ASSIST-ME

Abstract

This paper presents Advanced Software for Statewide Integrated Sustainable Transportation System Monitoring and Evaluation (ASSIST-ME), an application for visualizing and analyzing the output of transportation planning models in a geographic information system environment. ASSIST-ME was developed on a customized version of the ArcGIS 9.2 Developer Engine in the Microsoft .NET Framework. The tool is built on a flexible framework that allows for adoption of any traditional transportation planning model, as demonstrated with the output of two major transportation planning models on different software platforms: the New York Best Practice Model, running in TransCAD, and the North Jersey Regional Transportation Model–Enhanced, running in CUBE. ASSIST-ME allows agencies and planners to easily work with transportation planning model output, analysis of which is often time-consuming and requires extensive training. It offers four key functionalities: data visualization, demand analysis, path analysis, and benefit–cost analysis. Data visualization and demand analysis enable the user to work easily with direct model output; the custom path and cost analysis tools support analyses beyond those possible with other software packages. The benefit–cost analysis functions utilize the latest quantification–monetization approaches employed in research and by government agencies and require no external applications or procedures. This process can be used for any planning scenario, but ASSIST-ME also allows for customization to modify input data or analysis procedures according to the user's needs. ASSIST-ME incorporates data visualization, data analysis, and output reporting functionalities in a single user-friendly setting that requires minimal training or knowledge of the models themselves.