Application of an Integrated Land Use and Transport Model to the El Paso and Ciudad Juarez Binational Area

Trade, commercial, and personal ties between El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, generate a tremendous amount of local traffic across the U.S.-Mexico border. A travel demand model (TDM) that integrates the two communities as a single transportation system would allow transportation agencies to better identify traffic needs and estimate traffic volumes. This research presents the application of Tranus, a TDM integrating two binational communities into a single transportation system to estimate transborder origin-destination (O-D) trips. Tranus is an integrated land use and transportation modeling system combining state-of-the-art modeling of the activities, land use, and interactions within a transportation system. Conventionally, each side of the border is simulated separately--not as an interconnected system; also, traditional TDMs require extensive and expensive household surveys, difficult to conduct in binational settings. The team performed a literature review and analyzed socioeconomic, demographic, and other data for Ciudad Juarez and El Paso. The report identifies several TDM limitations that should be addressed in future research. Despite these, however, the model could become a powerful tool for helping transportation agencies in El Paso and Ciudad Juarez to anticipate, plan, and evaluate future traffic needs and traffic volumes. With Tranus it is possible to generate a reliable set of binational O-D matrices at a significantly lower cost and effort in any conurbation along the U.S.-Mexico border.