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Transport master planning
(CTS and CTMS)

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Strategic and detailed transport planning for cities and towns. We develop comprehensive transport schemes (CTS) and comprehensive traffic management schemes (CTMS) using mathematical modelling and data analysis.

CTS and CTMS: from strategy to traffic management

Criterion	CTSComprehensive transport scheme How should the transport system develop?	CTMSComprehensive traffic management scheme How should traffic operate on the selected network?
Objective	Allocate transport activity across modes and set development priorities	Make traffic safer and more efficient
Focus	The entire multimodal urban transport system	The street and road network and how traffic is managed
Scope	Road network, public transport, off-street rapid transit and pedestrian connections	Traffic flows, priorities, restrictions, control and local layouts
Scale	Long-term planning for a city or metropolitan area	Towns and cities, corridors and junctions, and stages of implementation
Output	A scenario and measures for developing the transport system	A coordinated set of traffic management measures

What we study for CTS and CTMS

From travel demand to the operation of streets and junctions.

Transport development priorities

We assess the distribution of transport activity across modes and existing conditions to identify suitable development scenarios.

Street and road network

We define the road network hierarchy and its main corridors, junctions and infrastructure.

Public transport

We develop proposals for public transport and off-street rapid transit networks and analyse passenger volumes and infrastructure.

Pedestrian connections

Route continuity, accessibility and barriers to walking.

Parking

We assess parking demand, occupancy and turnover, and how parking affects surrounding traffic.

Traffic management

We develop safe and efficient layouts for road sections, intersections, interchanges and other junctions, and refine how traffic is controlled.

Transport model of the urban road network: overhead view

Junction transport model: perspective view

The scope and level of detail depend on the project objectives and terms of reference.

How we select a development scenario

Existing conditions
We analyse how the network operates and identify problem areas.
Forecast without new measures
We assess how the network would operate under the agreed demand forecast.
Development options
We develop and compare measures against the city's objectives.

Key indicators for comparison

Travel time

Delay

Traffic density

Speed

We agree the indicators and assessment periods based on the project objectives.

Legal framework

01
Construction Code, Article 14
Defines the spatial and transport planning documents and the three stages of their development, from research and forecasting to supporting evidence and design proposals.
Read the legislation ↗
02
Law on Road Traffic, Articles 10, 17 and 25
Sets out authorities' responsibilities, funding provisions and requirements for traffic management measures.
Read the legislation ↗
03
Constitutional Law on the Status of the Capital, Article 11
Defines the functions of Astana's traffic management centre, including traffic monitoring, traffic signal operation, intelligent transport systems and CTMS development.
Read the legislation ↗
04
Ministry of Internal Affairs Order No. 208 of 12 March 2015
Regulates approval of road safety design and technical documentation by the competent authority.
Read the legislation ↗

Main stages of transport strategy development

№	Workstream	Scope of work
01	Project set-up	Project boundaries, schedule, methods, input data register and coordination arrangements.
02	Input data collection	Master plan and detailed development plans, road network, public transport, road crashes, development projects, population and travel demand.
03	Transport surveys	Traffic volumes and composition, speed, travel times, queues, parking, public transport ridership, walking and cycling.
04	GIS database and baseline conditions	A common geodatabase for the network, traffic control devices and infrastructure, with maps of existing conditions and problems.
05	Base transport model	Traffic analysis zones, origin–destination matrices, car and public transport networks, model calibration and validation.
06	Transport system assessment	Bottlenecks, causes of congestion, gaps in public transport and parking, road safety, connectivity and accessibility.
07	Forecasting and CTS strategy	Travel demand and urban development forecasts, road and public transport scenarios, and long-term transport policy priorities.
08	Selection of the preferred scenario	Comparison of scenarios by transport performance, cost and impact, followed by agreement on the basis for the CTMS.
09	CTMS development	Measures for traffic management, public transport, parking, walking, cycling, traffic control devices and road safety.
10	Development of priority measures	Corridor analysis, microsimulation of key junctions, traffic layouts and signal timings.
11	Evaluation and implementation programme	Expected impacts, preliminary costs, priorities, timing, responsible authorities and performance indicators.
12	Handover and support	Report, GIS data, model, source files, staff training, responses to comments and support during approval.

