Reisvolumes

Reisvolumes is a term used in transportation planning and geography to describe travel volumes or trip flows within a region. It refers to the number and magnitude of trips made by people between locations over a given time period, typically captured in origin-destination patterns or matrices.

Measurement and data sources

Reisvolumes are derived from various data sources, including household travel surveys, census data, and modern mobility datasets such as GPS traces, mobile phone records, and app-based location data. They are often expressed as counts of person-trips, sometimes broken down by mode (car, public transport, cycling) or by trip purpose (work, education, shopping). In many analyses, trips are aggregated between predefined zones to form origin-destination (O-D) matrices.

Applications

Reisvolumes underpin travel demand modeling and transport planning. They help calibrate and validate models that predict how changes in land use, population, pricing, or infrastructure will affect travel patterns. Policymakers use reisvolumes to assess congestion, assess the impact of new transit lines, road pricing, or changes in service levels, and to design more efficient networks.

Computation and models

Common approaches include gravity models and radiation models to estimate flows between zones, combined with trip generation and trip distribution steps. Data quality and privacy considerations are important, as reisvolumes rely on potentially sensitive mobility information. Temporal granularity (hourly versus daily) also affects interpretation, with peak-period volumes often analyzed separately from baseline levels.

Relation to related concepts

Reisvolumes are closely related to origin-destination matrices, travel demand models, and modal split analyses. They provide the empirical foundation for understanding travel behavior and the effects of transportation policies.