Decision Support Framework for the Evaluation of Modal Competitiveness

This report contains the results of research into the development of a decision support system (DSS) aimed to supplement a systematic ongoing process of strategic evaluation and transportation planning at the statewide and metropolitan levels. Specifically, it is intended to provide TxDOT with a forecasting methodology to qualitatively and quantitatively anticipate changes in modal utilization for intercity freight movements and intracity passenger movements. Presented as a prototype software program, it incorporates the results of recent research on the determinants of mode choice as well as lessons learned in practice regarding the effect of specific policies on mode utilization. The software, which was developed as a relational database in MS Access, comprises a qualitative and a quantitative component. The qualitative component can be utilized to examine the direction of the likely impact of a specific factor on mode utilization as well as to find those factors for which a desired change in modal utilization occurs. The quantitative tool contains interactive charts built from public and private databases that allow the analyst to explore multiple aspects of the data and a freight mode choice model developed for Texas that facilitates custom scenario generation and evaluation. Integrated in the qualitative tool is a prototype Delphi freight expert panel survey conducted by the study team to enhance the knowledge base incorporated in the software.