California Statewide Travel Demand Model (CSTDM)

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) operates the California Statewide Travel Demand Model (CSTDM) Version 2.0 to provide Caltrans, other state agencies, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), Regional Transportation Planning Agencies (RTPAs) and other partners with an advanced mulit-modal tour/activity based travel demand model that can forecast short and long distance travel by California residents.

The CSTDM provides an advanced tour/activity model to help Caltrans develop and evaluate transportation related policies and programs of projects that best meet our mobility goals.  This model is not an appropriate tool for individual project level analysis.  Partner agencies utilize this model to meet the air quality requirements set forth under AB 32, SB 375 and SB 391.  The CSTDM is also a key tool for emissions and greenhouse gas (GHG) analysis.

How does it work?

The CSTDM utilizes Citilabs Cube modeling software and provides datasets for 2015, 2020, 2030, 2040 and 2050. Caltrans has updated the base year to 2015 to take advantage of new household travel survey data regarding interregional travel, census data and updated population and jobs forecasts post the 2008 recession. Model updates occur on a 5 year cycle with every other update incorporating new travel behavior and census data beyond the updated population, school enrollment and employment forecasts and captures planned projects from the MPOs, RTPAs and Caltrans.

Products

The CSTDM helps Caltrans plan for and evaluate the impacts of infrastructure enhancements on the economy, environment, traffic congestion, mobility, air quality, fuel consumption, GHG emissions, public health, climate change and equity.

  • Passenger Vehicle Travel Behavior
  • GHG emission change reports as required by law
  • Statewide interregional trip volumes and Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)
  • Trip volumes and length distribution by trip purpose
  • Travel demand model for RTPAs who don’t have adopted models

DID YOU KNOW?

The CSTDM models travel behavior for every resident of California made on a typical weekday when school is in session!

Contacts

statewide.modeling.branch@dot.ca.gov, general inquiries and requests, Statewide Modeling

Kalin Pacheco, Chief, Statewide Modeling

Steven Vo, TE

Katie Murphy, RDS II