Guidance to data collection using the MARS data user interface

Components of the MARS data user interface

The version of the data user interface which is described in this document is number 8.

The MARS data user interface consists of three principal components:

A control file (Mars Data user interface v8p.xls),
a template data file (Template Mars Data user interface v8p.xls) and
the data files created by the user (..\*.xls).

Later a user interface to validate the consistency of the input data will form part of the MARS data user interface.

Get started

Copy the control file and the template file to a directory of your choice. Both files have to be in the same directory.
Open the file "Mars Data user interface v8p.xls"

The front end of the Mars data user interface is shown Figure 1. Mars uses a colour coding. The user must not write in the cells coloured grey! Grey cells are write protected. Blue cells indicate the basic data necessary to set up a data file for a case study. In the data files a yellow/orange colour indicates cells into which the data input has to be made.

The front end of the MARS data user interface v8p

To continue, write the name of the case study city in cell B2.
Write the number of zones which your case study should have into cell B3.
Define the number of time steps over which Mars should iterate into cell E3.
Select the type of time steps which you want to consider (year/month) in cell F3.

Create a new data file

If you use the Mars data user interface for the first time you have to create a new data file.

Press the button "New Data File" on the left side.
A window, asking for the file name of the new file which you want to create, opens.
Write the name you want to give to the case study.
To be able to continue you must write a name into this field.
The file extension ".xls" does not have do be included in the name you write.
Press OK.
Next a pop-up window asks you to identify who wants to create a new data file.
Again you must fill in something to be able to continue.
Press OK.

The code behind the user interface now opens the template, un-protects and colours the cells which are necessary for your case study, hides the data sheets, saves the file under the new name and returns to the front end.

The structure of the data files - more detail, opens a file in a new window

In total a Mars data file consists of 29 datasheets. For the sake of usability all these are hidden by default. There is a row of buttons in the front end for unhiding the data sheets for editing. In the data sheets you will find buttons for navigation. With the buttons with the black text (Back or End) you can go back to the front end. Editing the modes Motorcycle, Car and PT involves more than one sheet. The buttons with the green text Next are to navigate to the next data sheet. The buttons with the red text Back are to navigate to the previous data sheet. Of course it is also possible to navigate between the sheets using the tabs.

Growth rates

To edit the growth rates of your case study press the button "Edit Growth rates". This will bring you to the sheet "Growth rates" in your data file. You can define growth rates for every single time step for:

the number of residents (row 4),
the number of workplaces in the service sector (row 5),
the number of workplaces in the production sector (row 6),
the car ownership (row 7) and
the motorcycle ownership (row 8).

To go back to the front end press the "Back" button.

Basic scalar data

To edit the basic scalar data needed in Mars press the button 2Edit Basic Scalar Data". The interface unhides and selects the sheets "Basic Scalar Data". The following data have to be defined:

the average number of commuting trips per employed and workday (cell B4),
the average daily travel time budget per person (h/person) (cell B6),
the average time span until a household moves out of a domicile (years) (cell B8),
the number of housing units which the developers start to construct in the base year (cell B10),
the average walking speed of pedestrians in the peak period (km/h) (cell B12),
the average walking speed of pedestrians in the off peak period (km/h) (cell B13),
threshold values for the model internal road construction for[1]:
- the percentage change in new developments (cell B15) and
- a minimum car speed (cell B16),
the occupancy rates of cars and motorcycles for commuting and non working trips (cells B18:C19),
the percentage of employed and residents owning a driving license for cars and motorcycles (cells B21:C22),
the fuel consumption of cars and motorcycles in Euro per kilometre[2] (cell B4),
the parameters for the equation of the speed dependency of the fuel consumption[3] (cells B26:C29),
the other distance dependent costs of car and motorcycle use (cells B31:C31) and
an estimate of the percentage of these costs which is taken into consideration in the decision process whether to travel by car/motorcycle or not (cells B32:C32).

Press the "Back" button to return to the front end.

