Draft Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator 

(MOVES) 2009 

User Guide
EPA-420-B-09-008 

April 2009

Assessment and Standards Division 

Office of Transportation and Air Quality 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Draft Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator 

(MOVES) 2009 

User Guide
DRAFT MOVES2009 User Guide March 2009 

United States Environmental Protection Agency Page 1 

Table of Contents

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1.0. Getting Started with MOVES ......................................................................................3

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1.1 About Draft MOVES2009 ................................................................................................................

1.2 DRAFT MOVES2009 Documentation.............................................................................................

1.2.1 About this Manual......................................................................................................... 

1.2.2 Other Documentation and Online Help ........................................................................ 

1.2.3 What's Next? Working with MOVES.......................................................................... 

1.3 Installation........................................................................................................................................

1.3.1 System Requirements.................................................................................................... 

1.3.2 Starting and Testing Your Installation.......................................................................... 

1.4 Executing Example DRAFT MOVES2009 Run Specification........................................................

1.4.1 Step-by-step Example Run ........................................................................................... 

1.4.2 MOVES Output Structure............................................................................................. 

2.0 Using DRAFT MOVES2009........................................................................................

2.1 Overview of MOVES User Interface ............................................................................................

2.2 Navigation Panel ..........................................................................................................................

2.2.1 Description.................................................................................................................. 

2.2.2 Scale............................................................................................................................ 

2.2.2.1 Domain/Scale ....................................................................................................................

2.2.2.2 Calculation Type...............................................................................................................

2.2.3 Time Spans.................................................................................................................. 

2.2.3.1 Time Aggregation Level...................................................................................................

2.2.3.2 Years ...................................................................................................................................

2.2.3.3 Months................................................................................................................................

2.2.3.4 Days ....................................................................................................................................

2.2.3.5 Hours ...................................................................................................................................

2.2.4 Geographic Bounds..................................................................................................... 

2.2.5 Vehicles/Equipment.................................................................................................... 

2.2.6 Road Type................................................................................................................... 

2.2.7 Pollutants and Processes............................................................................................. 

2.2.7.1 Processes............................................................................................................................

2.2.7.2 Pollutants............................................................................................................................

2.2.8 Manage Input Data Sets.............................................................................................. 

2.2.9 Creating and Using Internal Control Strategies.......................................................... 

2.2.9.1 Adding Strategy Files........................................................................................................

2.2.9.2 Deleting Strategy Files......................................................................................................

2.2.9.3 Exporting Strategy Files.....................................................................................................

2.2.9.4 Editing Strategy Files.........................................................................................................

2.2.9.5 Saving and Transferring Strategy Files............................................................................

2.2.9.6 Varying Vehicle Fuels and Technologies using the AVFT Strategy ...........................

2.2.9.7 Normalizing Data ..............................................................................................................

2.2.9.8 Adding Model Years.........................................................................................................

2.2.9.9 Editing AVFT files outside of MOVES ...............................................................................

2.2.9.10 Managing On-Road Vehicle Retrofit Data.................................................................

2.2.9.11 Importing Retrofit Data ..................................................................................................

2.2.10 Output ....................................................................................................................... 

2.2.10.1 Specifying Database, Time Period, and Units in Output...........................................

2.2.10.1.1 Output Database.....................................................................................................
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2.2.10.1.2 Output ....................................................................................................................... 40

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2.2.10.2 Specifying Emission Distinctions in Output...................................................................

2.2.10.2.1 Always.......................................................................................................................

2.2.10.2.2 For All Vehicle/Equipment Categories ................................................................

2.2.10.2.3 On Road/Off Road ..................................................................................................

2.2.10.2.4 Estimate Uncertainty...............................................................................................

2.2.11 Advanced Performance Features .............................................................................. 

2.3 Main Menu Bar..............................................................................................................................

2.3.1 File .............................................................................................................................. 

2.3.2 Edit.............................................................................................................................. 

2.3.3 Pre Processing............................................................................................................. 

2.3.3.1 Display/Edit I/M Program Coverage Records..............................................................

2.3.3.2 Data Importer, County Data Manager and Project Domain Manager....................

2.3.3.2.1 Database.....................................................................................................................

2.3.3.2.2 RunSpec Summary.....................................................................................................

2.3.3.2.3 Tools.............................................................................................................................

2.3.3.2.4 Data Managers (Importers).....................................................................................

2.3.3.2.4.1 Fuel Supply Importer .........................................................................................

2.3.3.2.4.2 Vehicle Type VMT ..............................................................................................

2.3.3.2.4.3 Source Type Population Importer....................................................................

2.3.3.2.4.4 Age Distribution Importer..................................................................................

2.3.3.2.4.5 Average Speed Distribution Importer.............................................................

2.3.3.2.4.6 Road Type Distribution Importer ......................................................................

2.3.3.2.4.7 Ramp Fraction Importer....................................................................................

2.3.3.2.4.8 Meteorology Data Importer.............................................................................

2.3.3.2.4.9 Zone Road Activity Importer............................................................................

2.3.3.2.4.10 Operating Mode Distribution Importer ..........................................................

2.3.3.2.4.11 Link Drive Schedules Importer.......................................................................

2.3.3.2.4.12 Links Importer...................................................................................................

2.3.3.2.4.13 Link Source Types Importer............................................................................

2.3.3.2.4.14 Off Network Importer.......................................................................................

2.3.3.2.4.15 I/M Program Coverage Records Editor........................................................

2.3.4 Action.......................................................................................................................... 

2.3.5 Post Processing ........................................................................................................... 

2.3.5.1 Run MySQL Script on Output Database........................................................................

2.3.5.2 Produce Summary Report ...............................................................................................

2.3.5.3 Produce State/County Map............................................................................................

2.3.6 Settings........................................................................................................................ 

2.3.7 Help............................................................................................................................. 

Appendix A - Displaying and Editing Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) 

Program Coverage Information .......................................................................................... 1

Appendix B - Linking MySQL Tables from MS ACCESS or MS Excel (includes ODBC 

usage)................................................................................................................................... 1

Appendix C - Using the Batch Command Line Interface ................................................... 1

Appendix D - Creating an On-Road Retrofit Input File ..................................................... 1

Appendix E - Best Practices ................................................................................................ 1

Appendix F - Scenario 1: Estimating Changes in CO2 using the AVFT ............................ 1

Appendix G - Scenario 2: MOVES Project Level Example ................................................ 1

Appendix H - Scenario 3: County Data Manager and I/M Editor Example ..................... 1
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1.0. Getting Started with MOVES 

MOVES is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Motor Vehicle Emission 

Simulator. It helps the user to answer "what if" questions, such as "How would particulate 

matter emissions decrease in my state on a typical weekday if truck travel was reduced during 

rush hour?" or "How does the total hydrocarbon emission rate change if my fleet switches to 

from gasoline to diesel fuel?" The purpose of the tool is to provide an accurate estimate of 

emissions from mobile sources under a wide range of user-defined conditions. 

In the modeling process, the user specifies vehicle types, time periods, geographical 

areas, pollutants, vehicle operating characteristics, and road types to be modeled. The model 

then performs a series of calculations, which have been carefully developed to accurately reflect 

vehicle operating processes, such as cold start or extended idle, and provide estimates of bulk 

emissions and/or emission rates. The actual specification of the characteristics of a particular 

scenario to be modeled is done by creating a Run Specification, or RunSpec. 

The MOVES model is different from previous EPA emissions models in that it was 

deliberately designed to work with databases. With this design, new data that may become 

available can be more easily incorporated into the model In addition, MOVES allows and 

facilitates the import by the user of data specific to a user's unique needs. With its focus on the 

data, the MOVES model does not require a system rebuild in order to use the most recent data 

for estimating emissions. 

The MOVES model includes a “default” database that summarizes emission relevant 

information for the entire United States. The data for this database comes from many sources 

including EPA research studies, Census Bureau vehicle surveys, Federal Highway 

Administration travel data, and other federal, state, local, industry and academic sources. The 

MOVES team continually works to improve this database, but, for many uses, up-to-date local 

inputs will be more appropriate, especially for analyses supporting State Implementation Plans 

(SIPs) and conformity determinations. 

. 

1.1 About Draft MOVES2009 

Draft MOVES2009 is a draft version of the MOVES emissions modeling tool. Draft 

MOVES2009 builds on the functionality of previous MOVES versions: MOVES2004 and the 

MOVESDemo. Draft MOVES2009 can be used to estimate national, state, and county level 

inventories of criteria air pollutants, greenhouse gas emissions, and some mobile source air 

toxics from highway vehicles. Additionally, Draft MOVES2009 can make projections for 

energy consumption (total, petroleum-based, and fossil-based). Because the MOVES team 

lacked the time to update the assumptions, in Draft MOVES2009, life cycle effects (i.e., well-to-
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pump emissions) have been set to zero for energy consumption and emissions; and the model no 

longer includes an interface to the Argonne National Laboratory GREET model. 

The draft version of MOVES2009 is meant for user comment and is not intended for 

official use. Please see the Draft MOVES2009 policy statement available on the EPA's MOVES 

web site http://www.epa.gov/otaq/models/moves/index.htm for EPA's policy on selecting 

appropriate models for mobile source emission estimates. 

Future versions of MOVES will be able to estimate pollutants from other mobile sources 

such as aircraft, locomotives, and commercial marine vessels. In addition, the capability to 

estimate non-highway mobile source emissions and to operate at smaller scales is planned. 

MOVES is distributed free of charge by EPA pursuant to the GNU General Public 

License (GPL). It is written in JavaTM and uses the MySQL relational database management 

system. MySQL AB produces MySQL, and allows distribution of the database system pursuant 

to the GNU GPL. The principal user inputs and outputs, and the internal working storage 

locations for MOVES are MySQL databases. Draft MOVES2009 model includes a "default" 

input database, which uses national data and allocation factors to approximate results for the 

3,222 counties in the United States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin 

Islands. Draft MOVES2009 is capable of modeling emissions for the calendar years 1990 and 

1999-2050. 

MOVES may be operated on a single computer system or on a network of computers. 

See the Installation Guide and/or the Software Design Reference Manual for more information 

about specific requirements and computer configurations. 

