Author Description

This thesis describes an improved methodology for evaluating and quantifying congestion as it affects travellers, facilities, and regions. The methodology is termed Integrated Congestion Evaluation and Quantification (ICEQ).ICEQ is a software tool based on a proposed Toronto Congestion Index (TCI) that integrates different data sources and travel modes. The TCI is a 'threshold' congestion level or the congestion that a percentage of users will experience.The methodology is simple to apply and the result is easy to understand. A TCI of 2.0 means travel time is twice as long; a threshold of 20% indicates that 20% of travellers will experience this level or worse.ICEQ programs were written to apply the TCI to Intelligent Transportation Systems data. Large data files from Toronto area facilities were processed. Results demonstrate the applicability of ICEQ across different data sources, modes, and the effectiveness in accurately capturing congestion severity and reliability.