Canada Taps Bentley Systems’ OpenPaths to Revolutionize Citywide Traffic Modeling

• 25 January 2026
• Construction Focus
• 949 Views

City of Edmonton in Canada has partnered with Bentley Systems, utilizing their OpenPaths DYNAMEQ and OpenPaths EMME software to develop a first-of-its-kind, citywide dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) model. The initiative came after the city was planning to invest approximately CAD 1 billion for a new transportation master plan.

Traditionally, city planners relied on static models that often struggled to capture the complexities of real-time driver behavior, such as route diversion to alternate corridors when faced with congestion.

Edmonton recognized the need for a more sophisticated approach that could evaluate project impacts at both a localized and citywide scale. By implementing Bentley OpenPaths DYNAMEQ, Edmonton has created a consistent platform for operational traffic planning across the entire region.

This software allows planners to simulate individual vehicles—incorporating car-following and lane-changing behaviors—to produce a highly realistic representation of how traffic moves through the city’s streets.

The transition to Bentley’s advanced modeling tools has provided the City of Edmonton with several critical advantages.

First of all, the DTA model allows the city to make smart operational decisions across all phases of planning, design, and construction, ensuring that infrastructure investments are maximized.

The method is also very cost-effective. By using an off-the-shelf traffic simulation model, Edmonton has reduced both the timeline and cost of traffic operations projects citywide.

The software also supports the city’s shift toward greater multimodality, enabling planners to evaluate the impact of various projects, including LRT signal priority and regional travel corridors.

High-Fidelity Visualization is another key benefit. OpenPaths DYNAMEQ provides high-performance 3D animations, giving stakeholders a 360-degree view of how proposed changes will affect the traffic flow.

The citywide model is now trusted for operational traffic planning projects and is being integrated with regional travel models to ensure long-term stability and growth.

• Bentley Systems
• OpenPaths
• Edmonton
• Dynamic Traffic Assignment