Agenda: MoMo 2025

It's going to be a Calibrated (Calibrated), Calibrated (Calibrated), Calibrated Model

We still frequently rely on travel models which are several years out of date to inform planning decisions. This panel will explore the latest perspectives on travel demand model calibration, drawing from both current and emerging practices. We will address key questions like: How often are we re-calibrating our models? Which data sources are we leveraging? How much time and effort are required for this process? Are there relevant emerging technologies? How would we use more frequently-updated travel models in our planning process? Ultimately, this panel aims to identify actionable next steps to help keep our travel demand models current and effective.

Treat Yo' Self and Specify Yo' Network

Building and maintaining transportation networks for travel models is often time-consuming and error-prone. This workshop introduces the General Modeling Network Specification (GMNS), a standardized, human- and machine-readable format developed by the Zephyr Foundation with support from FHWA. GMNS enables easier sharing of routable road network files across platforms and agencies.

Participants will also explore Network Wrangler 2.0, an open-source Python tool that simplifies network editing through “Project Cards” - standardized, human- and machine-readable text files that describe proposed changes to roadway, transit, pedestrian, or bicycle infrastructure. The tool automates network updates, supports scenario management, and facilitates collaboration across agencies and software platforms.

This hands-on workshop will guide participants through building GMNS- and Network Wrangler-ready travel model networks from scratch using open-source data. Attendees will learn how to create network scenarios with Network Wrangler and perform network analysis with GMNS standard networks, including transit accessibility evaluation. Live demonstrations will showcase how these tools streamline network development and scenario management for regional transportation planning.

The Google Colab notebook to build a San Francisco network can be found here: https://tiny.cc/SF_netwrangler

Work is a changing, Don’t'cha Know

This session focuses on the evolving impact of remote and hybrid work on travel demand modeling, transit ridership, and urban planning. It explores how traditional travel demand models are being updated to account for flexible work arrangements, the uncertainty these changes introduce in forecasting, and the methods being developed to quantify and manage this uncertainty. The presentations discuss the use of advanced modeling techniques, various survey datasets (e.g., ACS, ATUS, NHTS), and empirical findings to understand and predict shifts in travel behavior and productivity due to telecommuting, particularly in a post-pandemic context.

It's going to be a Sim (Simulated), Sim (Simulated), Simulated Activity

Evaluate the Vision of VisionEval

The open source VisionEval strategic planning tool has been adopted by nearly a dozen state DOTs and MPOs to support nationally critical policies, and set plans and visions to reach goals, in the face of an uncertain future. What is the VisionEval strategic planning tool and how have agencies found it helpful in setting agency strategy and quantifying the impacts of their planning decisions, with a less resource-intensive tool?

 This workshop seeks to frame VisionEval’s niche in the transportation modeling toolbox. VisionEval’s scenario analysis capabilities use an approach different from traditional travel network models. It can be used to test hundreds of alternatives rapidly to identify which combination best achieves desired outcomes. Being strategic, VisionEval strikes a balance between maintaining analytical rigor and enabling rapid, flexible analyses by providing a robust representation of travel demand with a simplified representation of supply. As such, VisionEval is especially useful for conducting key applications but not a substitute for detailed engineering analyses.

 Workshop Outline:

1. VisionEval Introduction – history/niche framing: Stephen Lawe, RSG

2. VisionEval Niche use cases -- 3 Agency “real-world” applications  

Early Conceptual Framing: Baltimore MPO use of VisionEval at an early stage, to evaluate hundreds of alternative strategies, avoids an immediate dive into engineering details required by other models. This retains big-picture thought processes appropriate for this stage and enables more efficient, informed, traditional travel modeling downstream. (Stephen Lawe, RSG)

Set Targets: MnDOT use of VisionEval in setting GHG or VMT goals for state and sub-state areas. Updated over time, VisionEval can provide useful progress tracking. (Joe Lehmen, MnDOT)

Uncertainty: Atlanta Regional Commission running many VisionEval scenarios (with TMIP-EMAT) allows decision making under deep uncertainty, reflecting an understanding of the impact of unknowns both within and outside our control. Both augment the traditional scenario planning process of identifying one package of investments under a fixed forecast of future conditions. (Tejas Kotak, ARC)

3. Moderated Panel Q&A: moderator Chris Berrens, MnDOT

Panelists: Tejas Kotak (ARC), Joe Lehmen (MnDOT), Stephen Lawe (RSG), Jeremy Raw (independent) 

4. VisionEval Future Directions: Jeremy Raw (Independent)

Focus:  Big Ideas that we should track through; Keep out of operational details

5. Closing Remarks: Chris Berrens, MnDOT

VE Open source tool/collaboration is alive & well, Join us!

