The TMfS:07 national model consists of 720 zones, out of which 708 zones are internal zones; four zones are airport zones (Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Prestwick); and eight zones are external zones covering England and Wales.

The zones in the National model are mostly amalgamations of the 6,505 Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics Data Zones, with typically around nine Data Zones per TMfS:07 zone. No zone crosses a Local Authority boundary; and where possible, there is at most one train station per zone.

Some Data Zones however do not lend themselves to creating suitable zones for a transport model, (for example where they represent two or more communities with significantly different connections to the strategic transport network). As a result thirteen Data Zones had to be split within the TMfS:07 zoning system. All the zones were split along census output area boundaries.

Each zone includes relevant base-year (2007) planning data, along with forecasts of how these data will change over time. This data is provided by the TELMoS database of land-use and demographic data and include information about the level of population, households, employment, office floorspace, retail floorspace etc. The land-use data fed into TELMoS are requested from all Scottish Local Authorities. These data detail what developments the Local Authorities expect to be brought forward in their areas over the requested time horizons.

The planning data stored for each zone includes:

Forecast changes in these variables over time help determine the corresponding changes in demand for travel to and from each zone.

Further details about the TMfS:07 zone system are available in the National Road Model Development Report.

To view maps of the model’s zone system, please refer to the maps page.