1.2 DRAFT MOVES2009 Documentation 

The following discussion highlights the contents of this manual, how best to use the 

manual, and where additional information may be found. 

1.2.1 About this Manual 

The DRAFT MOVES2009 User Guide focuses on operating MOVES software to create 

and execute Run Specifications (RunSpecs). 

Throughout this document, information may be highlighted to make it easier to find 

solutions to problems or to avoid errors using the following prompts: 

aCAUTION! Cautions must be observed to avoid errors in execution or to ensure the 

intended execution will occur. 

/NOTE Notes contain important information about the panel being described. 

! TIP Tips contain hints for input or better operation of the run. 
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The DRAFT MOVES2009 User Guide is accessible as a .pdf file under the Help menu in 

the MOVES interface. 

1.2.2 Other Documentation and Online Help 

Additional documentation covering the following topics is available for DRAFT 

MOVES2009. 

Installation: A README text file is included on the MOVES Installation CD. 

It guides the user through the system requirements process for installing the MOVES 

program and associated software. 

Software Design: The MOVES Software Design and Reference Manual 

(SDRM) is available as a stand-alone document and is accessible via the Help menu item 

on the MOVES Main Menu. The SDRM covers the basic concepts and functional design 

of the software and the underlying MySQL database, including technical specifications 

for all calculations performed in the model. It is intended to answer more detailed and 

substantive questions about the MOVES software than those addressed in this guide. 

MOVES Database Documentation: More detailed documentation of the 

MOVES database can be found within the README file in the database itself. 

1.2.3 What's Next? Working with MOVES 

Depending on the status of your installation and how familiar you are with MOVES, you 

have several options for next steps to get up and running with DRAFT MOVES2009. 

⇒ If you have just installed MOVES or are uncertain about your installation, 

follow instructions in "Testing Your Installation," provided in Section 1.3.2 of 

this guide. 

⇒ If MOVES is installed and operational on your computer, you should run the 

example to become more familiar with the tool before moving on. See 

"Executing Example DRAFT MOVES2009 Run Specification" included in 

Section 1.4 of this guide for instructions. 

⇒ If you would like to become more familiar with MOVES terminology and 

design, see the "MOVES Software Design and Reference Manual," available 

in .pdf format via the Help menu. 

⇒ If you have questions about the MOVES Graphical User Interface (GUI) or 

executing a run, see "Overview of MOVES RunSpec User Interface" in 

Section 2 of this guide. 

⇒ If you are ready to begin using MOVES, see "Starting MOVES," also in 

Section 2 of this guide. 
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⇒ If you would like to work through an example, a set of sample scenarios is 

included in the Appendices. 

⇒ If you would like to get started using MOVES for regular work, advice on 

"Best Practices" is available in an Appendix. 

The rest of this guide provides information on using the DRAFT MOVES2009 model. 
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1.3 Installation 

Step-by-step instructions on installation are supplied by EPA in the README file in the 

DRAFT MOVES2009 Software Distribution Suite. (A more detailed discussion is also available 

in the MOVES Software Design and Reference Manual.) The DRAFT MOVES2009 Software 

Distribution Suite consists of three required installation programs (MySQL 5.0, Java 1.4.2, and 

Draft MOVES2009), and several additional programs that can be used to install additional, 

optional software tools for use with MOVES. Please refer to the README file first if DRAFT 

MOVES2009 has not been installed on your computer. 

1.3.1 System Requirements 

DRAFT MOVES2009 has been developed to work only in a Microsoft Windows 2000 

and later environment. Using MOVES with Microsoft Vista requires changes to security settings 

if using the 32-bit architecture; the VISTA 64-bit architecture is not supported at this time. 

Computer(s) used to run either of the MOVES application programs must have at least 256 MB 

of RAM, although it is recommended that 512MB or more be available to improve execution 

time. Because execution run time performance is a constraint with MOVES, high speed 

processor(s) of one GHz or more are highly recommended. 

 

The MOVES program is open source and written in JAVA and MySQL. 

 

The MOVESDefault database distributed with DRAFT MOVES2009 requires 

approximately 1.3 GB of disk storage. MOVES Worker and Output databases are often large, so 

several additional gigabytes of disk space should be available on all machines used to run either 

the MOVES Master or the MOVES Worker program. Extensive users of MOVES will want to 

use late-model, high-performance microcomputer systems. 

1.3.2 Starting and Testing Your Installation 

After all necessary installation packages have been executed, test the installation with the 

following steps. 

1. Check that the MySQL server is operating on all computer systems in the configurations 

that require it. This is done by opening the MS DOS prompt (Start-ProgramsAccessories-Command Prompt) and changing the path to "C:\mysql\bin" (c:\> cd 

\mysql\bin). After changing the path, the user should type 'mysql' at the prompt. The 

MySQL program should begin. If an error message appears, the MySQL program or 

server has not been successfully installed. On most versions of Windows, the MySQL 

server can be set up to run automatically as a system service. Detailed instructions as to 

how to do this are contained in the Installation Guide. 

2. Double-click the MOVES Master program icon if working on a single computer, or if 

working on the main computer in a computer network. 

Double-click the MOVES Worker program icon if using a computer in a multiplecomputer configuration that is not the main computer. On multiple-computer 

configurations these MOVES Worker programs are usually left running indefinitely. 
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This program does not have to be on the same computer as the MOVES Master Program, 

but must have access to the shared file directory 

aCAUTION! It would be detrimental to performance to operate more than one copy of the 

MOVES Worker program on a single computer. 

3. When starting the MOVES Master program, the About MOVES panel will appear in 

the center of the GUI screen. Click the "OK" button to continue. 

/NOTE This panel identifies the version of MOVES that is in use and includes the version date, 

the EPA copyright, and a link for the GNU General Public License (GPL) website. 

This panel will appear only at start-up. 

4. Execute the Example Run Specification (MOVES2009Example.mrs) as described in the 

following section. 

1.4 Executing Example DRAFT MOVES2009 Run Specification 

The example DRAFT MOVES2009 Run Specification models the entire U.S. for one 

year (1999) at the most aggregate level. It estimates total energy consumption and emissions of 

methane and nitrous oxide for the running, start, and extended idle processes for all vehicle (use) 

types (gasoline, diesel, and CNG transit buses) and roadway types. Vehicle Miles Traveled 

(VMT) is also estimated. 

1.4.1 Step-by-step Example Run 

Assuming that MySQL and DRAFT MOVES2009 have been installed, that the MySQL 

server and the MOVES Master program have been started, and that MOVES Worker

program(s) are operational, the example RunSpec can be executed as follows: 

1. Select File, Open on the Main Menu Bar. 

2. Navigate, if necessary, to the top level of the MOVES directory. 

3. Select the MOVES2009Example.mrs file. 
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4. Select Output, then General Output on the Navigation Panel, which is the left-side 

panel. Select or click on Create Database to establish a database into which results 

should be placed. Select or enter a database name. 

5. Select Action, Execute on the Main Menu Bar to start the RunSpec. The GUI will 

ask you if you want to save the RunSpec before executing. You may choose Yes, No or 

Cancel. The RunSpec will execute if either Yes or No are chosen, but selecting Cancel 

will not execute and allow users to make changes to the RunSpec. This RunSpec may 

take up to 15 minutes to process. 

6. The output will be saved in the MySQL relational database named in Step 4. The 

output can be reviewed using the Post-Processing menu options described in Section 

2.3.5 or by viewing the database directly using MYSQL commands, either through the 

command prompt window or through MySQL Query Browser. 

1.4.2 MOVES Output Structure 

The output database will typically contain eleven tables. These are: 

1. MovesOutput: This table contains the Emission results of the run disaggregated by 

several operating parameters such as Year, Month, Day, Source Type, County, Fuel, 

Model-Year, Road-type, SCC, and Emission Process. 

2. MovesActivityOutput: This table contains the VMT results of the run disaggregated 

by several operating parameters such as Year, Month, Day, County, Fuel, ModelYear, Road-type, and SCC. 

3. MovesRun: This table contains information about the date and time of the run and 

the name of the units in which MOVES outputs are represented. These include units 

for energy (i.e., joules), emissions (i.e., tons), VMT (i.e., miles), and time units (i.e., 

months, days, hours, etc.). 

4. MovesError: This table contains any error messages or diagnostics that might occur 

if the MOVES run is unsuccessful. 

5. MovesWorkersUsed: This table contains information as to which MOVES Worker 

Program copies processed portions of the run, and of interest to most users only if the 

run is executed on a multi-computer configuration. 

6. Activity Type: In DRAFT MOVES2009, this table contains only one activity type, 

distance traveled. Other activity types, such as starts, source hours, or extended idle 

hours are planned for inclusion in future MOVES versions. 

7. MovesEventLog: This table is used by MOVES programmers for storing diagnostic 

results and contains no useful user information. 

8. MovesLookupActivityOutput: This table contains the distance results from 

choosing the Emission Rate Calculation Type in the Scale panel in units of distance 
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as chosen by the user in the General Output panel. These are normalized values and 

not intended to represent the actual distance in the scenario. 

9. MovesLookupOutputTemp: This is an interim table of emission rates and is used 

to calculate rates in the MovesLookupOutput table. 

10. MovesLookupOutput: This table only appears if you choose the emission rate 

calculation type from the Scale panel. In this table emissions are reported in units of 

mass divided by the units of distance as chosen by the user in the General Output 

panel. 

11. MovesTablesUsed: This table contains a list of the tables used when executing the 

RunSpec and the source database for each table. 
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2.0 Using DRAFT MOVES2009 

Using DRAFT MOVES2009, the user can model various scenarios in order to determine 

specific emissions profiles. DRAFT MOVES2009 requires the user to set up a RunSpec to 

define the place, time, vehicle, road, fuel, emission producing process, and pollutant parameters. 

The RunSpec is an XML file that can be edited and executed directly or with the MOVES 

Graphical User Interface (GUI). This section of the User Guide gives an overview of the screen 

layout and navigation functions of the GUI, and provides details on how to create and modify a 

RunSpec. 

Appendix C provides instructions for how MOVES can be executed without running its 

graphical user interface. This may be useful in situations where repeated or unattended runs are 

needed, or when another computer program is used to execute MOVES. This "batch mode" 

interface presumes that a MOVES RunSpec file has been prepared. 