Speed Data-ing for Reals

Kick off MoMo25 by making meaningful connections right from the start. In this fast-paced, interactive session, you’ll take part in six structured, 5-minute conversations—perfect for sparking new ideas and meeting peers from across the modeling and mobility community. Whether you're attending your first modeling-focused conference or are a veteran of past events, this is a great way to connect with both familiar faces and new voices. Come ready to share, listen, and help build the next chapter of a strong, collaborative community.

Forecasting the Future of Travel Forecasting

A discussion on the future of travel forecasting including the following big questions:

  - Will forecasting be more data-driven or behavior-driven?
  - How can we improve the model user experience
  - Do we still even need to model?
  - Why are we even doing this?

Big Data, Big Ideas, so Little Time

This session focuses on the evolving landscape of transportation planning and modeling through the lens of big data, with a particular emphasis on addressing data biases and leveraging diverse data sources for more accurate and equitable insights. Presentations cover the challenges and opportunities of using crowdsourced data (like Strava) for active transportation, the validation and application of commercial GPS data (INRIX) for origin-destination analysis and travel demand modeling, and the strategic use of various geolocation big data sources (LBS, CV, TSP) for different planning needs. Additionally, the session explores the economic impact of transit systems on real estate development and the use of radar data for identifying speed violators and their correlation with crashes. A key theme is the shift in travel behaviors due to external factors like the COVID-19 pandemic and e-commerce growth, and the advancements in household travel survey methodologies.

Hurricane

This session will show how to improve travel forecast accuracy. It will also describe how "big" data sources can complement existing model capabilities. Lastly, the session will describe the development of a machine learning (ML) tool to assist in exploring a transit corridor feasibility analysis, as welll as how to leverage big data to study a key regional interchange serving diverse land uses that faces safety and efficiency challenges, while improving connections betwen key roadways, increase safety, and enhance mobility for all users.

The Times They Are a-Changin'

This session explores various aspects of travel behavior modeling and transportation planning. It covers updating analyses on generational travel patterns to include Generation Z and active transportation, investigating transportation barriers to healthcare access using distance decay models and mobile data, assessing the viability of big data platforms for recalibrating regional travel demand models in the post-pandemic era, and proposing a new model to integrate automated vehicles into household activity-travel patterns. The session aims to provide insights into evolving mobility trends, improve model accuracy, and inform policy interventions for more equitable and efficient transportation systems.

Don't Think Twice, It's All Right

From congestion-priced highways to emissions modeling, machine learning and artificial intelligence is reshaping every layer of the planner’s toolkit. This session spotlights four cutting-edge applications: representing traditional model networks in geometric neural nets to forecasts tolled facility performance, an AI-assisted scenario calibration technique for mesoscopic models; an interactive energy-and-emissions dashboard marrying agent-based demand with energy consumption and emissions; and an optimization model that pinpoints high-demand transit corridors from billions of O-D traces. Together, these talks demonstrate how machine learning, graph analytics, and reinforcement techniques are turning disparate data streams into actionable strategies for more efficient, equitable, and sustainable mobility networks.

If Not for You

This session focuses on advanced dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) and microsimulation modeling techniques for transportation planning and analysis. The educational objective is to enhance understanding of sophisticated traffic modeling applications and their practical implications for addressing congestion, forecasting traffic, and improving network resilience. 

The first half of the session focuses on educating the audience on simulation-based network assignments, from microscopic to mesoscopic. Examples will include typical microscopic and mesoscopic model applications and more advanced mesoscopic applications, including proof-of-concept integration of DTA and ABM.

The second half of the session focuses on a provocative 'convince a skeptic' discussion with the panel and audience to highlight challenges and opportunties for using DTA in transportation and planning analysis.

