Trip Generation Analysis for Regional Studies

An increasing number of regional transportation studies initiated in recent years encompass large areas that include not only urban communities of different sizes but also a substantial amount of rural area. Recognizing the difference in the scope of planning for these areas as compared with that for typical urban areas, a case study is performed based on the data for the southeastern Wisconsin region to develop guidelines for trip generation analysis of the travel estimation procedure. The analysis covers both automobile and truck movements and a detailed stratification of various types of travel in the region is developed. The implications of different categories of trips and alternative techniques for their forecasts are examined. A statistical comparison of household trip rates for different urban communities and the rural area within the region revealed significant differences between urban and rural trip generation characteristics. The need to preserve the identity and unique characteristics of the urbanized and rural areas within a heterogeneous region must be taken into account in developing the regional data base and analytical framework.