Modeling trip duration for mobile source emissions forecasting

Metropolitan area trip durations are an important input for estimating area-wide running loss emissions, operating mode fractions, and vehicle miles traveled accumulated on local roads in the region. This paper discusses the formulation and implementation of a methodology for modeling trip durations. The approach develops a log-linear regression model of trip duration as a function of trip purpose, time of day of the trip start, and other land use and socio-demographic characteristics of the zone of trip start, using vehicle trip data from household travel surveys and supplemental zonal demographic and land use data. A distinguishing characteristic of the methodology is the straightforward manner in which model parameters estimated from vehicle trip data can be applied to obtain zonal-level trip duration distributions. The modeling framework is applied to develop trip duration distributions for the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas.