Project Meeting 2024.09.10

Agenda

Admin
- By-laws for project management committee
- Consortium dues
- Phase 10A task ideas
- Western Australia/Perth update
- Thursday Meeting agenda
Administrative Transition
- MPO/AMPO Meeting (Mark Moran)
- Multiple Fund idea (Alex B)
- Update on other options
Phase 10A task ideas
Technical Updates
- Phase 9a updates

By-laws for project management committee
- Available on Google Drive
- Only need a Google account to edit, but not to view it
Consortium dues
- Consortium contributions should be finalized by end of September
- Ellen from AMPO should know status of each agencies contribution
- Executed agreements should be on ActivitySim drive, so can check on sunset date of those contracts to ensure agency contract is in place
Western Australia/Perth update
- Not rejoining consortium
- Agency felt they were not as an advanced user as other member agencies and so wanted to go with a more simplified and easier to use platform
- Proceeding with Bentley's Agent
Thursday Meeting agenda
- Agenda: Estimation mode improvements
- Minimum consortium attendees requested: Joe, Alex, and SANDAG

MPO/AMPO Meeting (Mark Moran)
- MPO modelers and executive directors are meeting with Bill Keyrouze from AMPO this afternoon (9/10/24), organized by SEMCOG MPO, to discuss options of continuing with AMPO
- Purpose of meeting is to go to AMPO as a united front
- Will discuss what percentage they would consider to have AMPO reconsider
- (Joe C) Important for Consortium for AMPO to be willing to document and track the work they have completed under the contract with the funds; Consortium should not stay with AMPO unless that is met
- Not determined at moment is what timeline to set to finalize AMPO decision
Multiple Fund idea (Alex B)
- There is a real possibility that Texas will put a lot of money into ABMs (larger than $35K)
  - Question to consider is how Consortium can benefit
  - (Joe C) Concerned that w/o one pooled fund there will be too many forks/versions of ActivitySim
Update on other options
- RAND is not an option
- Should reach out to NARC only after AMPO is determined to be absolutely not an option

Phase 10A task ideas
- Minimum: PM Task, General software development support; other low hanging fruit such as documentation and useability fixes/updates
- Other suggestions:
  - Performance enhancements
    - Current state: Unknown ambiguities about why performance varies from one platform to another
    - Proposed task: Investigate hardware and software configurations further to figure out other potential improvements
- PopulationSim updates
- Additional estimation tasks (add on to 9b work)
Not Doing: investing in simpler model that is focused on easier usability
- Current consortium view: Not something to take on with existing funds but supportive of others doing it
- Potential solution to collaborate with TTI or other University (ex: Greg McFarlane), while they lead simplified solution

Phase 9a updates
- WSP contract signed by WSP, awaiting signature from AMPO
- Due to contract delays, Phase 9b work may need to extend into CY25