Blowin' in the Wind

This session highlights how agencies across the U.S. are using data and advanced modeling tools to plan for the future of transportation.. Presentations include the use of AI to analyze clean vehicle policies and their impact on adoption across the U.S. A case study from Houston shows how traffic models helped assess flood impacts and guide freeway reconstruction. In Central Ohio, emissions modeling supports the planning of new BRT corridors as part of a regional growth strategy. Southern California’s evacuation planning work highlights the use of travel demand models to improve emergency response and network resilience. A tool from the U.S. DOT that helps regions plan for disasters and prioritize infrastructure investments. Together, these examples offer practical insights into how data-driven tools can support better planning and decision-making.

Modawing Mobiwity is wot bwings us together today

Welcome to the very first Modeling Mobility Conference! We’ll begin with a warm introduction from the conference organizers, including a look at the team and process that brought this gathering together and recognition of the organizations whose support makes it possible.

Our keynote speaker, MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger, will set the stage with her perspective on the role of data and modeling in shaping Minnesota’s transportation future.

To close, Jeremy Raw will offer an inspiring charge to carry with us throughout the conference in his talk, “What We Are Doing Here.”

We’ll continue the conversation over a provided lunch.

Tangled Up in Blue

This session focuses on the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) in transportation planning. It covers ongoing research to integrate AI into existing travel models, particularly for improving destination choice, and explores the methodological integration of LLM agents into agent-based modeling (ABM) frameworks to enhance behavioral realism. The session will also demonstrate practical applications of custom GPT-based tools for streamlining access to complex technical analyses and traffic data, and discuss a scalable, cost-effective machine-learning approach for real-time traffic monitoring using standard cameras. Finally, it highlights an initiative to educate transportation planners on AI and provide them with open-source tools to bridge current gaps in AI education, computational resources, and data integration.

Handle with Care

A multidimensional and multiscale tour of the interaction between urban settlement and travel patterns. Progressing through macro, meso, and micro scales, the session will open with a fresh look at large-scale, integrated forecasting models. Then, we’ll dive into the technical details of preparing small-area demographic forecasts, and explore simplified methods for linking accessibility and VMT. Finally, we’ll examine neighborhood-level characteristics and their role in transit access and micro-transit use.

10,000 Lakes and the Roads to Get There!

This session focuses on innovations and challenges in transportation modeling and data management, particularly regarding network development, traffic counting, and data standardization. Presentations cover the use of AI in traffic counting, the adaptation of MATSim networks to the General Modeling Network Specification (GMNS), and the development of a statewide multimodal transportation network in Ohio to improve efficiency and consistency. A recurring theme is the need for practical solutions and improved data formats to overcome limitations of current systems, such as CSV files for large networks and inconsistencies across different modeling efforts.

Big Problems in Smaller Areas

This session focuses on advancements in travel demand modeling, emphasizing user-friendly, cost-effective, and adaptable solutions, particularly for small- and medium-sized metropolitan planning organizations and rural communities. It also explores leveraging big data and location-based services for improved visitor travel estimation and quick-response modeling, as well as addressing localized traffic impacts in rapidly growing areas.

Like a Rolling Stone

This session brings together methodological advances in quantifying travel behavior, environmental impacts, and land use interactions to support transportation planning. Presentations span elasticity-based repricing models, emissions ranking frameworks, mobile device-derived movement data, and GPS-enabled survey analytics. Additional contributions include the development of neighborhood typologies linking built environment, socioeconomics, and travel outcomes, as well as cloud-based platforms for scenario testing and VMT estimation. Collectively, these studies illustrate how refined metrics, diverse data sources, and computational tools enhance the rigor of demand modeling, project evaluation, and policy analysis.

Beyond Here Lies Nothin'

This session highlights recent advancements in statewide travel demand models from Minnesota, Ohio, Arizona, Maryland, and Texas. Topics include integrating economic evaluation tools, modeling long-distance and visitor travel with third-party data, improving non-motorized mode choice with Level of Traffic Stress, and refining traditional models for better policy support. Presenters will share practical insights and lessons learned to inform future statewide modeling efforts.

