Optimizing Canada's transportation system for global competitiveness

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Spatial economic and transport systems are directly interdependent. The transportation system of a given country can be viewed as a physical representation of that country's economy: individual activity patterns and business operations create passenger and freight demands that result in car, truck, and rail movements. Simultaneously, the performance of the transportation system affects the spatial organization of the economy, for example through household and firm location choices, as well as trade and travel patterns. Therefore, economic systems impact transportation systems by the activities they produce, while transportation systems impact economic systems by the accessibility they provide. Hence, the performance of Canada's transportation system is a critical component of its economy and global competitiveness.******Spatial Economic and Transportation Interaction (SETI) models are used to evaluate the economic impacts of transportation infrastructure alternatives. Various methodological approaches have been taken at the urban, regional, and national scales, such as Land Use Transportation Interaction (LUTI) models and Random-Utility-Based Multi-Regional Input-Output (RUBMRIO) models. Transport-oriented Spatial Computable General Equilibrium (SCGE) models are currently the most complete economic simulation tool at the national level because they comprehensively model the entire economy, the inter-dependency between all of its parts, and the microeconomic behavior within these parts.******The proposed research program will develop a SETI modelling framework with an essentially different focus. In addition to evaluating prospective transportation infrastructure alternatives, a Canadian modelling platform will be built that intelligently determines where infrastructure investments would provide the greatest benefit to the Canadian economy. Several innovations are required to address the limitations of current modelling approaches and to develop the model's intelligent behaviour. The proposal describes these and other contributing innovations in detail. The complete modelling platform will bring Canada to and beyond the state-of-the-art in SETI modelling.******Practically, this research is expected to improve the scientific and engineering input into transportation projects and policies aimed at improving Canada's economy and global competitiveness. Academically, this research is expected to make timely, innovative, and transformative connections in the understanding and modelling of transportation and economic interactions.**