Basic vector data

To edit the following basic vector data needed in the MARS model press the button "Edit Basic Vectordata":

number of residents (row 5),
number of employed[4] (row 6),
average household income (Euro/month) (row 7),
average number of persons living in a household (row 8),
average costs for housing (Euro/m²)[5] (row 10),
average living space per housing unit (m²) (row 11),
ratio of living space to built up space[6] (row 12),
the number of un-occupied housing units in the base year[7] (row 13),
the number of workplaces[8] (row 15),
the share of the production sector and the share of the service sector[9] (row 16, 17),
the average number of workplaces in a production and service sector business (row 18,19),
the average space occupied by a production and service sector business (row 20,21),
car and motorcycle ownership (number of vehicles per 1,000 residents) (row 23,24),
the area covered by each zone (km²)[10] (row 26),
the percentage of land which is undeveloped (%) (row 27)10,
the percentage of the developable land which is developable for residential purposes, commercial purposes and protected (row 28-30) 10,
whether production sector and service sector development is allowed in a zone (yes/no) (row 32, 33) and
the price of land (Euro/m²) (row 34).

Press the "Back" button to return to the front end.

Slow mode

To edit the data necessary for slow modes (pedestrian and bicycle) press the button "Edit Slow Mode":

Distance matrix slow mode (km)

Press the "Back" button to return to the front end.

Motorcycle

To edit the data necessary for the mode motorcycle press the button "Edit Motorcycle". Seven data sheets will be opened.

Moto distance

Distance matrix motor cycle (km)

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "Moto Vectordata".

Moto Vectordata

average distance to the parking place at the origin (min)[11] (off peak row 5, peak row 9),
average time needed to find a parking place at the destination (min)11 (off peak row 6, peak row 10),
average distance from the parking place at the destination (min)11 (off peak row 7, peak row 11),
long term parking fee (Euro/stay)[12] (off peak row 15, peak row 21),
the ratio of long term parking places in the zone which is charged (%)12 (off peak row 16, peak row 22),
short term parking fee (Euro/stay)12 (off peak row 17, peak row 23),
the ratio of short term parking places in the zone which is charged (%)12 (off peak row 18, peak row 24) and
the ratio of trips which require long term parking (%)12 (off peak row 19, peak row 25).

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "Moto Free flow speed".

Moto Free flow speed

Matrix free flow speed motorcycle (km/h)

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "Moto Speed off peak".

Moto Speed off peak

Matrix actual speed motorcycle during off peak (km/h)

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "Moto Speed peak".

Moto Speed peak

Matrix actual speed motorcycle during peak (km/h)

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "Moto Road charge off peak".

Moto Road charge off peak

Matrix actual road charge motorcycle during off peak (Euro/trip)

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "Moto Road charge peak".

Moto Road charge peak

Matrix actual road charge motorcycle during peak (Euro/trip)

Press the "End" button to return to the front end.

Car

To edit the data necessary for the mode Car press the button "Edit Car". Seven data sheets will be opened.

Car distance

Distance matrix Car (km)

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "Car Vectordata".

Car Vectordata

· average distance to the parking place at the origin (min) (off peak row 5, peak row 9),

· average time needed to find a parking place at the destination (min) (off peak row 6, peak row 10),

· average distance from the parking place at the destination (min) (off peak row 7, peak row 11),

· long term parking fee (Euro/stay)[13] (off peak row 15, peak row 21),

· the ratio of long term parking places in the zone which is charged (%)13 (off peak row 16, peak row 22),

· short term parking fee (Euro/stay)13 (off peak row 17, peak row 23),

· the ratio of short term parking places in the zone which is charged (%)13 (off peak row 18, peak row 24) and

· the ratio of trips which require long term parking (%)13 (off peak row 19, peak row 25).

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "Car Free flow speed".

Car Free flow speed

Matrix free flow speed Car (km/h)

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "Car Speed off peak".

Car Speed off peak

Matrix actual speed Car during off peak (km/h)

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "Car Speed peak".

Car Speed peak

Matrix actual speed Car during peak (km/h)

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "Car Road charge off peak".

Car Road charge off peak

Matrix actual road charge Car during off peak (Euro/trip)

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "Car Road charge peak".

Car Road charge peak

Matrix actual road charge Car during peak (Euro/trip)

Press the "End" button to return to the front end.

Public Transport

To edit the data necessary for the mode PT press the button "Edit PT". Eleven data sheets will be opened.

PT distance

Distance matrix PT (km)

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "PT Distance PT stop".

PT Distance PT stop

Matrix average distance origin and destination to the next PT stop (min)

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "PT Headway time off peak".

PT Headway time off peak

Matrix PT headway times off peak (min)

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "PT Headway time peak".

PT Headway time peak

Matrix PT headway times peak (min)

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "PT Changing time off peak ".