Although a full range of default data is available in MOVES, the allocation of the default 

data down to the county level is based on a generalized algorithm and will not be the most recent 

nor best available local data. Therefore, MOVES is designed to allow the user to customize the 

model. The primary reasons a user would customize MOVES are: 

● To better represent conditions and vehicle activity in a local area, especially for use in 

conformity demonstrations or for SIP purposes; and, 

● To alter inputs for "what-if" analysis, such as the use of different advanced technologies 

or fuel scenarios. 

Several components of the model are intended to facilitate customization. These include 

the I/M Coverage Table Editor described in Appendix A and the Strategies procedures 

described below. MOVES also allows users to provide User Input Databases and to use 

various Importers with the County Data Manager, and Project Domain Manager described 

later in this document. 

For future versions of MOVES, EPA intends to develop additional data importers or 

strategies to make it easier to incorporate alternate activity inputs. 

2.1 Overview of MOVES User Interface 

The MOVES Graphical User Interface (GUI) consists of a Main Menu Bar, a Navigation 

Panel, and a Detail Panel. The Main Menu Bar and Navigation Panel are available on every 

screen as the user prepares for execution of the RunSpec. When the user selects a menu item 

from the Navigation Panel, the Detail Panel displays data elements specific to the parameter(s) 

defined by the menu item, and provides a platform for user input of parameter specifications. 
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Main Menu Bar

Navigation Panel 

Detail Panel

During execution of a RunSpec, a progress indicator will appear on the screen. 

Progress Indicator 

The Main Menu Bar will remain available, allowing the user to pause, resume, or stop 

(cancel) the RunSpec during execution. 

The DRAFT MOVES2009 model contains a "mouse hover" user help feature that is 

present throughout the model. To utilize it, the user simply places the mouse over a particular 

MOVES GUI icon or command and keeps it very still. A small help box will appear containing 
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a brief text message; for example, the text message will contain the readiness status of a 

Navigation Panel icon, the keyboard combination required to execute a command from the Main 

Menu Bar, or a brief description of a Detail Panel icon. 

Most panels use buttons and scroll or drop down list boxes, typified by the "Select All" 

"Delete" and "Add" buttons. These buttons will be enabled or disabled based upon selection in 

the associated list box. For example, a "Delete" button will be disabled until a selection is made 

in the associated list box. 

/Note When a selection is identified (e.g., by highlighting one state or county in a 

Geographic Bounds list box), the user must click the "Add" button to add the selection 

to the RunSpec. The user can consult the parameter icon to determine if the parameter 

has been sufficiently defined. If the parameter icon changes from exclamation point to 

check mark, the parameter definition is sufficient to allow the RunSpec to be executed. 

2.2 Navigation Panel 

The Navigation Panel appears on the left side of the MOVES screen and includes 

parameters the user must consider when setting up a RunSpec. 

Selecting an item from the Navigation Panel will open a user interface in the Detail Panel 

in the center of the MOVES screen. In some cases, the RunSpec parameter listed on the 

Navigation Panel is broken down into sub-topics; these items are shown with an icon ( or ) 

that allows the list of sub-topics to be expanded or collapsed. The user must click on the subtopic for the user interface to be opened. 

The Navigation Panel includes icons that display the readiness status of the various 

RunSpec parameters. A RunSpec will not be executable if an exclamation mark is shown for 

any parameter. 
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Icon Meaning 

Needs additional user supplied data. 

Sufficiently filled in to run. 

Default data present, but otherwise sufficiently filled 

in to run. 

/ Parameter expand/collapse. 

/Note Parameters may be visited in any order. Selecting a parameter has no lasting effects 

until the RunSpec is saved or the model is executed. However, some parameters are 

linked (e.g. selecting ‘County’ or ‘National’ on the Domain/Scale panel result in 

different options on the Geographic Bounds user interface), so pay attention to the 

Navigation Panel icons after making a selection to make sure it did not affect another 

parameter. 

!Tip The icons shown on the sample GUI in this document do not necessarily indicate which 

sections/subsections will have default data available. 

!Tip A RunSpec cannot be executed until all necessary data are supplied. 

2.2.1 Description 

Select Description, the first item on the Navigation Panel, to open a scrollable text 

window that allows the user to give the RunSpec a particular textual description. This is useful 

for keeping track of various RunSpecs or providing information for someone else looking at the 

file (such as "This run produces annual total energy consumption for the nation in 1999"). The 

text entered in the Description Panel is for documentation purposes only. Its contents are 

reported for each run in the MOVESRun table. 

Up to 5,000 characters of text may be entered to describe the RunSpec. In the above 

example "This is the description of the RunSpec" is the text. Text entered has no effect on the 

results from the MOVES program. 
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!Tip The default Description is blank and the MOVES model can be run without a Description. 

However, it is considered a best practice to carefully describe each and every version of a 

RunSpec. This will assist in documenting the purpose of that particular DRAFT 

MOVES2009 run. See Appendix E, Best Practices, for additional information. 

2.2.2 Scale 

Select Scale on the Navigation Panel to choose the level of detail represented by the 

MOVES input database and whether the model will calculate emissions sum or emissions rate

data. 

2.2.2.1 Domain/Scale 

National Domain/Scale is the default selection in MOVES. If National Domain/Scale

is selected, data collected on a nation-wide level is apportioned or allocated to states or counties. 

This data will differ from data collected for a specific state or county. For example, consider 

vehicle miles traveled. If using the National Domain/Scale, the primary input is national VMT 

data which is then allocated to a county or state. The allocation does not take into account 

factors that may differ between areas of the country (e.g. age distribution). Consequently, a 

model run for two states or counties that uses the National Domain/Scale may not provide an 

accurate portrayal of specific emission differences between these counties or states that would 

occur due to dissimilar vehicle age distributions or other factors. For these reasons, the National 

Domain/Scale cannot be used by states for preparing SIP or conformity analyses. 

If the user wants MOVES to use a finer level of detail about a particular area, the user 

can choose the County Domain/Scale. With this scale choice, the model will replace national 

default allocations with user-supplied data. Only one year and one county (or custom domain) 

can be selected in the Time Span and Geographic Bounds panels, respectively. By supplying 

local data, through the County Data Manager (see Section 2.3.3.2) the user can provide more 
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accurate information about a particular state or county than would be provided using the 

National Domain/Scale. The County Domain/Scale is intended to be used when doing SIP or 

regional conformity analyses. 

Project Domain/Scale is the finest level of modeling in MOVES. It allows the user to 

model the emission effects from a group of specific roadway links and/or a single off-network 

common area. The definition of a roadway link is a section of any road where a vehicle is 

moving for more than three seconds. An off-network common area may include project 

boundaries where vehicle starts, extended idling and evaporative emissions are produced. The 

use of the Project Domain/Scale requires the user to completely define the individual project 

(i.e., specify all individual roadway links and/or off-network common area). All of the project 

level data is entered in the Project Level Data Manager (see Section 2.3.3.3.4 for data input 

details). If specified correctly, the MOVES Project Domain/Scale will utilize MOVES emission 

rates and other factors to correctly calculate emission inventory results for the user’s defined 

project. 

/Note DRAFT MOVES2009 is not capable of modeling any evaporative emission processes 

when using Project Domain/Scale. EPA plans to remedy this feature in future 

versions of MOVES. 

Only the Inventory Calculation Type may be selected in conjunction with the Project 

Domain/Scale. Selection of the Inventory produces an emission total over the selected domain 

(i.e., tons of CO per month) for either the entire project domain or an individual link within the 

project. 

 

 Note that switching scales is a major change to the RunSpec. It affects the operation of 

other Navigation Panel items and may cause previous RunSpec specifications to be changed or 

lost. You may wish to save your RunSpec before switching scales. Also, the choice the user 

makes on the Domain/Scale panel affects the selections that will be presented in the Geographic 

Bounds detail panel. These differences are covered in greater detail in section 2.2.4 Geographic 

Bounds. 

2.2.2.2 Calculation Type 

 

In this section of the panel, the user can choose the type of calculation that will occur in 

the Run. MOVES will calculate the quantity of emissions and/or energy used within a region 

and time span if the user selects the Inventory button. The rate at which emissions occur (the 

mass and/or energy per unit of activity) is calculated if the users selects the Emission Rates

button. 

/Note If Emission Rates is selected as the Calculation Type, then several other panels are 

affected: 

 1) the Project Domain/Scale cannot be chosen; 

 2a) if National Domain/Scale is selected, only “Zone & Link” can be chosen in the 

“Region” section of the Geographic Bounds panel, or 2b) if County Domain/Scale is 

selected, only “Zone & Link” or “Custom Domain” can be chosen; 
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3) “Off-Network” is no longer listed as an “Available Road Type” on the Road Type 

panel; 

4a) “Start Exhaust”, “Crankcase Start Exhaust”, “Refueling Displacement Vapor 

Loss”, “Refueling Spillage Loss”, “Extended Idle Exhaust”, and “Well-to-Pump” 

emissions cannot be selected on the Pollutants and Processes panel; 4b) the “Distance 

Traveled” box on the Pollutant and Processes panel is automatically checked; 4c) a 

“Running Exhaust” process must be selected so that “Distance Units” can be chosen 

on the General Output panel; and 

5) “Road Type” is automatically selected in the “Road” section of the Output 

Emission Detail panel. 

2.2.3 Time Spans 

MOVES can be set to model specific time periods by selecting Time Spans on the 

Navigation Panel. Clicking Time Spans will open the panel shown below. 

This panel is divided into five sections with boxes, buttons, or drop-down menus in each 

allowing the user to select specific aggregation levels, years, months, days, and hours. These 

panel sections are used to define the time period for which emissions will be modeled in the Run. 