Honoring the Contributions of Rolf Moeckel and Hani Mahmassani

Tot Hotdish or bust!

Zephyr board members will describe the Zephyr Foundation’s mission and history, and discuss the community feedback that has guided the organization’s recent efforts. Board members will describe recent activities in Zephyr's focus areas of Community, Education, and Standards, such as learning sessions, the Open Science Guidelines, the General Model Network Specification, TMIP maintenance, and ActivitySim project management.

All Bout Minnesota(ABM) seems like more fun than models

This session explores various aspects of activity-based travel demand models (ABMs). It covers advanced modeling techniques beyond traditional logit models, including optimization, machine learning, and discrete choice models, addressing their motivations, obstacles, and practical applications in travel demand forecasting. The session also delves into the critical role of modeling activity/travel behavior of individuals serving dependent household members, focusing on its impact on activity scheduling and intra-household interactions. Furthermore, it examines the importance of evaluating microsimulation variability in ABMs, comparing different statistical approaches (Monte-Carlo with uncontrolled/fixed random numbers and Random Utility Simulation with fixed seed) to understand their impact on model properties and sensitivity to input changes. Finally, the session presents a study on how public transport accessibility influences individual activity patterns, using real-world transit card data to provide empirical evidence for urban planning and transportation policy.

Uncertain On Which Workshop to Attend? We have a Workshop for that.

Ready to move beyond traditional forecasts? This session is for you. We'll start by challenging the "Predict-Then-Act" approach that dominates transportation planning and discuss why it falls short in our deeply uncertain world.

Next, you'll put your decision-making skills to the test in an interactive game. This isn't about predicting a single future; it's about making robust choices in the face of the unknown.

We'll then introduce the principles of Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty (DMDU) and explore how your agency's travel demand model—often seen as a predictive tool—can be transformed to support exploratory analysis.

Finally, we'll open the floor for a conversation on how these concepts can be applied to real-world transportation challenges, helping you develop strategies that are resilient no matter what the future holds. You'll leave with a new perspective on how to use models to inform better, more robust decisions.

Planning for a better future? You Betcha!!

This session presents practical applications of travel demand models in performance measurement, project planning, and scenario evaluation. Case studies from California and Ohio demonstrate how regional models inform project-level analysis, forecast safety outcomes, and address coordination challenges between regional and state agencies. The session also explores the use of performance metrics in congestion pricing. Together, these presentations underscore the evolving role of travel models in addressing uncertainty, supporting decision-making, and improving transportation system outcomes.

Mall of America Is Living Proof

Providing critical technical, research, and implementation perspectives on induced vehicle travel that will inform and enrich the broader conversation.

This session is a follow-up to a Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2025 workshop on induced demand that launched the U.S. Department of Transportation's Climate Strategies that Work "Improved Travel Demand Modelling" best practices document. That playbook looked at strategies to shift from road-based solutions to a 21st century multimodal transportation project paradigm, reducing peak vehicle miles travelled and increasing opportunities for smart growth.

Modeling my North Face Jacket and Sorel boots

This session focuses on modernizing travel demand modeling and transportation planning through innovative data integration, enhanced reproducibility, and advanced analytical tools. It highlights the challenges posed by changes in demographic data availability and presents solutions using crosswalk methodologies and big data analytics. The session also explores the evolution of travel behavior and its implications for activity-based model recalibration, along with the development of user-friendly utility platforms to democratize access to modeling results.

Fishing for a Decision

This session features five speakers covering a protfolio of applications of planning processes and methods to support informed decison making for transportation initiatives.  Topics cover the range on issues from integrating public and stankeholder input to leveraging AI to support planning information development.   

Lets Debate-Has Little Red Corvette or Purple Rain Induced More Demand?

Debate: Induced Demand is Hogwash

Participants:

• Moderator: Haily Amundson, Insight Transportation Consulting Inc. 
• Debating for the proposition: Amanda Stathopoulos, Northwestern; Greg Macfarlane, BYU
• Debating against the proposition: Susan Handy, Univ. of California, Davis; David Ory, WSP

Whats your BEST BUY to hit your survey TARGET?

This session explores innovative methods to improve household travel survey design, representativeness, and data quality. Presentations will address challenges such as survey burden and trip underreporting in smartphone-based surveys, alongside new strategies for recruitment, instrument development, and big data integration.

