At last month’s ITE Annual Meeting and Exhibition, I had the pleasure of announcing that the new 12th Edition of the Trip Generation Manual was about to go live.
The Trip Generation Manual is updated every 4 years, and a lot can change during that quadrennial period. Not only have we continued to experience our “new normal” after COVID-19 forever changed commuting patterns—but we added nine new land use classifications, and data from more than 550 sites have been incorporated to ensure the database remains relevant.
The ability to predict traffic patterns and plan the necessary infrastructure is a fundamental responsibility within our profession. The Trip Generation Manual provides a consistent framework across different projects and locations, which ultimately promotes uniformity in transportation planning. It provides data that is essential for data-driven decision-making, which has become more and more vital in today’s planning processes.
I’ve always viewed the Trip Generation Manual as the go-to resource for jurisdictions and agencies because of its common foundation and standardized methodology, coupled with a huge variety of location-specific data that is applicable to so many different environments. It can be used so many different ways, and is something that every transportation professional will one day count on for assistance.
While I’m super excited about all the new data—and intrigued by some of the new land use categories— I’m also keenly aware that the Trip Generation Manual isn’t
always the ONLY tool that is available. In some instances, current local data can be used to supplement and support decisions on how to best estimate site-generated trips.
And take note, I used the word “current.” That’s because we’re always seeing an evolving landscape when it comes to trip generation. For example, office trip generation was among the most impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, with widespread adoption of remote work. As work-from-home and hybrid schedules became the norm, many companies downsized their office spaces and/or began offering shared workspaces. More recently, however, a growing number of employers have required workers to return to the office for at least part of the week. This land use continues to be impacted by evolving policies—thus it’s critical to incorporate current local data in your decision matrix.
You can read some of the articles in this issue of ITE Journal and get a full run-down of all the additions, changes, and updates that the 12th Edition features. And of course, information on how to order your web app license and/or print version is also available.
The Trip Generation Manual is a great example of ITE’s technical prowess. Some member associations focus on advocacy and lobbying, while others emphasize increasing technical information. That’s the focus for ITE, as technical knowledge is one of three pillars of ITE’s current Strategic Plan.
We’re already halfway through our current Strategic Plan, and with the release of the updated Trip Generation Manual, a dozen other important Quick Bites or Technical
Briefs, and of course the Safety Roadmap and Action Plan earlier this year—we’re on a good trajectory for finishing the year as one of our strongest technically. When you add to this all the great webinars, training courses, meetings, and conference sessions, the year 2025 is going to be one for the record books!