In the screenshot depicted above, the user has specified that the Run should calculate emissions 

for the two hours from 10 am to noon on a typical January weekday in the year 2000. The 

emissions for each hour will be calculated separately. 
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2.2.3.1 Time Aggregation Level 

Click in the Time Aggregation Level section to set the level of pre-aggregation that is 

desired. Only one choice can be selected. The default level is "Hour" and implies no preaggregation of the MOVES data by time. If the user chooses a longer aggregation level time 

period such as "Year", "Month", or "Day", the model will pre-aggregate (i.e., compute a 

weighted average of) all underlying MOVES internal data that are segregated by hour (e.g., 

temperatures, VMT distributions, etc) prior to execution of the run. For example, if the user 

chooses "Month", the model will average the temperatures of all selected Days and Hours into 

an average "Month" set (it may be a set because the temperatures will not necessarily be 

averaged by geography unless that has also be pre-aggregated), and perform the simulation with 

these average values. Pre-aggregation sacrifices precision to improve model run time. 

/Note Once the user has selected a higher aggregation level than "Hour", the model's GUI 

will automatically fill in the required lower GUI inputs. For example, if the user selects 

the "Month" button in the Time Aggregation Level panel, the model will fill in all of 

the hours and days input. After the initial automatic selection, the user may de-select 

particular hours, kinds of days, or months. If such a de-selection is done, the user will 

end up with results that are based on aggregations that do not include de-selected hours, 

days, or months. For example, if the user selects "Months" in the Time Aggregation 

Level panel and de-selects "Weekends", the final emission result will represent a 

monthly aggregation that includes "Weekdays" only. 

/Note The proper levels of time aggregation for SIP and conformity analysis will be addressed 

in policy guidance. 

aCaution! Because of non-linearity in the general MOVES algorithm, some differences may 

arise between aggregated results and non-aggregated results. For example, the 

emission results from a run where all 24 hours are selected and Time Aggregation 

Level is set to "Hour" may not match the results from a run where the Time 

Aggregation Level is set to "Day".

2.2.3.2 Years 

Select a calendar year(s) in the Years section and click on the "Add" button. Select a 

year by clicking the black triangle to see a drop-down list of calendar years and select an 

individual year. Click on "Add" to have that year appear in the Year selection pane. This can 

be repeated to select as many years as desired if National Domain/Scale has been chosen. 

However, if County Domain/Scale was chosen on the Scale panel, only 1 year can be selected 

in the Year pane. Use the "Remove" button to deselect years. 

!Tip At least one calendar year must appear in the Years Selection panel to obtain a valid Time 

Spans input. 
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2.2.3.3 Months 

Click one or more individual months to model to select the appropriate boxes in the 

Months section. At least one Month box must be selected. Click "Select All" button to select 

all of the months. Similarly, the "Clear All" button removes all of the previously chosen 

months. 

2.2.3.4 Days 

Click one or more kinds of days of the week to model to select the appropriate boxes in 

the Days section. At least one kind of Day box must be selected. Click "Select All" button to 

select all of the days. Similarly, the "Clear All" button removes all of the previously chosen day 

types. 

2.2.3.5 Hours 

The default time resolution for MOVES at both National and County Domain/Scale is 

hourly, with hours expressed in military time ranging from midnight - 12:59 am (expressed as 

00:00 - 00.59) to 11 pm - 11:59 pm (23:00 - 23:59). Click one or more individual hours of the 

day to model to select the appropriate Start and End hours from the list. Click the "Select All" 

button to select all of the hours of the day. Similarly, the "Clear All" button removes all of the 

previously selected hours of the day. 

!Tip The times selected are relative to the time zone so that 7:00 to 9:59 AM is 7:00 to 9:59 AM 

in each selected county-state combination. 

!Tip If only one hour of output is desired, select the same entry for start time and end time (i.e., 

0-0:59 and 0-0:59). This will produce one hour of output. 

/Note The hours selected are run for all chosen days, so it is not possible, for example, to 

model only from 11:00 PM on Friday to 01:59 AM on Saturday. It is also not possible 

to run the model for a group of months that span a year end. That is, the user cannot 

run the model for just December of 2003 through January 2004. However, the model 

can be run multiple times with different RunSpec time spans to accomplish these tasks, 

or it can be run for multiple days or years and then manually post-processed to 

eliminate the un-needed times. 

2.2.4 Geographic Bounds 

Selecting Geographic Bounds allows the user to define the region to model. The 

options that are available on this panel are dependent on the choice of Scale (see Section 2.2.2 of 

this User Guide). If the user has chosen the National Domain/Scale, the following screen will 

appear: 
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Three buttons, "Nation", "State" and "County" are normally available. Choose the one 

appropriate for your desired run. 

aCaution! Your choice of "Region" will impact your results. If the user chooses the "Nation" 

or "State" input options, the model will pre-aggregate (i.e., compute a weighted 

average of) all underlying data that is a function of geography (temperatures, road 

types, etc) and execute the "National" or "State" run as if it were a single county 

run. Thus, a run at "Nation" or "State" level will be faster than a "County" level run 

for the same area, but it will be less accurate. 

For example, if the user chooses "State" and "Michigan," the model will average the 

temperatures of all Michigan counties into a single average set (it will be a set because the 

temperatures will not necessarily be averaged by time) and perform the simulation with these 

average values. The report "MOVES2004 Validation Results" includes a sensitivity analysis of 

different pre-aggregation levels. An alternative method of computing a state simulation is to 

select "County" Region and then selecting all the individual counties in the desired state. If the 

user chooses this option, no pre-aggregation will be done and the model will execute separate 

simulations for each county in the particular state. This option will likely produce a slightly 

different emission result than if the geographic specific data were first aggregated and then used 

because of non-linear calculations in some algorithms. 

aCaution! Be advised that if an entire state or nation are run at the county level, execution 

times will be quite long. For such runs, we generally recommend multiplecomputer processing. 

Nation: Choose "Nation" to run scenarios and compute emission inventory results for 

all counties/parishes in the United States and Territories. The "Nation" button is generally 

chosen if the user wishes to create a simple national U.S. emission inventory. 
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State: Choose "State" to run scenarios and compute emission inventories for particular 

States or Territories within the United States. This panel has two parts (States, and Selections) 

and buttons for choosing the appropriate selections. 

To choose the desired state(s): 

1. Scroll to desired state in "States" box and click on it to highlight. Click the "Add" button 

under box. State will appear in the Selections box. 

2. Click the "Select All" button to choose all U.S. states and territories available. 

3. Highlight a previously selected state in Selections box. Click the "Delete" button to 

remove the highlighted state. 

/Note The "Add" and "Delete" buttons are inactive if no states are highlighted. 

County: Choose "County" to run scenarios and compute emission inventories for 

specific counties within a state. If the "County" button is selected, a new bounds panel will 

show in the Detail Panel, as shown below. 
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The process for selecting a specific county is similar to selecting a state, which is outlined above. 

 If the user has defined the Scale of the model to be County Domain/Scale, the 

Geographic Bounds panel will contain an area in which to define the data source for the model, 

as shown in the following screenshot. 

 

When using the County Domain/Scale, the Region portion of the Geographic Bounds

detail panel indicates County by default, and the user must specify the state and county in the 

manner detailed earlier. The user can also define a "generic county" by selecting the Custom 

Domain option in the Region portion of the panel, as shown in the screen shot below. 
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 In this case, the user must provide a short county identifier (1-999) that will combine with 

the state ID (99 for generic) to form the standard 5 digit county identifier used throughout 

MOVES. In addition, the user must provide a description, altitude and GPA (Geographic Phasein Area) fraction. The Geographic Phase-in Area refers to a group of counties in the western 

U.S. that had special gasoline sulfur requirements under Tier 2 regulations. See 65 Fed. Reg. 

6755-6759 for details on the GPA. 

/Note Altitude must be indicated by the user for two reasons: 1) older vehicles (without 

computer-controlled air/fuel ratios) tend to have higher emissions at high altitude 

compared to low altitude; 2) barometric pressure is a required input for some MOVES 

calculations, and average “Low” and “High” pressures are used depending on the user’s 

selection. Future versions of MOVES will likely allow users to input local barometric 

pressure for custom domain rather than rely on these averages. 

!Tip A user might want to use the Custom Domain option to represent an area that 

encompasses a portion of a county, multiple counties, or an area that crosses state 

boundaries. 

 For both the County and Custom Domain option, the user must specify the usersupplied database that will contain county-specific data. In most cases, this database will be 

located on the server "localhost" (this is the location where MySQL was originally installed); 

however, the user can specify a different host server in the Server box. After specifying a 

server, the user must identify a database to receive the data that will be imported. If the user has 

already created the database, it can be selected by clicking on the drop-down arrow adjacent to 

the Database box and making a selection from the drop-down list. If the database has not been 

created or if the user wants to make changes to the database, the user can click the "Enter/Edit 

Data" button to open the County Data Manager. For more information on how to import data 

using the County Data Manager, see section 2.3.3.3 Data Importer, County Data Manager 

and Project Domain Manager. 

!Tip The user should be sure to fill out all fields in defining the RunSpec before using the 

County Data Manager, as a filter is used when exporting default data that depends on 

selections the user makes when defining the RunSpec. Only the county, year, months, 

vehicles, road types, etc. that have been selected are exported. Some data may not be 

exported if the user selects the "Export Default Data" button before defining the Run 

Spec. 
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aCaution! Defaults that are exported from the MOVES database are generally not appropriate 

for SIP or conformity analyses. See MOVES Policy Guidance document for more 

information. 

/Note If the user selects Custom Domain, the County Data Manager will not export any 

default data; therefore, the user must have all the required information to use this 

option. 

 The user can clear the selected database and update the list of available databases by 

clicking the "Refresh" button. 

 The Geographic Bounds panel includes the text box, Geographic Bounds 

Requirements, which defines what is expected of the user on the panel. 

2.2.5 Vehicles/Equipment 

To select which on-road vehicles are to be modeled, click on Vehicles/Equipment in the 

Navigation Panel. This will open the On Road Vehicle Equipment Detail Panel. Two scroll 

down lists (Fuels and Source Use Types) appear to the left of this panel to allow distinct 

selections for the vehicles/equipment. 
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1. Click and highlight the Fuels choice or click the "Select All" button to choose all the 

choices. 

2. Click and highlight the Source Use Types choice or click the "Select All" button to 

choose all the choices. 

3. Click "Add Fuel/Type Combinations" button to move the selected choices to the 

Selections box. 