I can see clearly now, the results are plotted.

This ssession focuses on advancing transportation modeling through innovative visualization, documentation, and reporting. It showcases various open-source tools and web-based platforms that enhance the accessibility, usability, and transparency of travel demand model inputs and outputs for a audiance, including planners, stakeholders, and decision-makers. The presentations highlight approaches for streamlining validation, creating interactive reports, and managing large datasets efficiently. 

Dr Seuss..MSP Style:A Line,B Line, Blue Line, Red Line

Session Title: Innovations in Transit Modeling: Methods, Tools, and Applications

This 90-minute podium session will feature shorter presentations followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A. This format is designed to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and highlight diverse perspectives from academia, public agencies, and private consulting. Presenters will share key insights from recent work in transit modeling, followed by a moderated discussion exploring shared challenges, innovations, and opportunities in the field.

Session Flow:

5 min – Introduction by Moderator
50 min – Short Presentations (10 min each)
20 min – Panel Discussion
15 min – Audience Q&A

Presenters and Topics:

Cherry Liu – SEMCOG
Enhancing Transit Modeling Efficiency: An Automated Approach for MPOs

Kwangho Baek – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Who Chooses Premium Transit? A Comparative AI-Integrated Choice Modeling Approach

Ray Saeidi – Cambridge Systematics, Inc.
Colorado Mountain Rail Ridership Forecasts

Sujith Rapolu & Dave Schmitt – Metro, FTA, and collaborators (Met Council, COTA, Insight Transportation Consulting, Boston Region MPO)
STOPS Tools, Scripts, and Regional Methods – Exploring the Benefits, Data Needs, and Applications of Regional STOPS Models in Transit Planning

Note: Hsin-Cheng Shih (University of Michigan) was originally scheduled to present but will not participate.

Modeling Motormouths

The overall session focuses on advancements and applications in travel demand modeling, moving beyond traditional single-mode analysis to more holistic and nuanced approaches. It explores the use of innovative models like "connectome" for multi-modal access-to-destinations, system dynamics for shared mobility, and destination choice models using passive data for external trips. The session also highlights how these models quantify the economic, environmental, and social benefits of transit.

Survey says: MN is the leading producer of Wild Rice!

This Travel Survey Standardization session is for transportation professionals who collect, process, and use travel survey data. It will start with short presentations by three speakers to provide context and illustrate why standardization on some aspects of travel survey are useful. Julia Glickman of AASHTO will give a national perspective; Dave Ory of WSP will speak about an example from San Diego; and Flavia Tsang of Bay Area Metro will highlight recent discussions among multiple agencies from across the US. Following the presentations, facilitators will organize participants into small groups to brainstorm about travel survey standardization. The discussions will be centered around three themes: 1) travel survey processes and tools that could be standardized and shared, 2) the upsides and downsides of standardization, and 3) ways for agencies who do travel surveys to collaborate and work towards standardization.

Highway 61 Revisited

This collection of presentations explores recent trends and innovations in urban mobility and transportation, including the rise of e-bikes and e-scooters in Denver, a survey to gain insights into users of micro transit in Dallas-Fort Worth, the impact and optimization of electric vehicle incentive programs in California, the role of shared automouous vehicles in enhancing mobility for older adults, and guidance for updating travel demand models to account for CAVs. Through data analysis, surveys, and advanced modeling, the studies highlight the significance of local context, infrastructure, and inclusive planning to maximize the benefits of these innovations and guide future policy and planning. 

Sign up at the Registration desk. Meet in Memorial Hall at 5:30pm. 

