TMG Travel Modelling Group

Travel Modelling Group News

July 8th 2014

TMG Toolbox

A new version of the TMG Toolbox is available for download. This new version includes significant upgrade to CCGEN, as well as new tools for transit assignment analysis (specifically, line-to-line transfers from congested transit assignments).

Update to 2012 Base Network

Draft 11 is now available for download, along with Network Update #3 (to convert from Draft 10). This update includes the following changes:

New side-streets on the north side of Steeles, in order to flag Cordon Count stations on the Toronto/York boundary
Incorporated a number of changes from the City of Mississauga (mostly lane changes)
Important: Incorporated lane changes on several 400-series highways based on data provided by MTO
Incorporated lanes changes from the Region of Peel

June 6th 2014

One of our users alerted us to an error in the fare schema file - GO Transit fare data from 2006 was incorrectly used. Accordingly, the base fare schema file and its associated report have been updated to reflect new data.

May 29th 2014

Fare Based Transit Assignment News

A report was been compiled documenting a new procedure for generating fare-based transit networks from a "fare schema file." It is available for download in the Documents section. A "2012 Base" fare schema file is also available in the Networks section. Accordingly, an update to the TMG Toolbox has been issued, which includes these new Tools. Three of them are new:

Estimate Network Size: Estimates the size of the fare-based transit network (without actually creating the network, in case the size is too large).
Create From Schema: The tool used to actually generated the FBTN.
Remove Extra Nodes: A tool to identify and remove extra nodes while preserving network topology and attributes.

April 28th 2014

Important: A critical update to the 2012 Base Network has been uploaded to the website. This update fixes a problem with link lengths; namely, a handful of links were manually edited with the incorrect coordinate factor and ended up with lengths 10x what they should be. Draft 10 has the corrected link lengths, and Update 2 contains a script to fix this error. It also deletes Node 40445 in Mississauga which overlaps another node.

This script requires the latest TMG Toolbox (and will raise an error otherwise)

April 24th 2014

A new version of the TMG Toolbox is available. This update includes:

Significantly upgraded Copy Zone System tool
New Export Transfer Matrix transit analysis tool to produce a matrix of transfers to and from each operator.
Updated Network Package import/export tools, which now permit network comments and metadata to be saved and displayed.
New Network Update tool to read specially-created .nup files to convert between different network versions
Various GTAModel V4 tools and procedures

The 2012 Base Network Version 9 has been uploaded, along with Network Update #1 (.nup file). Users which have begun modifying the Base Network can use .nup file to update their modified network instead of having to re-trace their edits. This update includes:

Updates the Vehicles table to match the definitions in TMG Memo 2013-6
Separates Yonge-Sheppard subway station into two nodes (to better capture transfers between the two subway lines).
Fixed some walk-link connectivity issues with a handful of transit stations such as Downsview, St Clair West, and Yorkdale GO Bus terminal.
Reinstatement of the HOV lane on Yonge St. between Finch and Steeles.

January 31st 2014

An updated version of the 2012 Base Network is available. Changes include:

Fixing a number of issues which were causing infinite loops in auto assignment, such as auto links with 0 lanes.
A handful of highway countpost locations were changed to match better with Cordon Count data (e.g., mapped to the wrong link from an interchange).
Link nominal capacity (@lkcap) is included as per NCS11.
Link posted speed limit (@lkspd) is included as per NCS11.
A handful of Halton transit lines had negative speed in the transit service table.. This has been fixed.
Sherman Access in Hamilton is now fixed to permit both directions of traffic; its turn-restrictions are by default set to the AM peak. The turn restrictions at Jameson/Lakeshore/Gardiner are also pre-set to the AM.
Fixed an artefact at 407 and Appleby Line.
The VDFs in this draft of the network include the additional volume term el1, meant to store transit background volumes. If you choose to merge these functions into your database, be sure to run the tool “Set Extra Function Parameters” (in “Traffic Assignment”) to link el1 to 0

January 17th 2014

An update to the 2012 base network is online. Changes include:

Cordon Count post / station on-link attributes @stn1 and @stn2. Count posts are numbered [Region 1-5][Local number][Direction 1-4], so Toronto station 50 EB is 100504, Durham station 5204 SB is 252043, etc.
Extension of Morning Star Drive to Humberwood Blvd (under the 427)
Other recommended changes from feedback
Fixing of found network artefacts
Inclusion of two new GO Stations: Guelph Central, and Allandale Waterfront. Neither had any scheduled train service in 2012, however, they are included for future years.
Modified walk modes/one-way-ness of Sherman Access in Hamilton. Turn restrictions added to simulate the restricted nature of this street.
Added-in Mi-Way route 9 (M009) A & B which were somehow lost.
Fixed the transit service table to include correct Emme ID for Durham route 923.
Included link extra attribute @z407, representing 407ETR fare zone [0= Not tolled, 1= Light zone, 2= Regular zone].