Telus: this state-of-the-practice software is helping MPOs and DOTs improve their transportation planning

Public Roads, Nov-Dec, 2002 by John W. Epling

Similar calculations are made for all projects in the TIP. The percentages are default values in the project analysis data table and can be altered if the MPO or DOT believes that it has more accurate values. The result is a table summarizing the percentage of total TIP dollars contributing to each of the seven objectives and the percentage of projects contributing to each of the seven objectives.

Preformatted Reports

Many MPOs and DOTs are besieged with requests for information about projects from a variety of sources: board members; citizens; interest groups; news media; nationally-, State-, and locally-elected officials; and others. The nature of these requests vary from a need for basic project information and location to such issues as the date that construction will begin or end, how project costs have changed, whether the right-of-way has been surveyed or purchased, and whether the road alignment has changed. In the absence of a comprehensive and integrated database with preformatted reports, providing this information often can take hours, maybe even days. With TELUS, the response takes minutes.

"We just produced our TIP using TELUS," says Roger Del Rio of Florida's Broward County Office of Planning. "I really like the report wizard that allows us to modify the preformatted reports to fit special reporting needs. Now all key people in the office can access a common database for quick analyses and responses. Our next goal is to use TELUS to track transportation projects that are underway but not completed."

Economic Impacts

In January 1999 Dr. Henry ("Hank") Robison, principal research scientist with Economic Modeling Systems, Inc., of Moscow, ID, was brought aboard the TELUS team to develop input-output models to replace those in the original version of the software. By 2004, TELUS will include input-output models individually designed for each of the 340-plus MPOs nationwide.

The models will estimate the impact of projects on the number of jobs; per capita income; gross regional product; and local, State, and Federal tax revenues. The impacts are reflected for the project's host county or municipality, adjacent counties, the region, and the State.

Land-Use Impacts

In June 1999, Dr. Stephen Putman, professor at the University of Pennsylvania and president of S. H. Putman Associates, Inc., Townsend, DE, was added to the team to develop a land-use model to replace the property-value model. Unlike the other modules, the land-use model does not draw upon the project-specific information contained in TELUS to function. The land-use model will use the output of an MPO's network model, along with local employment, population, and land use data, to reallocate land use among the MPO's sub-geographies (e.g., traffic analysis zones). Output from the land-use model then is used as input to the agency's network model, and the two models are run repeatedly until a state of equilibrium is reached. The model is scheduled for release in the fall of 2003. like TELUS, the land-use model will be license-free to MPOs and DOTs.