Factors affecting shopping center traffic generation are analyzed. Within the market area, consideration must be given to variables as household-descriptive factors, including residential density, family income, family size and composition, and level of auto ownership. Factors based on the transportation system include distance and travel times to various shipping places, the availability of public transit, and the amount of traffic congestion. A class of variables relate to the shopping center itself, the number and sizes of stores in the center, the amount of parking available, the type and cost of goods sold, the quality of service, etc. A model is developed to furnish information on such centers to estimate future traffic to these centers and its influence on the transportation system. On the basis of the model and algorithm, the maximum expected generation rates for three classes of planned centers of various sizes can be calculated. These estimates are based on combinations of factors selected to produce maximal generation figures. /author/.
Abstract