Transportation Demand Management (TDM) is a branch of Civil Engineering that carefully examines how consumers make their transportation decisions. Though it falls under many names–traffic demand management, traffic demand management, and travel demand management–TDM focuses on creating optimized solutions to traffic congestion, infrastructure costs, parking, and other factors that could contribute to the excess travel demand. The goal is to apply these strategies and solutions to better reduce and redistribute transportation efforts. The most popular alternatives include walking, cycling, public transportation, ride-sharing, telecommuting, etc. Not only does TDM create solutions for travel demands, but it also shapes the way Civil Engineers build and design future transportation infrastructures.

Transportation Demand Management Strategies and Objectives

Research and development that goes into Transportation Demand Management dives much deeper than the need for current optimization. With the right tools and experimentation, TDM can solve problems on a larger scale. More specifically, improving the health and wellness of communities across the globe. Let’s take a look at some of the TDM objectives that will help to promote a better balance in our transportation systems:

  • Conserving energy/reducing emissions: With more available options for shared transportation, we can create a greener environment. Vehicle emissions and greenhouse gases are major culprits to climate change and environmental changes. By creating more options for shared transportation–carpooling, public transit, walking, biking etc., we would be able to not only expand on TDM strategies, but help our environment at the same time.
  • Reducing congestion: With clear and concise researchers, Civil Engineers can devise TDM strategies that help improve and reduce traffic congestion. Formulating ways to reduce the number of cars on the road is one of the most popular objectives of the Transportation Management Demand. This can be achieved by the expansion of roadways or shared transportation means.
  • Solve parking issues: In areas of higher traffic and population, parking can be a real problem. An important objective for TDM is to generate approaches to the development and management of a variety of parking infrastructures that are affordable, accessible, and improve traffic in those areas.
  • Better safety: A very important factor in the optimization of TDM is improving the safety of drivers, bikers, pedestrians, etc. Civil Engineers in the branch of TDM work tirelessly to come up with a solution that reduces traffic congestion while enhancing the safety of those who shares the road.

Many of these objectives are attainable by the engineers of Transportation Demand Management through a variety of research and development methods. With the right tools, engineers in Transportation Demand Management are able to create and construct complete and expansive streets and roadways, easy walkability to areas of interest, less congestion, more safety, and most importantly, a healthier environment. With outcome-based solutions, the Civil Engineers of Transportation Demand Management work hard to provide communities with an enhanced quality of life.