The DynusT Open Source Project is a community-based project that was started in January 2011. The focus of the project is to develop a powerful and viable traffic simulation software for both the traffic engineer and the transportation planner. Currently in practice, dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) is a concept that is understood as a vital analysis methodology to aid in the decision-making process; however, DTA is still thought of as in the "development stage" and is not ready for real project-related deployment. In other words, in the current state of practice, many practioners believe DTA is still in its infancy as a feasible tool for the traffic engineer's and transportation planner's toolbox.

Our Goal... to educate

With the exponential growth in computational power and availability, DTA has become more realized than ever. Many practioners are looking for new alternatives that can help in answering many questions are being asked, as of late; questions that current modeling tools are not capacable or designed to answer. DTA models are designed to capture the time-dependent traffic dynamics of a system based on adaptive learning of travelers (user equilibrium) in the system that is not recognized in microscopic models. This means, evaluation of alternatives to the traveler by modeling basic traveler decision behavior. With such a tool, this provides the practitioner a rich data source of what is occurring in the system on a time-dependent platform that is not realized in macroscopic models.

There are several softwares and software packages/suites currently in the market that claim to have an implementation of DTA available. However, of these softwares, there are only a handful that may be considered as true DTA models. We are dedicated to educating the industry in understanding to what DynusT really is and its true potential of DTA when correctly implemented. This is not an easy task, but this community is dedicated to furthering the current state-of-practice toward better models and greater understanding of the potential benefits (and limitations) of the DTA.

Our Goal... to demonstrate

The DynusT Open Source Project is aimed at changing the status quo! DTA in recent years has become a mature methodology that has been successfully deployed in many applications throughout the U.S. DynusT has also been used and tested since 2005 in over 50 agencies, firms and universities. DynusT has been used and tested since 2005 in over 20 regions throughout the U.S. such as

• ELP, PAG, MAG, DRCOG, PSRC, SFCTA, HGAC, Las Vegas, NC Triangle, Guam, Florida, SEMCOG, Toronto, SACOG, Mississippi, northern Virginia, I-95, US 36, New York, Bay Area...

Our Goal... to provide an alternative

The DynusT Open Source Project is meant to further to current state-of-practice by educating those who find DTA as something that may advance the decision-making process with better and more refined data, as well as finding new analysis capabilities that were not thought possible with existing tools. The project is not meant to "turn a profit" by charging commercial prices for a tool that many practioners are still learning the capabilities and possibilities that DTA could provide. This is viewed as an opportunity for practioners to educate themselves in the emerging topic of DTA by getting their hands dirty and pushing the limits. This, in return, helps the transportation modeling community with learned experiences.

Not only is the ope source project for the practioner, but also for researchers and developers! This project provides an ever-expanding platform and the opportinuty to develop new funcationalities and design paradigms that has not been thought of. There are various applications, functionalities and extensions that are desired, but a single developer may not have the capacity or motivation to produce. However, if a community is at work with the goal of furthering the transportation modeling community, things get done faster, new and innovative ideas are concieved and produced for purposes not imagined and contributions to the community are made.