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2023/24 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

TRAN3061 Travel Activity Analysis

10 creditsClass Size: 35

Module manager: David Milne
Email: D.s.milne@its.leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2023/24

This module is approved as a discovery module

This module is approved as a skills discovery module

Module summary

This module is aimed at students who are interested in urban and transport planning, and who may be considering a planning related career after they graduate. It focuses on quantitative modelling approaches to transport planning, provides experience of using them, and encourages students to explore their underlying theories and their roles in decision-making. Teaching involves a mixture of lectures to introduce core idea, discursive workshops to identify modelling objectives and scenarios, and practical hands-on experience of engaging with the SATURN congested assignment model. SATURN is one of the most well established and widely used software packages globally for modelling urban road transport. It was developed in Leeds during the 1970s and 1980s, and experience of using is still adds significantly to employability within the transport planning sector. During this module it is used to explore a range of potential planning interventions for north Leeds. By the end of the module, all students should have gained an improved understanding of transport planning processes in practice and should hopefully feel better equipped for the transport planning job market. All teaching takes place during the first semester and the module is assessed through a single piece of coursework.

Objectives

On completion of this module, students should have acquired:
• Understanding of sources of data and some analytical techniques for representing the demand for travel;
• Understanding of the basic theoretical concepts underpinning transport models and, in particular, network-based assignment modelling approaches;
• Experience of engaging with the SATURN congested assignment model;
• An opportunity to apply ideas, theories and analytical techniques related to transport planning in the context of a realistic study of travel activity for north Leeds.

Learning outcomes
• Understanding of the theory underpinning transport network modelling;
• Ability to understand and apply transport network modelling techniques (for example, SATURN); and • Ability to interface with other complementary analytical techniques (for example, GIS).

Skills outcomes
Transport Network Modelling (e.g., SATURN)


Syllabus

1. The role of models in representing transport activity
2. The basic principles of traffic network modelling
3. Approaches used with the SATURN congested assignment modelling software
4. Engaging with the SATURN software package for a case study of north Leeds
5. The believability of model results
6. The potential to interface with other complementary analytical techniques when using model results for decision-making
7. The future of transport modelling approaches

Teaching methods

Delivery typeNumberLength hoursStudent hours
Lectures61.006.00
seminars22.004.00
Practicals52.0010.00
Private study hours80.00
Total Contact hours20.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)100.00

Private study

Background reading for lectures/workshops;
Preparation for seminars & practical classes;
Report & briefing note writing.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Assessed work carried out across the module. All students will be expected to contribute actively to seminars and practical classes held throughout the module.

Methods of assessment


Coursework
Assessment typeNotes% of formal assessment
Report4,000 Words100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 28/04/2023 14:56:45

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