TravelModes

Home > TravelModel > UsersGuide > DataDictionary > TravelModes

---

The MTC travel model defines twenty-three unique ways in which a traveler can move across the roadway and/or transit networks.

Automobile travelers are explicitly assigned to occupancy and toll eligibility classes. The toll eligibility class decision determines whether those traveling in the vehicle are willing to pay (a so-called value toll) to travel on a faster parallel or nearly parallel route, such as in a high occupancy toll (HOT) facility. The toll eligibility class does not determine a willingness to pay a toll to cross a bridge.

Transit travelers are explicitly assigned to a specific transit line. As a simplification, MTC groups transit lines by the following technology categories: local bus, express bus, light rail, ferry, heavy rail, and commuter rail. Local bus transit service represents standard, fixed-route bus service, of the kind a traveler may take to and from a neighborhood grocery store, as well as bus rapid transit service. Express bus service represents longer-distance service typically provided in over-the-road coach technology; Golden Gate Transit, for example, provides this service between Marin County and downtown San Francisco. Light rail service is represented in the Bay Area by San Francisco�s Muni Metro and F-Market streetcar services, as well as Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority�s light rail service. Heavy rail service is provided in the Bay Area by the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) district. Finally, commuter rail captures longer distance rail service typically on grade-separated railroads; Caltrain, for example, offers this service along the Peninsula (other Bay Area providers of commuter rail service are Altamont Commuter Express and Amtrak). The detailed services that make up each of these technology categories is available on the TransitModes page.

Transit travelers are presented up to 10 path options when deciding how to get from A to B. As a convenience, these 10 options are created by excluding certain technologies. The first path option includes only the local bus modes and, as such, are labeled local bus; the second includes local bus, light rail, and ferry modes and is labeled light rail/ferry; the third includes local bus, light rail, ferry, and express bus modes and is labeled express bus; the fourth includes local bus, light rail, ferry, express bus, and heavy rail modes and is labeled heavy rail; and, finally, the fifth includes all of the transit modes and is labeled commuter rail. If a traveler has their car with them, he/she are presented the walk/transit/walk options as well as the drive/transit/walk path options; if the traveler left home making a drive/transit/walk trip, he/she are presented, for all subsequent trips before returning home, the walk/transit/walk options as well as the walk/transit/drive options. Defining path choices in this way provides MTC a convenient framework for organizing transit behavior.

Number	Name	Label(s)
1	Drive alone (single-occupant vehicles), not eligibile to use value toll facilities	DA
2	Drive alone (single-occupant), eligible to use value toll facilities	DATOLL
3	Shared ride 2 (two-occupant vehicles), not eligibile to use value toll facilities	SR2
4	Shared ride 2 (two-occupant vehicles), eligible to use value toll facilities	SR2TOLL
5	Shared ride 3+ (three-or-more-occupant vehicles), not eligibile to use value toll facilities	SR3
6	Shared ride 3+ (three-of-more occupant vehicles), eligible to use value toll facilities	SR3TOLL
7	Walk the entire way (no transit, no bicycle)	WALK
8	Bicycle the entire way (no transit)	BIKE
9	Walk access, local bus, walk egress	WLK_LOC_WLK
10	Walk access, light rail or ferry, walk egress	WLK_LRF_WLK
11	Walk access, express bus, walk egress	WLK_EXP_WLK
12	Walk access, heavy rail, walk egress	WLK_HVY_WLK
13	Walk access, commuter rail, walk egress	WLK_COM_WLK
14	Drive access, local bus, walk egress	DRV_LOC_WLK
15	Drive access, light rail or ferry, walk egress	DRV_LRF_WLK
16	Drive access, express bus, walk egress	DRV_EXP_WLK
17	Drive access, heavy rail, walk egress	DRV_HVY_WLK
18	Drive access, commuter rail, walk egress	DRV_COM_WLK
19	Walk access, local bus, drive egress	WLK_LOC_DRV
20	Walk access, light rail or ferry, drive egress	WLK_LRF_DRV
21	Walk access, express bus, drive egress	WLK_EXP_DRV
22	Walk access, heavy rail, drive egress	WLK_HVY_DRV
23	Walk access, commuter rail, drive egress	WLK_COM_DRV
24	Drive alone, TNC	da_tnc
25	Shared ride 2, TNC	sr2_tnc
26	Shared ride 3+, TNC	sr3_tnc
27	Drive alone, owned autonomous vehicle (AV)	da_av
28	Shared ride 2, owned autonomous vehicle (AV)	sr2_av
29	Shared ride 3+, owned autonomous vehicle (AV)	sr3_av

Tour and Trip Modes

Number	Name
1	Drive alone (single-occupant vehicles), not eligibile to use value toll facilities
2	Drive alone (single-occupant), eligible to use value toll facilities
3	Shared ride 2 (two-occupant vehicles), not eligibile to use value toll facilities
4	Shared ride 2 (two-occupant vehicles), eligible to use value toll facilities
5	Shared ride 3+ (three-or-more-occupant vehicles), not eligibile to use value toll facilities
6	Shared ride 3+ (three-of-more occupant vehicles), eligible to use value toll facilities
7	Walk the entire way (no transit, no bicycle)
8	Bicycle the entire way (no transit)
9	Walk to local bus
10	Walk to light rail or ferry
11	Walk to express bus
12	Walk to heavy rail
13	Walk to commuter rail
14	Drive to local bus
15	Drive to light rail or ferry
16	Drive to express bus
17	Drive to heavy rail
18	Drive to commuter rail
19	Taxi (added in Travel Model 1.5)
20	TNC (Transportation Network Company, or ride-hailing services) - Single party (added in Travel Model 1.5)
21	TNC - Shared e.g. sharing with strangers (added in Travel Model 1.5)