Welcome Message from Conference Co-Chairs
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
We are delighted to welcome you to the Grand Canyon State and the City of Tempe, in the heart of Greater Phoenix, for what promises to be an intellectually stimulating and professionally enriching 3rd TRB conference on Innovations in Travel Modeling. The Innovations in Travel Modeling Conference series is organized by the Travel Analysis Methods Section of the Transportation Research Board. The 2010 Tempe conference is patterned after the 1st conference in Austin, Texas in 2006 and the 2nd conference in Portland, Oregon in 2008. Each of the three conferences has focused on examining advances in travel modeling, sharing ideas among academics and practitioners, and openly discussing challenges with implementing advanced travel models. In this conference, our main objective is to bridge the gap between theory and practice by focusing on innovations where we increasingly see cutting edge research being implemented in bold and creative ways. Accordingly, we broadened the scope a bit, encompassing several emerging themes: integrated land use, activity-based and dynamic traffic assignment models; the more prominent role of freight modeling; recent efforts to model non-motorized modes; advances in data collection for modeling; highlighting uncertainty analysis and reliability analysis; advances in discrete choice analysis; and the computational challenges of implementing all of this innovation. We hope that you will enjoy the program of events, learn from our colleagues, and take something home to improve forecasting for transportation planning purposes. Our conference planning committee has also provided opportunities for nearby recreational activities, such as a morning nature hike and an evening baseball game. In addition, Arizona offers a wide array of sightseeing and recreational activities for those who are able to take advantage of this opportunity. Finally, we couldn’t have put this all together without the help of our hosts: Arizona State University, The University of Arizona, Arizona Department of Transportation, Maricopa Association of Governments, Pima Association of Governments, and Valley Metro. We are also deeply grateful to our sponsors - the Federal Highway Administration and its Travel Model Improvement Program, the Federal Transit Administration, Arizona Department of Transportation, and consultants PTV, NuStats, Resource Systems Group, HDR, Cambridge Systematics, Gannett Fleming, and PB. Please be sure to check out our Exhibitors whose support and participation is vital to the success of this conference – INRO, PTV, Caliper, Citilabs, and SHRP2. On behalf of the entire planning and local organizing committees, we truly appreciate your participation in this conference, particularly during tight economic times. We're sure that this conference will be well worth it! Maren Outwater, Resource Systems Group, Inc. John Gliebe, Portland State University Co-Chairs, Conference Planning Committee |