Transport Game: Difference between revisions

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Client: [[Cambridge Architectural Research]]
Client: Steve Platt, [[Cambridge Architectural Research]] <steve.platt@carltd.com>


Contact: Steve Platt <steve.platt@carltd.com>
It's hard for voters and taxpayers to assess what impact different funding policies will really have on their lives. The goal of this project is to create an online game that will enable users to explore issues of transport funding and, in particular, to measure their personal costs and benefits from road pricing. An underlying model provided by the Cambridge Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction can be used to simulate the key features of the Cambridge transport network, with users plotting a number of their typical journeys to create a baseline. They will then be given the opportunity to “purchase” benefits in the form of a range of transport infrastructure and service improvements, for example road quality and public transport. According to the choice of benefits made, the user will incur a variable mileage-based road user charge, whose proceeds are available for spending on transport. Making changes in travel behaviour - for example making a journey by bus or bicycle rather than by car - will allow the user to reduce or avoid the charge. The model will also allow users to opt for a reduced rate of charge and/or a compensating reduction in fuel duty, with a personalised benefit-cost ratio compared to other players.
 
It's hard for voters and taxpayers to assess what impact different funding policies will really have on their lives. The goal of this project is to create an online game that will enable users to explore issues of transport funding and, in particular, to measure their personal costs and benefits from road pricing. An underlying model will simulate the key features of the Cambridge transport network, with users plotting a number of their typical journeys to create a baseline. They will then be given the opportunity to “purchase” benefits in the form of a range of transport infrastructure and service improvements, for example road quality and public transport. According to the choice of benefits made, the user will incur a variable mileage-based road user charge, whose proceeds are available for spending on transport. Making changes in travel behaviour - for example making a journey by bus or bicycle rather than by car - will allow the user to reduce or avoid the charge. The model will also allow users to opt for a reduced rate of charge and/or a compensating reduction in fuel duty, with a personalised benefit-cost ratio compared to other players.
 
==technical issue==
 
To: Steve Denman <sd560@cam.ac.uk>
 
When we first met with Nichola at CAR, you and I discussed whether the traffic modelling software that you've already created could be used as a technical basis for one of my student design teams to create an interactive prototype of the proposed transport game. Steve Platt is happy to act as the design client for a team, but we can't proceed with the project unless we know that an appropriate traffic model will be available. Could you let us know within the next few days whether the model exists, and is in a form suitable for use by students? If not, we may have to cancel the project.
 
==response==
 
We have transport models for Cambridge but we are not sure whether these will be suitable for the specific application you have in mind.
 
==request==
 
The last couple of project places are about to go to clients in the next day or two, so I need to make a decision before then.
 
I think the key characteristics of a model, to support the functionality we described, is:
 
#Ability to estimate a point-to-point journey time in Cambridge
#Access to some model parameters that can be modified to reflect infrastructure investment and vehicle usage
 
I think that based on these two things, the students would be able to make a plausible attempt at all other UI and economic modelling aspects of the project.

Latest revision as of 21:22, 23 October 2013

Client: Steve Platt, Cambridge Architectural Research <steve.platt@carltd.com>

It's hard for voters and taxpayers to assess what impact different funding policies will really have on their lives. The goal of this project is to create an online game that will enable users to explore issues of transport funding and, in particular, to measure their personal costs and benefits from road pricing. An underlying model provided by the Cambridge Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction can be used to simulate the key features of the Cambridge transport network, with users plotting a number of their typical journeys to create a baseline. They will then be given the opportunity to “purchase” benefits in the form of a range of transport infrastructure and service improvements, for example road quality and public transport. According to the choice of benefits made, the user will incur a variable mileage-based road user charge, whose proceeds are available for spending on transport. Making changes in travel behaviour - for example making a journey by bus or bicycle rather than by car - will allow the user to reduce or avoid the charge. The model will also allow users to opt for a reduced rate of charge and/or a compensating reduction in fuel duty, with a personalised benefit-cost ratio compared to other players.