The Transportation Research Board (TRB) Innovations in Freight Data Workshop Planning Committee granted the “Best Data Fusion Application” award to the Mega-Regional Multi-Modal Agent-Based Behavioral Freight Model developed by the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) and a team of consultants led by Cambridge Systematics, Inc. (CS). Key team members also included staff from RS&H, CDM Smith, and ATRI.
“Our joint submission was selected from a pool of 20 applications for integrating traditional and underutilized data, which is a common gap when modeling freight flows. CS is honored to be a part of the recipient team, says Kimon Proussaloglou, Executive Vice President of CS. "As a forward thinking firm, we thrive on bringing innovative ideas to transportation agencies to help them meet their goals.”
The model will be presented during the Award Winners Panel at the TRB Innovations in Freight Data Workshop on May 17th in California.
About the Mega-Regional Multi-Modal Agent-Based Behavioral Freight Model
The Mega-Regional Multi-Modal Agent-Based Behavioral Freight Model is a new generation regional freight model based on the principles identified in the Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP2) C20 findings and is consistent with MAG freight flows forecasting needs. The new model:
Captures behavioral aspects of the freight agents through a firm synthesizer;
Includes supply chain and logistics decisions of firms including shippers, carriers and receivers; and
Uses tour-based models for intraregional truck movements.
The overall model provides detailed outputs by multiple temporal resolutions, economic sectors, commodity types, industry class and truck types.
The model informs decisions on infrastructure improvements and state-wide planning, and it provides more accurate forecasting for the economic revitalization of the state and the region.