4. Click "Delete" to clear highlighted selections from Selections box. 

/Note No default selection will appear on this panel, and the model cannot be run without a 

selection made. 

/Note The On Road Vehicle Equipment panel contains a small subpanel at the bottom that 

reminds the user that they are required to select a Fuel and Source Use type. This panel 

disappears after the user makes a valid Fuel and Source Use Type selection. If a 

selected combination is not in the database (e.g. Gasoline Intercity Bus), the subpanel 

will notify the user that the combination is invalid. These non-existent combinations do 

not need to be removed from the RunSpec, but no results are reported for such vehicles. 

aCaution! The draft version of MOVES2009 lacks emission rates for motorcycles for most 

pollutants. Only energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and activity 

results will be generated for motorcycles. Criteria pollutant and air toxics 

emission factors for motorcycles are currently modeled as zero. 

2.2.6 Road Type 

If any on-road vehicle has been selected (see 2.3.4 Vehicles/Equipment), the Road 

Type panel becomes available on the Navigation Panel, allowing the selection of road type. All 

Road Type panel controls are disabled otherwise. 
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!Tip The user must select at least one road type. 

1. Click and highlight the desired Road Types from the scroll down list. 

2. Click "Add" button to move choice to the Selected Road Types box. 

3. Click "Delete" button to clear the highlighted selections. 

4. Click "Select All" button to select all Road Types in the scroll down list. 

/Note The scroll down list of Road Types is the complete list of roadway types present in the 

underlying MOVES database. The default database has Road Types that represent 

urban and rural driving on roads with restricted and unrestricted vehicle access. 

Restricted access roadtypes are usually used to model freeways and interstates. 

/Note "Off Network" is automatically selected when start or extended idle processes are 

selected on the "selecting pollutants and processes" panel. 

aCaution! Selected Road Types may or may not exist in the geographic bounds of the 

RunSpec. For example, a county may have no urban roads. MOVES will display 

results only for road types that exist in the selected geographic area. 

2.2.7 Pollutants and Processes 

To select the pollutants and processes to include in the RunSpec, the user should choose 

Pollutants and Processes on the Navigation Panel. A matrix will appear in the Detail Panel, 

with "Pollutants" listed as rows and "Processes" listed as columns. When a pollutant/process 

combination is selected by clicking a check box, it is included in the RunSpec. When the 

RunSpec is run, the model will compute emissions for that pollutant/process combination.. 
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There is no limit to the number of boxes that may be checked; however, at least one box 

must be checked to produce a valid MOVES RunSpec input. 

/Note It may be necessary to scroll the Pollutants and Processes panel to see all of the 

Process columns or Pollutant rows. 

/Note Checking the box on the left side of the panel will select all of the processes for that 

pollutant. The box on the left side of the panel will also show a check if any process is 

selected. Additionally, unchecking the box on the left side of the panel will deselect all 

processes that have been selected. 

/Note In order to replicate MOBIL6.2 runs (e.g. to compare the results of the two models), 

all processes except extended idle need to be selected.. 

aCaution! Users are cautioned that the number of check boxes selected will affect execution 

time. Large runs calculating many pollutant/process combinations require 

processing times of several hours, so users are advised to begin with only a few 

pollutant/process combinations.

A Pollutant/Process Requirements box is included at the bottom of the Detail Panel. 

Text in this box actively responds to pollutant/process combination selections made in the 

matrix. In some cases, a specific pollutant/process calculation depends upon another 

pollutant/process calculation, and the user must select the base combination in order to be able to 
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select the dependent combination. An error message will appear in the Pollutant/Process 

Requirements box should the user not select the base combination. 

If the user selects the "Distance Traveled" box, the MOVES model will compute and 

report the distance traveled by vehicles in the selected geographic, roadway, or time strata. 

/Note The "Distance Traveled" box will be 'grayed out' if "Running Exhaust Process" is 

not chosen in the Pollutants and Process selection matrix. The "Distance Traveled" 

calculation feature also requires that the user make a selection for "Distance Units" on 

the "General Output" panel; a reminder appears in the Pollutant/Process Requirements 

box as displayed in the screenshot below. 

2.2.7.1 Processes 

In DRAFT MOVES2009, "Process" refers to the mechanism by which emissions are 

created. Engine operation creates Running Emissions Exhaust, Start Emissions Exhaust (the 

addition to running emissions caused by the engine start), and Extended Idle Emissions 

Exhaust (e.g., a combination long-haul truck idling overnight). MOVES also distinguishes 

Crankcase Running Exhaust, Crankcase Start Exhaust, and Crankcase Extended Idle 

Exhaust to describe the exhaust gases that escape around the piston rings and enter the 

crankcase during normal operation. 

MOVES models evaporative emissions, situations in which unburned fuel escapes the 

vehicle's fuel system, through the "Evap Fuel Vapor Venting", "Evap Permeation", and "Evap 

Fuel Leaks" processes. In addition, vehicle refueling can cause "Refueling Spillage Loss" and 

"Refueling Displacement Vapor Loss". "Brakewear" and "Tirewear" describe the nonexhaust particulate emissions that result from brake use and tire wear. 

2.2.7.2 Pollutants 

DRAFT MOVES2009 allows the user to calculate emissions of greenhouse gases, criteria 

pollutants, and air toxics associated with motor vehicle operation. MOVES also calculates 

energy consumption. For many pollutants, the emissions calculation in MOVES is based on the 

prior calculation of another pollutant emission. As noted earlier, the Pollutant/Process 
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Requirements box will display an error message if the user selects a dependent pollutant but not 

the base pollutant. Pollutants and base pollutants are listed in the table below. 

2.2.8 Manage Input Data Sets 

Select Manage Input Data Sets on the Navigation Panel to specify databases containing 

user-supplied data to be read by the model during execution. Databases entered using this 

feature will overlay existing databases tables (or portions of a table, if a table containing only a 
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subset of records is provided) in the MOVES default database tables, if they exist. No default 

selections exist for this panel and the model can be run without any selections on this panel. 

/Note Each database added through this feature can consist of one or more MOVES input 

database tables. 

/Note These databases must adhere to the MOVES schema and use the database management 

system (DBMS) used by MOVES. In practice this means that individual tables in the 

user-supplied database must have identical names as the MOVES default input database 

and the individual fields in the tables must have identical lengths and types as MOVES 

default tables. For details regarding the MOVES database schema see the Software 

Design Reference Manual. 

1. To create a new database with empty tables of the proper schema on an existing local or 

remote server, type the server and a new database name and click the "Create Database" 

button. Leaving the server box blank creates the new database on the localhost server. 

2. You can use database tools outside of MOVES, such as MySQL, to populate new 

database tables with alternate values. Within MOVES, the Data Importer, County 

Data Manager, Project Domain Manager and the I/M Program Coverage Records 

Editor also aid in creating and populating User Input databases. For more information 

about each of these tools, see sections 2.3.3.3 Data Importer, County Data Manager

and Project Domain Manager and Appendix A: Displaying and Editing Vehicle 

Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) Program Coverage Information.

!Tip Databases created with the County Data Manager or Project Domain Manager are 

selected in the Domain Input Database pane of the Geographic Bounds panel rather 

than the Manage Input Data Sets panel. 

3. Select the desired database from the dropdown list. 

4. Click the "Add" button to add the new or existing database to the input databases, shown 

in the Selections window. MOVES will first validate that the combination of server and 
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database are unique within the selections. The same server-database combination cannot 

be added more than once. 

/Note The example in the figure above shows the addition of two alternate databases called 

"UserInputDB1" and "UserInputDB2" being added as MOVES inputs. The 

unspecified Server name implies that the databases reside in the MySQL Data folder 

on the user's local computer 

!Tip The data in user input databases will "overlay," that is, augment or substitute for, data from 

the MOVES default database for the duration of the model run. Entries in the Manage 

Input Data Sets panel will not overwrite or alter the values in the MOVES default 

database. 

5. Click the "Move Up" or "Move Down" buttons to modify the order in which a particular 

database selection is used. 

!Tip The order in which these databases are applied to the default data is important. If two or 

more alternate databases are specified in the Selections list, the one that appears last in the 

list will replace any previous ones in cases where the internal tables and records of each 

database overlap. 

6. Click the "Delete" button to delete selections. 

 

2.2.9 Creating and Using Internal Control Strategies 

In MOVES, "Strategies" are sets of parameters that replace MOVES defaults, and thus 

allow the user to model different future scenarios. Draft MOVES2009 has two internal control 

strategies that are built into the RunSpec Navigation Panel. The "Alternate Vehicle Fuels & 

Technologies" (AVFT) strategy allows users to modify the fraction of alternative fueled 

vehicles and advanced technology vehicles in each model year. The "On-Road Retrofit" 

strategy allows the user to enter information about diesel trucks and buses that have been retrofit 

with emission control equipment. The use of control strategies is optional; if the user does not 

select any strategy, the RunSpec will use data from the MOVES default database. 

/Note The AVFT and On-Road Retrofit interfaces were created early in the MOVES design 

process. We hope to update these interfaces soon to be more consistent with the newer 

data importers available under the "Pre Processing" menu. 
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The selection of either strategy opens a split panel on the screen. The left side of the 

panel is common for both Strategies menu options. It is called the Strategies Management 

panel (shown in the screen shot above), and contains buttons that enable the user to add, import, 

export, delete, and check data. Detailed information specific to the strategy appears to the right, 

on the Strategies Detail panel. 

The buttons on the Strategies Management panel are used to manipulate the strategy 

data sets, or "objects", needed for each RunSpec, as explained below. The strategy data set name 

will appear in the window below "Loaded objects:". The panels and tools for the AVFT and 

On-Road Retrofit Strategies are similar, but not identical. 

aCaution! A RunSpec may have only one AVFT and one On-Road Retrofit strategy. The 

"New" button cannot be selected without first clicking "Delete" to remove any 

existing loaded object. If a strategy data set is already loaded and the user imports a 

new file, the import action will overwrite the existing data set. 

2.2.9.1 Adding Strategy Files 

Users can add new strategy data to a RunSpec by clicking the "New" button or the 

"Import" button. 

Clicking the "New" button creates a new strategy data set, which is added to the 

RunSpec. The new strategy data appears on the list of loaded objects as "(default)". 