The terms of reference set the work scope, level of detail and sequence.

What informs our recommendations?

A reliable base model starts with good data. We combine field measurements with several other sources to build the evidence needed for accurate modelling.

Mobile network data:

Anonymised data shows where residents travel from and to, and when they make those trips.

Transaction data:

We analyse fare payment and dispatch data to estimate ridership on each route.

In-depth surveys:

Surveys explain why people travel and whether they are willing to transfer between services, insights that digital records alone cannot provide.

Field surveys and drone footage:

Video analysis and drone surveys help measure traffic volumes, delays and activity at stops.

Digital mapping:

We digitise planning data and bring it together in a single database for analysis.

Software

[Software]

Aimsun Next:

Traffic micro- and mesosimulation, analysis of junction and corridor performance, and comparison of traffic management scenarios before implementation.

PTV Visum:

A digital twin of the urban transport system for calculating origin–destination matrices and testing scenarios before implementation.

ArcGIS:

Spatial analysis of transport accessibility, stop catchment areas and demand from new development.

Our team's experience
UTD specialists have over 15 years of experience in quasi-public bodies and organisations working in public transport and traffic management. Their experience includes developing comprehensive passenger transport development schemes for Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, Kokshetau and Turkistan.

What clients gain

Evidence for decisions. We test each route network option in the model before implementation.
Independent assessment. We base our conclusions on data and calculations, independently of operator or supplier interests.
Evidence to present the project. The materials can be shared with local authorities, operators and the public.
Budget visibility. The analysis shows which duplicate services can be reduced and how vehicles can be redeployed.
Lower reputational risk. Modelling helps identify network issues that could be costly to fix after launch.

International cooperation with UITP

UTD works with the International Association of Public Transport (UITP, Union Internationale des Transports Publics), the world's longest-established and largest public transport industry association.

Founded in 1885, UITP is headquartered in Brussels and has offices worldwide.
Its network includes around 2,000 organisations in over 100 countries, including transport authorities, operators, suppliers, research institutes and decision-makers.
It develops industry standards and good practice and runs research projects and UITP Academy training.
UTD currently works with UITP as a partner and is preparing to join as a member. UTD staff completed UITP Academy training on bus rapid transit (BRT) and electric BRT.

International transport planning abbreviations

Plans and processes

SUMP: Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan
Urban strategy for sustainable mobility
MTP: Metropolitan Transportation Plan
Metropolitan area transport plan
LRTP: Long-Range Transportation Plan
Long-term transport plan
TIP: Transportation Improvement Program
Programme of transport improvements
STIP: Statewide Transportation Improvement Program
State-level programme of transport improvements
CMP: Congestion Management Process
Congestion management process
PPP: Public Participation Plan
Public engagement plan

Organisations and terms

MPO: Metropolitan Planning Organization
Metropolitan transport planning body
FTA: Federal Transit Administration
US federal public transport agency
FHWA: Federal Highway Administration
US federal highway agency
TMA: Transportation Management Area
Designated transport management area
ITS: Intelligent Transportation Systems
Intelligent transport systems
TEN-T: Trans-European Transport Network
Trans-European Transport Network
3C: Continuing, Comprehensive and Cooperative
Continuing, comprehensive and cooperative planning
CFR: Code of Federal Regulations
US Code of Federal Regulations

International approaches to transport planning

Country or region	Mobility strategy	Networks and services	Traffic management
Kazakhstan	CTS Scenarios, road network, public transport and allocation of transport activity across modes		CTMS Traffic management framework
Russia	Public transport scheme (KSOT) Public transport	Transport infrastructure programme (PKRTI) Transport infrastructure development	CTMS Traffic management
United States	MTP / LRTP + TIP Long-term regional strategy and an investment programme covering at least four years		CMP Congestion management process
Europe	SUMP Integrated strategy, packages of measures, implementation and monitoring		Local traffic management schemes Traffic management measures for individual sites

The documents have different remits. Kazakhstan, Russia, the United States and European countries divide strategy, investment programming and operational measures differently. This comparison focuses on function. The documents have different legal status.

International sources: FHWA / FTA · SUMP guidelines

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Transport master planning (CTS and CTMS)