning

Services Provided: Existing Conditions Analysis, On-board Survey, Demand Estimation, Transit Planning

Insight was part of a consultant team that provided transit planning support to Broward County Transit (BCT) for its 2023 Transit Development Plan (TDP) Major Update. The TDP provides BCT with a 10-year road map for the development of transit services and capital improvements in light of penny tax initiatives and BCT’s premium transit vision plan, named PREMO. The TDP serves as a planning, development, and operational guidance document, based on a ten-year planning horizon and covers the year for which funding is sought and the nine subsequent years.

Insight developed the baseline conditions report, which consisted of compiling, analyzing, visualizing and mapping relevant socio-demographic, transportation, land use, and special generators. In addition, travel demand model data and Replica data were analyzed. Insight staff also assisted in developing the sampling plan, questionnaire design, and administering the Transit On-Board Survey. Insight also developed the mandatory farebox recovery report, analyzing pandemic-induced changes.

Based on future funding projections provided by BCT staff, Insight staff estimated revenue service hours available for a 10- and 30-year plan. Insight staff then developed GTFS files for new services, and edited GTFS files for existing services to develop future year vision GTFS networks. Insight then calibrated a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Simplified Trips on Project (STOPS) model, and used the calibrated model to forecast 5-, 10-, and 30-year ridership by route. 

Insight’s efforts helped with the successful completion of the TDP within a demanding schedule. 

Services Provided: Long Range Scenario Planning, Demand Modeling, Model Network Coding, STOPS Modeling, SERPM9, Transit Planning 

Insight was part of a consultant team that assisted Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA) in updating the long-range transportation plan (LRTP) to reflect the 2050 horizon year. The focus of the plan was to provide a multimodal transportation network for the continued growth and economic prosperity of Palm Beach County. Insight led all tasks related to transit and highway modal analysis and forecasting. The effort involved utilizing the Southeast Florida Regional Planning Model (SERPM9) model (ActivitySim implementation in Cube Voyager) and developing an interim year scenario to help prioritize short-term projects.  

Using SERPM9, Insight also modeled two scenarios as part of long-range planning efforts – technology (AV/CV) adoption and commute pattern changes (changes in work-from-home and telecommuting frequency). In addition to SERPM9, the team also utilized STOPS to support the development of Palm Beach TPA’s 561 transit plan and the 2050 LRTP update. Insight developed the STOPS model for Palm Beach County and coded the LRTP projects in GTFS for STOPS modeling. Insight also performed sensitivity tests to quantify the impacts of different future scenario assumptions to help the team understand the uncertainty in ridership. 

Insight led the coding of highway and transit networks in Cube, reflecting the Needs and the Cost Feasible plans of the long-range transportation plan. These coded networks were used as the basis for developing the adopted horizon year network in SERPM9.

Services Provided: Socioeconomic Analysis, Title VI Evaluation, Transit Planning 

Insight provided socioeconomic analysis, Title VI evaluation, and transit planning support for TriMet’s Title VI Analysis for Security & Access Control Enhancements Study. The study aimed to assess which neighborhoods and populations around transit stations might face disproportionate impacts from proposed security measures intended to harden facilities, including elevators, grade-separated stations, and park-and-ride locations. The focus was particularly on disadvantaged groups, such as minority and low-income populations, who have historically been more vulnerable to the negative effects of such policy decisions. 

To evaluate potential impacts, Insight analyzed American Community Survey (2019–2023 five-year estimates) data at the Census Block Group level. The analysis covered five geographic areas: a half-mile and one-mile radius around 10 selected stations, a half-mile and one-mile radius around MAX lines (excluding WES and Streetcar), and the overall TriMet service area. Insight developed area weights to refine the assessment, ensuring only the portions of Block Groups within the defined study areas were included, which improved the analysis’ accuracy in measuring potential impacts on nearby populations.

Services Provided: Existing Conditions, Data Analysis, GIS Support, Mapping, Demand Estimation, Service Planning 

Insight assisted in assembling, reviewing, and analyzing presently available and collectable data for a detailed look at BCT's current service area, route and system performance, system operations and working environments, including (1) review of existing, planned and future conditions, (2) expanding and analyzing on-board survey, (3) existing transfer/pass/fare activity analysis, and (4) evaluating ridership demand of the network scenarios.

Insight prepared the existing conditions chapter, including extensive data GIS data assembly, enrichment, analysis, and mapping, identifying housing, employment, transit dependency, and other related trip generating activity factors associated with public transportation demand.

Insight used APC data to expand the onboard survey, including creating primary and secondary expansion weights. The expanded survey was compared to Replica (location-based travel data) and SERPM outputs to analyze commuting patterns within Broward County and to and from Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties. Insight also conducted demographic analysis of the rider population based on the expanded survey, as well as route-specific analysis of Transfer/Pass/Fare Activity Analysis.

Insight drew upon expertise with the Southeast Florida Regional Planning Model (SERPM) to provide 2015 and 2045 model runs to compare expected changes in travel patterns over time. Insight’s expertise and familiarity with Broward County made it possible to review and explain outputs from Broward County Farebox and APC data. Based on familiarity with past surveys, Insight was also able to expertly assess the reasonability of transfer rates and transfers, and to identify major trip flows. Insight also used statistical models to interpolate routes and trips that had been under-sampled.

Insight assisted in the latent demand analysis, identifying areas where transit was undersupplied. Insight conducted an analysis of the needs of traditional transit markets and expanded on the potential needs of discretionary markets within the BCT service area. Insight assisted in developing short-term, mid-term and long-term service optimization recommendations and used STOPS for evaluating the ridership demand for these scenarios.

Insight’s technical expertise helped BCT plan its future services as premium transit is introduced in the County.

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: BRT Feasibility Study, Ridership Forecasting

Insight is part of a team that will examine BRT alternatives in the Flagler corridor and recommend a preferred alternative for entry into FTA CIG Project Development. Insight is leading the ridership forecasting efforts for this project. Insight adapted an existing STOPS model developed by the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization (TPO). Corridor-specific updates will be made to the model before evaluating the project alternatives. 

Insight will develop ridership forecasts for No Build and several build scenarios and help evaluate the performance of the build alternatives. These will include ridership-related CIG metrics needed for FTA rating evaluation. In addition, Insight will conduct a series of sensitivity tests to determine the change in ridership in response to operational changes, key input variables, and model parameters, and modified model assumptions after review of the initial transit usage estimates to accurately match service with demand.