Transit Boardings Estimation and Simulation Tool (TBEST)
TBEST is a multi-faceted GIS-based modeling, planning and analysis software toolset which integrates socio-economic, land use, and transit network data into a unique platform for scenario-based transit ridership estimation and analysis
Explore the TBEST Transit Planning Framework and see why transit planners are calling TBEST the “Swiss Army Knife” of Transit Planning
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TBEST Transit Planning Framework
TBEST provides an integrated, comprehensive framework for constructing, analyzing, evaluating and managing transit alternatives. The TBEST framework contains essential transit planning tools including transit demand modeling, market analysis, network accessibility analysis, equity analysis, and mobility planning. The TBEST framework also includes reporting and analysis tools which directly support agency planning activities including Transit Development Plans (TDP’s), service planning, FTA Title VI reporting, comprehensive operational analysis, Service Development grant applications, performance reporting, scenario comparison, and many others…
What organizations can utilize TBEST? Local Transit Agencies, Regional/Metropolitan Planning Organizations, State and Federal Departments of Transportation, Research Organizations, Universities, Private Planning/Engineering Firms.
Transit Demand Modeling
TBEST contains a modeling structure which allows flexibility in model calibration, validation and application including Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) ridership forecasts sensitive to a range of implemented characteristics. TBEST ridership estimation models simulate travel demand at the individual stop-level while accounting for network connectivity, spatial and temporal accessibility, time-of-day variations, and route competition and complementarity.
Market Analysis
TBEST Market Analysis tools summarize the intensity and distribution of land use, socio-economic, and employment data for a given transit market in a custom scenario setting. Market Analysis can be performed on existing routes, segments, and stops or on new routes, route alignments, or Mobility Areas to determine the viability of transit options within any area.
Equity Analysis
The TBEST framework includes automated toolsets which support FTA requirements for Title VI service equity analysis including Triennial Reporting and Disparate Impact Analysis. The TBEST Title VI tools provide equity analysis support using TBEST network scenarios and socio-economic data to produce maps and reports which fulfill FTA Title VI reporting requirements. The multi-purposing of TBEST data minimizes the agency effort for Title VI data collection, data analysis, report configuration and map production.
Network Accessibility Analysis
The TBEST Network Accessibility Analysis functionality combines TBEST transit networking origin/destination results with market and model results to produce an interactive summarization of network accessible markets and model output. The core of the accessibility calculation is the TBEST Network Accessibility Build which populates an origin/destination matrix for each stop in the network. With a Network Accessibility Build matrix, the Network Analysis functionality can summarize both outflow and inflow from a selected stop, multiple stops or from a TBEST Mobility Area.
Mobility Tools
The Mobility Areas toolset provide users with the ability to define a spatial context (such as a project area, corridor study area, transit system service area, high growth area, central business district, etc.) in which the user can utilize TBEST tools to evaluate transit service and socio-economic data within a defined area. The TBEST Mobility Areas toolset facilitates users in evaluating unique geographies which may be served by traditional fixed route transit, shared mobility modes, other traditional modes (walk, bicycle, auto, wheelchair) or any user geography.
Transit Network Editor and GTFS Interoperability
TBEST provides comprehensive transit network development toolsets for planners to define detailed transit network service, operations attributes, and stop amenities for current operating conditions and future-year network scenarios. The TBEST transit network development tools seamlessly operate within the advanced TBEST network management and ridership estimation modeling environment.
Transit Network Editor
TBEST Network Editing provides interactive tools for adding, removing and modifying transit network service including editing routes alignments, in-service stops and vehicle trip service levels. Users can easily update network attributes to simulate future year conditions for true network-based scenario planning. The TBEST Transit Network Editor combines state-of-the-art GIS tools with transit specific network coding to support a truly user-friendly network editing environment.
GTFS Interoperability
The TBEST GTFS Import Tool migrates existing or proposed network alignments, service levels and other network characteristics defined within any static GTFS into TBEST network scenarios. Network scenarios can contain a single agency network, or the GTFS Network Import tool can be used to integrate GTFS feeds from all regional transit providers into a single, region-based TBEST transit network. The TBEST GTFS Import tool also offers support for integrating stop-level observed ridership data into TBEST networks to support Comprehensive Operational Analysis planning tasks.