Clicking the "Import" button allows the user to import an appropriate input file. The 

AVFT Strategy allows the user to import XML or tab-delimited text files. The On-Road Retrofit 
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Strategy allows the user to import Microsoft Excel (.xls), tab-delimited text files, or commadelimited text. Typically, the import file is created by exporting a template file, editing it in a 

spreadsheet, saving the edited version as a tab-delimited text file, and importing this text file. 

/Note The AVFT will not import comma-separated data files. 

2.2.9.2 Deleting Strategy Files 

The user may delete a strategy data set from the RunSpec by clicking the "Delete" button. 

MOVES will prompt the user for confirmation before actually removing the data set. 

2.2.9.3 Exporting Strategy Files 

The "Export" button allows the user to write strategy parameter sets to file for storage. 

When the user clicks "Export", a standard Windows file browser appears from which the user 

can name a file to which to write the data as tab-delimited text. 

To create a template file for the AVFT, the user should export a "default" set of 

parameters. To create a template file for the On-Road Retrofit strategies, the user chooses 

"New," and then export a file containing only headers. The AVFT also allows users to export 

parameters that were modified using the GUI. Both the AVFT and the On-Road Retrofit 

Strategies allow the user to export previously imported files. 

2.2.9.4 Editing Strategy Files 

The description of a strategy data set is displayed in the list of loaded objects and is set by 

selecting the object in the list and clicking the "Description" button. A dialog requesting the 

description is displayed: 

Because the description field can never be left completely blank, "(default)" is displayed 

automatically. This default description does not necessarily mean that the object contains only 

default data. 

Although it is generally easier to export a file template and edit it outside MOVES, the 

AVFT strategy provides a GUI for editing the expected fractions of vehicle fuels and 

technologies by model year. This GUI is displayed to the right of the Strategies Management 

Panel. Users can edit data directly on the screen, as described below. The "Cancel" button 

undoes all edits the user has made. On-Road Retrofit parameters must be edited outside MOVES 

and then imported. 
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aCaution! Clicking the "Cancel" button will undo any edits that have been made within a 

strategy's GUI since the strategy was last created, loaded, or imported. Users 

should be cautious, as this can result in the loss of a significant amount of data. 

Periodic exports of the data, providing finer-grain control of rollback points, is 

recommended when a long data entry session is to be performed. 

The "Check" button can be used to look for errors in the data inputs to a strategy. 

Clicking this button will display a popup message that either states that the data passed basic 

error testing, or explains why the data are not ready to be loaded into a RunSpec. 

2.2.9.5 Saving and Transferring Strategy Files 

Strategies can exist both inside and outside of a RunSpec, that is, the parameters can be 

saved as part of a RunSpec and/or as a separate file that can be re-used from one RunSpec to the 

next. This feature can help a user create a set of RunSpecs that use a consistent set of strategy 

settings. The "Import" and "Export" buttons allow for the transfer of strategy data between 

RunSpecs. 

Using the File menu to save and open RunSpecs automatically saves and loads the 

Strategies embedded within the RunSpecs. The files containing the strategies do not need to be 

imported separately. 

2.2.9.6 Varying Vehicle Fuels and Technologies using the AVFT Strategy 

To vary the expected fractions of vehicle fuels and technologies by model year, the user 

should click on "Alternate Vehicle Fuels & Technologies" under Strategies on the Navigation 

Panel. This will open the AVFT screen. 
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The AVFT strategy allows the user to input alternative values for the FuelEngFraction 

MOVES database table. This table stores the fractions of engine and fuel technologies present 

within each model year for each source type. The AVFT also applies the default distribution of 

regulatory classes and vehicle size and weight bins to the "new" vehicles. For more information, 

see the Software Reference and Development Manual. 

/Note The AVFT does not modify the mix of cars and trucks in the fleet. This can be done by 

editing the SourceTypePopulation and VehicleTypeVMT tables using the Data 

Importer or County Data Manager. 

On the AVFT panel, the user can select the desired source type from the drop-down list 

under "Source Type:". The table will fill with the data available for that source type and will 

display the allowed alternative fuels and technologies for that sourcetype. 

Each column represents a combination of a fuel and engine type or a summary of several 

related vehicle types. Summaries are represented by gray columns and cannot be edited. The 

user can click in the header near the ">>" symbols to expand the summary columns to view their 

details. 
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. 

The user can click the "<<" symbols on the expanded columns to collapse them to 

summary-only display. The user can change any non-gray number by clicking on it. All 

numbers are entered as percentages, not fractions. To enter the value of 25% (i.e., fraction 0.25), 

the user can click and type either "25" or "25%". Both are equivalent. Typing 0.25 will be 

interpreted as 0.25% (i.e., fraction 0.0025). 

/Note Unique energy consumption and GHG emission rates are available for most fuels and 

technologies. However, in Draft MOVES2009, the criteria pollutant and air toxics rates 

for many alternative fuels and technologies have been populated with emission rates 

identical to those for conventional fuels and technologies. 

2.2.9.7 Normalizing Data 

All entries in a single row must sum to exactly 100%. The "Normalize" button can be 

used to adjust ratios so that all add up to 100%. For instance, if two cells are populated on a 

model-year line, entering 1% and 4% and then normalizing would change the percentages to 

20% and 80%. This maintains the original 1:4 ratio while still totaling 100%. The AVFT data 

cannot be exported, nor can the simulation run be started, until all model-year rows on all source 

use types meet the above rule. Clicking the "Normalize" button is the easiest way to ensure that 

this condition is met. 

2.2.9.8 Adding Model Years 

The AVFT panel is initialized with the contents of the MOVES Default database 

FuelEngFraction table, including only those model years present in the database. The "Add 

Model Year" button can be used to add model years in addition to those displayed. Clicking this 

button will copy the data from the highest model year for all source use types to the next model 

year. 

/Note The AVFT strategy only works with model years from 2001 to 2050, inclusive, and will 

generate an error message denying the action if an attempt is made to work outside of 

these bounds. If all years from 2001 to 2050 are displayed, the "Add Model Year" 
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button will be grayed out. The AVFT was not designed to work for model years prior 

to 2001. 

2.2.9.9 Editing AVFT files outside of MOVES 

To create AVFT strategy files outside of MOVES, it is easiest to start by exporting the 

default parameters as a template, then opening the saved file with a spreadsheet program such as 

Microsoft Excel. The first cell will be the description, which the user should edit to describe the 

new AVFT. 

The second row contains field names: "SourceTypeID", "Year", "Category", 

"fueltypeID", "engTechID" and "Amount". SourceTypeIDs and FuelTypeIDs are defined in the 

output section of the MOVES Software Development and Reference Manual. "Year" refers to 

the model year of the vehicles. "Category" refers to the grouping in the AVFT display. 

"EngTechID" refers to the engine technology type, described below. "Amount" refers to the 

fraction of the sourcetype in that model year that have that combination of fueltype and engine 

technology. Not all fueltypes and engine technologies are relevant for all sourcetypes. 

 Engine Technologies 

engTechID EngineTechnology Name 

1 Conventional Internal Combustion 

2 Advanced Internal Combustion 

11 Moderate Hybrid - Conventional Internal Combustion 

12 Full Hybrid - Conventional Internal Combustion 

20 Hybrid - Advanced Internal Combustion 

21 Moderate Hybrid - Advanced Internal Combustion 

22 Full Hybrid - Advanced Internal Combustion 

30 Electric 

40 Fuel Cell 

50 Hybrid - Fuel Cell 

Beneath the field names are data rows. For Draft MOVES2009, there are about 7050 

rows in an AVFT file. Each of the rows in the default AVFT should be retained. The user 

should edit only the "Amount" in each row. For each combination of sourcetype and model year, 

the sum of the "Amount" should equal 1. 

The edited AVFT file should be saved as a tab-delimited text file and then imported into 

the desired RunSpec(s) using the "Import" button. 

2.2.9.10 Managing On-Road Vehicle Retrofit Data 

DRAFT MOVES2009 has the capability to model on-road vehicle retrofit strategies for 

all exhaust pollutants for diesel trucks and buses. To add on-road vehicle retrofit data, the user 

should click the On-Road Retrofit option under Strategies on the Navigation Panel. This will 

open the On-Road Retrofit panel, which displays the Strategies Management Panel on the left 

side of the panel as described earlier in this section. The "Description", "Cancel", "New", 

"Export", "Delete", and "Check" buttons work as described earlier in this section. Appendix D 

provides detailed instructions for creating an On-Road Retrofit data file. 
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/Note The Retrofit Strategy only works for non-passenger diesel trucks and buses. Importing a 

strategy for motorcycles, cars, passenger trucks or for other fuel types will generate an 

error. 

 The "Import" button differs from the AVFT import as is described below. 

2.2.9.11 Importing Retrofit Data 

When the user clicks on "On-Road Retrofit", the Detail Panel to the right of the 

Strategies Management Panel instructs the user to click the “New” button first and then click 

the "Import" button to select a retrofit parameter file. The "Import" button enables the user to 

import On-Road Retrofit data as a tab delimited, comma separated (.csv), or .xls file. When the 

user clicks on "Import", a standard Windows file browser window appears from which the user 

can select the file. If an .xls file is imported, MOVES will prompt the user to specify a 

worksheet from which the data should be imported 

Once data are imported, the display in the Detail Panel will show the name and location 

of the imported file ("Data Source"). A "Reload" button that will also appear next to the file 

name can be clicked on to capture any changes to the imported data file. 
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Importing retrofit data automatically saves the data to the RunSpec, but it does not 

automatically apply the retrofit parameters to the emission results that MOVES produces. To 

apply the retrofit parameters to the emission results, the user must check, the Use the On-Road 

Retrofit box that appears at the top of the On-Road Retrofit panel. This allows the user to turn 

retrofit on and off without reloading the files. 

If there are any data format or consistency issues in a file that the user is trying to import 

(e.g., incorrect number of columns or data that are inconsistent with what the user selected 

elsewhere in the MOVES GUI), a message(s) will appear in the Messages window at the bottom 

of the panel. 

2.2.10 Output 

Selecting Output on the Navigation Panel expands the list to show General Output and 

Output Emissions Detail. Each of these allows the user to specify aspects of the output data. 

