The following analysis steps should be used to conduct a traffic impact analysis with TRAFFIX™. If you are only interested in using TRAFFIX™ to perform level of service calculations for existing traffic volumes, then you can skip the steps related to zones, gates, trip generation trip distribution and paths. You still need to draw a simple network (consisting of at least one node) so TRAFFIX™ can store the necessary information.
Determine the extent of the study area and the roadway and intersections network to be coded.
Open a new database, enter global data and parameters, and define scenarios. When there is more than one scenario, some of the following steps will have to be repeated for each scenario, where the data are to be different.
Draw the network and create zones and gates. Enter the appropriate node data (intersection geometry, turning volumes, traffic control devices, and zone data) and select the intersections to be included in the analysis.
Optional- Define arterial analysis routes and enter link data.
Name and select trip generation rates (if this was not done while entering global data and parameters in Step 2), enter zone land use and trip generation data, and select zones to be included in the analysis.
Draw paths between all zones and all gateways. Paths must be created before trip distribution percentages can be entered.
Name and select trip distribution percentage data sets (if this was not done while entering global data and parameters in Step 2) and enter trip distribution percentages. Run the Evaluation. TRAFFIX™ will update many calculations as you enter and edit the data; however, to be sure, you should run the Evaluation so that all calculations are updated. This step is necessary to generate traffic from the zones and to produce the output reports.
Save entered data to disk. This should be done periodically during all data entry tasks just to be safe. As with any computer program used to create work products, frequent saves are recommended and good practice.
Use the LOS Mitigation screen to analyze level of service for individual intersections and to develop appropriate mitigation measures.
Optional - Compute impact fees.
IMPORTANT: TRAFFIX™ stores all information in the computer memory during each session. You MUST remember to save your work often as you work on each step of the process, or you might lose it all in a power or system failure. To write your data to disk you may use the File…Save Database option or click the “diskette” button.