• Tea House
  • Cuisine: Chinese (Sichuan), with Vegetarian options
  • Access: Walk, 0.4 miles from McNamara
  • Google Price Range: $20-$30
• Market at Malcolm Yards
  • Cuisine: Food Hall, with Vegetarian options
  • Access: Walk/transit, 1 mile from McNamara
  • Google Price Range: $20-$30
• Giulia
  
  • Cuisine: Italian, with Vegetarian options
  • Access: 2.6 miles from McNamara
  • Google Price Range: $20-$30
• NOLO's Kitchen & Bar
  • Cuisine: American, with Vegetarian options
  • Access: Transit, 2.8 mile from McNamara
  • Google Price Range: $20-$30
• Khue's Kitchen
  • Cuisine: Vietnamese, with Vegetarian options
  • Access: Transit, 1.8 mile from McNamara
  • Google Price Range: $20-$30
• Owamni
  • Cuisine: Indigenous, limited Vegetarian options
  • Access: Transit, 2.4 mile from McNamara
  • Google Price Range: $50-$100
• Caspian Bistro
  • Cuisine: Persian, with Vegetarian options
  • Access: Walk, 0.3 mile from McNamara
  • Google Price Range: $20-$30
• Baarakallah
  • Cuisine: Somali
  • Access: Walk/transit, 1.3 mile from McNamara
  • Google Price Range: $10-$20
• Hard Times Cafe
  • Cuisine: Vegetarian, limited Vegetarian options
  • Access: Walk/transit, 1.2 mile from McNamara
  • Google Price Range: $10-$20

Vikings, and Twins and Hockey -Oh my!

Going, Going, Gone

This session covers a range of topics, including updates to federal freight data programs, methodologies for cross-walking different truck classification systems, and challenges in allocating travel between commercial and passenger models. The session addresses the impact of e-commerce on last-mile delivery and travel behavior, and the implementation of electric trucks into statewide freight forecasting models. A common theme is the use of new data sources, such as GPS and e-commerce data, to improve the accuracy and sophistication of transportation models.

Eh? I... would love to learn more about AI, Eh

Workshop Agenda

AI Tools for Travel Analytics Programming Tasks

Accelerate Your Coding Workflow

Desired Outcomes: 

1. Session participants share experiences on AI use in programming in their work

2. Session participants learn about how AI can be applied to common travel analytics programming tasks

3. One page write-up with the findings from the session about best practices on AI coding in travel analytics 

4. Learn about AI agents

Overall Session Flow:

1. Welcome: Recap state of the practice with AI tools for programming (10 min) 

2. Open Discussion/Sharing about Recent Applications of AI tools in travel modeling programming tasks (40 minutes) 

1. 30 minutes small groups, 10 minutes report and summarize

3. AI Tools for code assistance of code completion:Github Copilot Demo (30 min)

4. The next step: Agents Demo (10 minutes)

________

Actively Come Participate in ABM Trials and Triumphs

This session focuses on advancements and challenges in activity-based travel modeling (ABM) for transportation planning. Presentations cover the development of an improved airport ground access sub-model for the Houston region using ActivitySim, the design of Ohio DOT's next-generation "3C" ABM system emphasizing explicit constraint modeling, and methods for solving supply-constrained choice problems in discrete simulations, particularly for workplace location models. Additionally, the session includes a comparison of a new Generation-3 ABM with a traditional trip-based model in the Metropolitan Washington region through sensitivity testing.

Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)

This session will include three presentations of recent applications of Machine Learning to travel and land use modeling and forecasting followed by a panel discussion on general topics related to the application of Machine Learning and AI to our field.  Come join us as and help us wrap up the conference with some great discussion on ML and AI!

The primary goal of the session is to provide an opportunity for practitioners and researchers to present their efforts to build community, educate, and support collaboration.  A secondary goal of the session is to facilitate a discussion amongst the presenters and session attendees to identify and prioritize community needs.  The first half of the session will be devoted to practitioner and research presentations, while the second half of the session will be comprised of a panel discussion by presenters of community needs, followed by a Q&A with session attendees. 

Wait don't go! Mo' MoMo!

The closing plenary brings the community together one last time:

• Jeremy Raw will open with “Why This Matters,” a reflection on carrying the lessons of MoMo forward;
• The Zephyr Board will lead an interactive session to capture audience insights and shape future action; and 
• We’ll end by celebrating the MoMost Awards, recognizing the ideas and connections that made this year’s conference memorable.

Lunch will be provided.

This meeting will discuss the following:

• Brief history of the group formerly known as the Statewide Modeling Subcommittee
• Recap of December Mini-Meet
• Open Discussion: next steps for this group
• NCHRP Problem Statements (Rebekah Straub)
• Round table updates from DOTs and statewide modelers