2.2.10.1 Specifying Database, Time Period, and Units in Output 

Click on the General Output panel to specify the output database, the time period, and 

the units. The panel has two sub-panels: Output Database and Output (showing units). 

2.2.10.1.1 Output Database 

The first box, Output Database, contains input boxes for the server name and the output 

database name. A blank server box is the default and it indicates that the localhost (the MySQL 

database located on the user's computer) is to be used. Most users should leave this blank. The 

second box contains the name of the MySQL output database where the user desires the MOVES 

output to be written. The user must select an existing MOVES output database or create a new 

MOVES output database into which the results should be placed. If the output database already 

exists and contains rows within its output tables, a warning icon is displayed. A new run of the 

MOVES model will add its results to an existing MOVES output database, and automatically 
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give them the next available MOVES Run identification number. MOVES output records in an 

existing output database cannot be deleted or replaced from within the MOVES GUI. 

A user choosing to create a new MOVES output database must choose a unique name 

and may click the "Create Database" button. All new output databases begin with a MOVES 

Run identification number of one. 

aCaution! The user should never attempt to create a new output database with the same name 

as the MOVES default database or of any user-supplied MOVES input databases. 

2.2.10.1.2 Output 

Output is the second box. It contains user choices for the mass, energy, and distance 

units in which the results will be reported. The time units are set to correspond to the time 

reporting level (see next section) and are displayed, but they are not user-selectable on this panel. 

The possible choices for mass are kilograms, grams, pounds, or US tons (short tons). The 

possible energy units are Joules, Kilojoules, or Million BTUs (British Thermal Units). The 

possible distance units are miles or kilometers. Distance units may be selected only if "distance" 

output has been requested on the pollutants and processes panel. The user may choose only one 

unit for each of the four types. The units are reported in the output database in the MySQL 

output table "movesrun." 

!Tip Make sure to choose units of the appropriate magnitude for your RunSpec. For instance, 

if the RunSpec is very limited spatially, temporally, and in terms of vehicle and road 

types, then choosing “Tons” as the “Mass Units” will not give you the desired level of 

detail. Also, note that MOVES might round the results down to zero. 

The checked box Time Factors (Mass per time unit/Energy per time unit) in the Output 

sub-panel reminds users that all MOVES output is for a certain period of time. The“Time 

Units” is always set equal to the time reporting level, so the MOVES Inventory output results are 

reported as the total mass of emissions or total energy over the output time period defined by the 

RunSpec. 

2.2.10.2 Specifying Emission Distinctions in Output 

Select Output Emissions Detail on the Navigation Panel (after expanding Output) to 

specify distinctions desired in the output data. The Output Emissions Detail Panel consists of 

four sub-panels: Always, for All Vehicle/Equipment Categories, Estimate Uncertainty, and 

On Road/Off Road. 
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/Note Users may eliminate unneeded output details using this screen or using post-processing. 

Selecting detailed output here and using MySQL command to aggregate the output to the 

desired level may be preferable since this approach allows the user the option of retrieving 

the more detailed output without re-running the model. However, if a run includes many 

times, locations, sourcetypes, etc., the user may want to reduce the number of items 

selected on this screen to avoid producing unmanageably large output files. 

2.2.10.2.1 Always 

The Always box at the upper left is a reminder that the output data will always contain 

dimensions for time, location, and pollutant. The Always box also contains two buttons that 

allow the user to specify the level of output aggregation by time and location level. 

By default, the "Time" button will report the same time level as selected in the Time 

Spans panel. The user may change the time level in the "Time" button to a value that is equal or 

longer than the Time Aggregate Level specified in the Time Spans panel. For example, if the 

Time Aggregate Level is set to "Hour" in the Time Spans panel, then the "Time" button can be 

set to "Hour", "24-Hour Day", "Portion of Week", "Month", or "Year". 

The "Portion of Week" selection requires explanation. The "24-Hour Day" selection 

does not select a particular day of the week but a kind of day of the week and the results are for 

one day of each kind of day requested in the RunSpec (e.g. one weekend day and/or one 

weekday). In the default case where the MOVES input database specifies two kinds of days, 

reporting by "Portion of Week" reports weekday results as a total of five weekdays and 

weekend results as a total of two weekend days. See the MOVES Software Design Reference 

Manual for more information. 

By default, the "Location" button will report the same location level as selected in the 

Geographic Bounds panel. The user may change the location level in the "Location" button to 

a value that is equal to or larger than the level set in the Geographic Bounds panel. For 
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example, if the Geographic Bounds panel is set to "County", then the "Location" button can be 

set to "County", "State", or "Nation". 

/Note The choice of "State" or "Nation" will aggregate results from the areas chosen in the 

Geographic Bounds panel. For example, if only two counties from a state are 

specified in a RunSpec, the output results for "State" will be the sum of the emissions 

from only these two counties. 

A "Pollutant" button is not available because pollutants are always reported separately in 

the output (i.e., there is no aggregation across pollutants). 

2.2.10.2.2 For All Vehicle/Equipment Categories 

The dimensions that apply to both on road and off road sources are "Model Year", "Fuel 

Type", and "Emission Process". Checking any or all of these items means that the output will 

be distinguished by that factor. For example, if "Emission Process" is checked, the output will 

be distinguished by the emissions processes selected, such as Running Exhaust, Start Exhaust, 

etc. 

2.2.10.2.3 On Road/Off Road 

DRAFT MOVES2009 does not include the ability to model Off Road emissions. Thus, 

within the On Road/Off Road only the On Road section is functional. In the On Road box, 

options are available to report by "Road Type", "Source Use Type", or Source Classification 

Code (SCC)". If none of these options are checked, no vehicle or road classification distinctions 

will be made in the output. Instead, the results will be reported as summed across all vehicle and 

road classes. 

!Tip "Source Use Type" and "SCC" are mutually exclusive. Source Use Types are native to 

MOVES, so this is the preferred option. MOVES can report by Source Classification Code 

(SCC), but this introduces an additional approximation step in the calculations to convert 

output by Source Use Type to SCC. 

Several interdependencies exist among these items. For example, reporting by SCC 

implies that FuelTypes, but not RoadTypes will be distinguished. 

2.2.10.2.4 Estimate Uncertainty 

The Estimate Uncertainty box should be left unchecked by most users. If checked, the 

remainder of the uncertainty panel becomes active for the user to specify a number of iterations, 

whether randomly sampled input used for each iteration should be reported, and whether the 

output produced from each iteration should be reported. This mechanism may be used to 

investigate the uncertainty of MOVES results due to uncertainty in some of its inputs. Users 

should consult the uncertainty section of the MOVES Software Design and Reference Manual 

before attempting to use this feature. The default database provided with DRAFT MOVES2009 

does not contain realistic input data for this feature. 
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aCaution! Model execution time and the volume of output produced (if the output of each 

iteration is saved) increase roughly in proportion to the number of iterations 

specified. If the randomly sampled inputs for each iteration are also saved, the 

resulting output will be even more voluminous. 

2.2.11 Advanced Performance Features 

This Navigation Panel item invokes features which may be used to diagnose problems 

with the model software, or to improve the run time for long model runs by saving and reusing 

intermediate results. Use of these features requires knowledge of the detailed software 

components of the MOVES program, the inputs they require, and the outputs they produce. 

Users interested in these features should review the MOVES Software Design and Reference 

Manual. 

This panel allows users save intermediate results from various portions of the model and 

to turn off portions of the model code. 

This panel also allows the user to "turn off" final aggregation of MOVES results. 

Selecting the "Do Not Perform Final Aggregation" option can reduce execution time for large 
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runs. However, when this option is selected, the MOVES output tables may include rows with 

duplicate key fields. The results from these rows should be summed to produce useful output. 

And, this panel allows users to specify the database to be used when modeling a Custom 

Domain. See Section 2.2.4 Geographic Bounds for additional information on the Custom 

Domain option. 

aCaution! It is possible to undo a custom database selection by hitting the “Refresh” button, 

which clears the selected database. 

2.3 Main Menu Bar 

The Main Menu Bar runs across the top of the screen and contains seven drop down 

menus: File, Edit, Pre Processing, Action, Post Processing, Settings, and Help. Menus can 

be opened by either clicking on the menu command, or by using a keyboard combination, 

defined as ALT and the underlined letter of the menu command (e.g., ALT + F for the File

menu, ALT + R for the Pre Processing menu). 

2.3.1 File 

File provides a drop-down menu typical of those used when manipulating 

documents. Click File to open the drop down menu and then on a menu item to 

select New, Open, Close, Save, Save As, Print, Exit, or to choose to open 

recently opened files. Use the File commands to create, load, and save RunSpec 

objects. The Example RunSpec may be opened from this menu (see Section 1.4 

for details). DRAFT MOVES2009 provides the option to execute file 

manipulation commands using keyboard combinations as well; for example, the 

File Open procedure can be initiated by selecting the Alt and O keys 

simultaneously when the File drop down box is opened. Key sequences required 

to execute the file manipulation commands are displayed using the "mouse hover" 

feature while placing the cursor over the desired command. 

2.3.2 Edit 

Edit provides the usual cut/copy/paste commands. These commands are only available 

in text entry sections of MOVES RunSpec. Keyboard combinations are available to execute edit 

commands when the Edit drop down box is opened, and can be identified using the "mouse 

hover" feature. 

aCaution! MOVES keyboard combinations use different letters than Microsoft applications for 

the same functions; for example, the cut command in MOVES uses Alt and T, and 

paste uses Alt and P. 

2.3.3 Pre Processing 

Pre Processing contains four active menu options, Display/Edit IM Program 

Coverage Records, Data Importer, County Data Manager, and Project Domain Manager. 

A description of each active menu option follows: 
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2.3.3.1 Display/Edit I/M Program Coverage Records 

The Display/Edit I/M Program Coverage Records menu option allows the user to 

display and change the information about vehicle inspection maintenance programs that apply to 

the current run specification. Because using this feature requires an understanding of other parts 

of the RunSpec, it is covered in Appendix A. 

2.3.3.2 Data Importer, County Data Manager and Project Domain Manager 

The Data Importer, County Data Manager and Project Domain Manager menu 

options enable the user to create user-supplied databases for direct entry of data into MOVES. 

