Quantifying the impacts of the modifiable areal unit problem in travel demand models

This project introduces new analyses of the impacts of the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP) in traffic assignment models which are not widely available in the literature, as well as to reveal how stable the effects are in diverse models. A comprehensive review of the literature is conducted to provide an overview of MAUP, including the scale and zonal effects, as well as its recent applications in travel demand modelling and other subject areas. Particular scrutiny is made towards inappropriate methods of MAUP-analysis in travel demand models. The scale effect is tested in traffic assignment models using associated zone structures of the Greater Montreal Area (GMA), a unique geographic region involving island regions and water bodies.