TransModeler Simulation of the Capital Beltway HOT Lanes

NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS (USA) - Caliper Corporation has developed a TransModeler traffic simulation of the forthcoming High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes on the Capital Beltway (I-495) in Virginia with Transurban, a leading toll road owner and operator in Australia and North America (www.transurban.com.au). The Capital Beltway HOT Lanes project (www.virginiahotlanes.com) is a nearly two billion dollar public-private partnership that is intended to be an innovative solution to traffic congestion through dynamic, open-road tolling. Sensors will monitor traffic levels continuously, and a tolling algorithm designed to maintain a target level of service in the HOT lanes will adjust the price dynamically. Drivers who choose to use the HOT lanes will pay a toll conveyed to them via dynamic message signs. Carpools with three or more persons, buses, and emergency vehicles will be able to use the HOT lanes without charge.

Transurban and its construction partner, Fluor Enterprises, Inc., will operate the toll facility for Virginia DOT who will retain ownership and oversight of the HOT lanes. Construction is underway with completion anticipated in late 2012.

TransModeler is a powerful and versatile traffic simulation software package developed by Caliper that has many advanced features for intelligent transportation systems analysis. It also features dramatic 2-D and 3-D GIS visualization to aid in understanding traffic behavior.

TransModeler can be used to predict HOT-lane utilization under alternative traffic and toll levels.

For more information on TransModeler, contact Daniel Morgan (daniel@caliper.com) at Caliper Corporation.

About Caliper

Caliper is a leading developer of mapping, redistricting, transportation, and GIS software, including Maptitude^®, Maptitude for Redistricting, TransCAD^®, and TransModeler^®. Caliper software is used by more than 70,000 users in over 70 countries.