PT Changing time off peak

Matrix PT Changing time off peak (min)

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "PT Changing time peak".

PT Changing time peak

Matrix PT Changing time peak (min)

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "PT share metro off peak".

PT share metro off peak

Matrix PT share metro off peak (%)[14]

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "PT share metro peak".

PT share metro peak

Matrix PT share metro peak (%)[14]

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "PT speed metro".

PT speed metro

Matrix PT speed metro (km/h)[15]

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "PT Fare off peak".

PT Fare off peak

Matrix PT fare per trip during off peak (Euro)

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "PT Fare peak".

PT Fare peak

Matrix PT fare per trip during peak (Euro)

Press the "End" button to return to the front end.

more detail, opens a file in a new window

End the creation of a new data file

To save, protect and close the new data file simply press the red button "End Edit" in the front end.

Edit an existing data file

To edit an already existing data file press the button "Edit Data". Open the file which you want to edit. Identify who you are. The file is opened and the relevant fields are unprotected. Then proceed like in section "The structure of the data files".

Attention

It is recommended not to open two data sheets at the same time. The buttons "Edit Growth rates", "Edit Basic Scalar Data", "Edit Basic Vectordata", "Edit Slow Mode", "Edit Motorcycle", "Edit Car", "Edit PT" and "End Edit" would then only refer the file which was opened/created last.
Do not use data files from other directories than the one in which the interface and the template file are located.
Always copy the interface and the template file into the same directory.

[1] Road capacity is automatically added by the MARS model if the new developments in zone are higher than a threshold value (e.g. +50%) AND the car speed during the peak period drops below a threshold (e.g. 15 km/h).

[2] The value to be entered is meant as the petrol price at the pump.

[3] Values from a UK source are shown as an example in the data file. These values can be used if there are no specific values available.

[4] This number should include self employed people as well as informal employees.

[5] These costs include all costs necessary to live in a zone, i.e. rent, mortgage, electricity, water supply, etc.

[6] I.e. Floor-area ratio by zone. How high is it allowed to build in a zone" This is measured in MARS in the ratio of usable floor space which a developer can get out of a unit surface area.

[7] This is meant as the housing units which are available in the housing market.

[8] This number should include the workplaces of self employed people as well as informal workplaces.

[9] In the MARS model these two should add to 100%. Production means approximately production of non agricultural products. Service sector means approximately commerce.

[10] For example: a zone covers 100 km² (input row 26). 30% are already built up in the base year. I.e. 70% are undeveloped (input row 27). Of the 70 km² which are undeveloped, 50% can be developed with housing (row 28), 10% can be developed for commercial purposes (row 29) and 40% are protected (row 30). Protected means that it is not possible to develop buildings in this area. This can also be due to the existence of mountains, lakes, rivers, etc.

[11] For motorcycles this value might be zero.

[12] For example: during the off peak period the charge for a long term stay is 5 Euros (row 15). Of all parking place in the zone which are suitable for long term parking 80% (row 16) are charged. 20% are uncharged on street parking. The fee for short term parking is 1 Euro per stay (row 17). Only 10% of all parking places suitable for short term parking are charged (row 18). Only 10% of the off peak trips require a long term stay (row 19).

[13] For example: during the off peak period the charge for a long term stay is 5 Euros (row 15). Of all parking place in the zone which are suitable for long term parking 80% (row 16) are charged. 20% are uncharged on street parking. The fee for short term parking is 1 Euro per stay (row 17). Only 10% of all parking places suitable for short term parking are charged (row 18). Only 10% of the off peak trips require a long term stay (row 19).

[14] I.e. the share of public

ext" to go to the data sheet "Moto Speed off peak".

Moto Speed off peak

Matrix actual speed motorcycle during off peak (km/h)

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "Moto Speed peak".

Moto Speed peak

Matrix actual speed motorcycle during peak (km/h)

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "Moto Road charge off peak".

Moto Road charge off peak

Matrix actual road charge motorcycle during off peak (Euro/trip)

Press the button "Next" to go to the data sheet "Moto Road charge peak".

Moto Road charge peak

Matrix actual road charge motorcycle during peak (Euro/trip)

Press the "End" button to return to the front end.

Car

To edit the data necessary for the mode Car press the button "Edit Car". Seven data sheets will be opened.

Car distance

Distance matrix Car (km)