Case Study: Western Cape Government achieves integrated travel, freight, and land‑use modeling for performance‑based transport planning with Bentley CUBE

New Travel Demand Model for Western Cape Province

The Western Cape Government Department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW) needed an integrated, forward‑looking travel, freight and land‑use model to guide infrastructure and goods‑movement planning for the Cape Town region and the wider province of about 6 million people. Facing large data gaps and legacy spatial inequities, DTPW selected Bentley’s CUBE suite (CUBE Voyager, CUBE Land, CUBE Cargo) and a services contract to build a new model system, train staff, and create local expertise over a three‑year development period.

Bentley implemented a Simplified Tour‑based Modelling (STM) approach using CUBE Voyager, CUBE Land and CUBE Cargo, developing a new TAZ system, zonal socioeconomic data, roadway and public transport networks, and integrated freight and land‑use modules. The solution delivered faster run times, a robust WCTM/WCLM/WCFM model set, improved network coding and assignment validation, clear identification of goods‑movement centers, and trained local analysts—enabling performance‑based planning, transferable scenario analysis, and practical tools for planning decisions across the Western Cape.

Western Cape Government