 The County Data Manager and the Project Domain Manager are means by which the 

user can define the county-specific or project-specific data required if the user selects County 

Domain/Scale or Project Domain/Scale when defining the Scale parameter of the RunSpec. 

Neither the County Data Manager nor the Project Domain Manager menu options will be 

enabled unless the user has made the County Domain/Scale or Project Domain/Scale choice. 

 The Data Importer allows the user to select individual importers "ala carte" from the 

importer menu. The County Data Manager and Project Domain Manager are designed to 

specify all the inputs required for certain kinds of runs and, thus, do not permit such “ala carte” 

selections. The Project Domain Manager, in particular, requires the user to provide virtually all 

of the data required to model a specific project. 

aCaution! All tabs/fields in the County Data Manager and Project Domain Manager must 

be completed to ensure the output generated is correct. In some cases, a RunSpec 

may execute even though all the tabs in the County Data Manager or Project 

Domain Manager were not completed; however, the results from such RunSpecs 

may populate the incomplete tabs with default data, which may not be appropriate 

due to how MOVES generates, calculates, and allocates various data.

!Tip The user does not have to specify a database containing county or project data that was 

created with the County Data Manager or Project Domain Manager in the Manage 

Input Data Sets panel. These databases only have to be selected in the Domain Input 

Database pane of the Geographic Bounds panel. However, a database created with the 

Data Importer should be input using the Manage Input Data Sets panel. 

From the user perspective, there are two major differences between working with 

importers through the Data Importer and working with the same importers through the County 

Data Manager and the Project Domain Manager. First, as "domain managers" the County 

Data Manager and Project Domain Manager indicate whether the user has imported all of the 

data that is needed to establish a new domain. To this end, the County Data Manager and the

Project Domain Manager will indicate by red "x-circles" where data that is needed on the 

importer tabs (see screenshot below) in order to establish the domain. Green “check-circles” 

indicate where data has been properly imported. 

 
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. 

. 

Secondly, because of the level of detail required and the structure of the underlying data 

tables, the County Data Manager restricts the RunSpec to a single county and single calendar 

year, and the Project Domain Manager restricts the RunSpec to a single hour, daytype, month 

and county. 

This user guide will use the Data Importer screens to explain functionality of individual 

importers. Specific instructions associated with using the County Data Manager or the

Project Domain Manager to establish a new domain are included where appropriate. 

 

When the user selects one of the data manager options, the MOVES Data Importer

window will open. This window contains several tabs to aid the user in defining the data source, 

destination, and database structure for the imported data. Importer tabs provide templates for 

collecting user-provided data. 

2.3.3.2.1 Database 

The Database tab is the default tab for the Data Importer menu option. It contains a 

scrollable log detailing the success of the data import and other helpful diagnostics, and opens a 

window that allows the user to identify the database where the imported data will be stored. 

Data can not be imported until a receiving database is identified. 

By default, the host server for the receiving database is "localhost" (generally the user's 

own machine). The user can specify a different host server by entering the name of the alternate 

server in the Server box. The receiving database can be identified by clicking on the drop-down 

arrow adjacent to the Database box and making a selection from the list. Alternatively, the user 

can create a new database by typing a database name in the Database box and clicking the 
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"Create Database" button. Clicking the "Refresh" button will clear the database selection from 

the Database box display and refresh the list of databases. 

aCaution! The user should never attempt to create a new input database with the same name as 

the MOVES default database or of any user-supplied MOVES output databases.

The Database tab also contains a Log panel. This panel is used by the system to display 

the results of the import process. Once the user chooses either the Tools or an Importer tab to 

import data into the selected database, the user can refer to the Log panel in the Database

window to view the results of the import process. 

2.3.3.2.2 RunSpec Summary 

The RunSpec Summary tab opens a window which provides a summary of RunSpec 

parameters defined by the user. The user should choose this tab to see an overview of the 

RunSpec. In setting up the RunSpec, the user defines modeling parameters that limit the scope 

of the modeling process; templates and export files created with the Data Importer will be 

limited by choices the user makes in defining the RunSpec. 

The RunSpec Summary window of the Data Importer displays the geographic, time span, road 

type, vehicle, pollutant and process, and input data set choices made by the user. The window is 

auto-generated and does not accept or require user input. 

2.3.3.2.3 Tools 

The Tools tab is provided to facilitate batch input of imported data into the MOVES 

system, such as for a series of data import files representing all the counties in a state. When the 

user clicks the "Generate Importer XML File" button after completing an import, the system 

will write an importer instruction file in Extensible Markup Language (XML), containing a 

statement that replicates the import done through the GUI. 
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Using an XML or text editing program, the user then can copy and edit the importer XML file to 

create a series of similar, but not identical import statements. The resulting XML files can be 

called from the command line, generating a series of user-input databases. For more information 

on running MOVES from the command line, see Appendix C. 

2.3.3.2.4 Data Managers (Importers) 

 

The remaining tabs in the Data Importer menu option are Data Manager or Importer

tabs. These tabs contain templates and rules that aid the user in bringing specific types of data 

into the model. By choosing a Manager or Importer, the user gains access to several tools that 

will help create a successful data import. 

!Tip The user should be sure to fill out all fields in defining the RunSpec before using the 

County Data Manager or the Project Domain Manager, as a filter is used when 

exporting default data that depends on selections the user makes when defining the 

RunSpec. Only the county, year, months, vehicles, road types, etc. that have been selected 

are exported. Some data may not be exported if the user selects the "Export Default 

Data" button before defining the Run Spec. 

!Tip EPA is developing MOBILE6 converters to help users prepare import-ready data files 

from their existing MOBILE6 files. When complete, these converters will be available on 

the MOVES website. 

The user should select a Manager or Importer tab to choose a specific importer to assist 

with specialized data file structure definition and to complete the import process. Importers for 

the following tables are included in DRAFT MOVES2009: 
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MOVES Table Data Importer County Data 

Manager 

Project Domain 

Manager 

RampFraction X X 

RoadTypeDistribution X X 

SourceTypePopulation X X 

VehicleTypeVMT X X 

ZoneRoadActivity X (Custom 

Domain Only) 

X (Custom 

Domain Only) 

AgeDistribution X X X 

AverageSpeedDistribution X X 

FuelSupply X X X 

MeteorologyData X X X 

OperatingModeDistribution X 

LinkSourceType X 

LinkDriveSchedules X 

Off-Network X 

When the user selects one of these tabs, a panel opens that allows the user to define the import 

parameters. Each Importer tab is organized in the same way, with a place for the user's 

description of the data, a place to browse for data files, buttons to create templates, import, 

export and clear, and a space for messages. 

The user can click the "Create Template" button to create an import template file and a 

set of reference files. After selecting the "Create Template" button, the user must define the 

file, file path and extension and click the Save button. The template and reference files will be 

specific to the RunSpec. The template will include required data field names and often will be 

populated with the required key fields. The reference files will provide lists and descriptions of 

the relevant MOVES id fields (i.e., countyID codes, fuelformulationID codes, roadtypeID codes, 

hourDayID codes, and sourcetypeID codes). The user can then edit the template with a 

spreadsheet application or other tool before importing the data files into DRAFT MOVES2009. 
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Although the meaning of many data element names may seem clear, the user should 

consult the reference tables provided with the template to determine appropriate content for the 

fields. For example, although fuelYearID might seem to refer to the calendar year, it actually 

refers to "fuelyear" and does not have a one-to-one mapping with calendar year. 

In many cases, users can import duplicate information by using "wildcards" in the input 

files. For example, using the word “ALL” in a sourceTypeID column of the input file will result 

in records with the same information for each source type selected in the runspec. 

aCaution! "ALL" produces inputs only for all the sourcetypes in the RunSpec rather than all 

the sourcetypes in the default database. For this reason, users are strongly urged to 

create a comprehensive runspec prior to using the importers. 

The hourDayID column supports a special form of the “ALL” wildcard. It allows the 

user to get all 48 hour intervals (24 x 2 day types) or just the hours in a given day type. 

Remember, these are constrained by the runspec’s day and hour selections. 

The affected fields are: 

Column Wildcard

dayID ALL 

hourID ALL 

hourDayID ALL 

ALL Weekday 

ALL 5 

5* 

*5 

ALL Weekend 

ALL 2 

2* 

*2 

monthID ALL 

yearID ALL Note: Only one year is allowed in the CDM. 

roadTypeID ALL 

sourceTypeID ALL 

hpmsVTypeID ALL 

countyID ALL Note: Only one county is allowed in the CDM.

zoneID ALL 

In the receiving database, wildcard data is fully expanded. Importing a file that uses 

wildcards and then exporting again will produce a file with the full data set. 

 Once a correctly formatted source file is created, the user should use the "Browse" 

button to find and open the source file. The file path and name of the selected import file will 

appear in the panel. 
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!Tip Make sure to save any changes made to a source file before you import it. 

Once a file has been selected for import, the user may click the "Import" button to bring 

the data into MOVES via the file and path defined in the Database window. If the file contains 

multiple worksheets, the user is prompted to select the appropriate worksheet as well. The user 

should refer to the Messages box in the Importer tab or the Log panel in the Database window 

to determine the status of data import. 

!Tip See the Messages box for information on import problems and basic information for 

fixing problematic import files. 

 Imported data can be cleared from the database by clicking the "Clear Imported Data" 

button. When the "Clear Imported Data" button is clicked, the message box shown below pops 

up. 

Clicking “Yes” clears the data, while clicking “No” cancels the action and allows the user to 

export the imported data, as described below. 

!Tip Users should "Clear Imported Data" before reattempting to import a file that resulted in 

an error message. 

Data files can be exported to an Excel spreadsheet or text file using either the "Export 

Default Data" or "Export Imported Data" button; however, not all tabs in the County Data 

Manager have the “Export Default Data” button. Those without it are noted in the sections 

below. Also, some tabs in the Project Domain Manager include an additional export button, 

“Export Most Recent Execution Data”. Use of this button requires a previous execution of the 

MOVES model in order to generate the data which is to be exported. 

Clicking on the "Export" button will cause the Export [Importer] Data window to open. 

The user defines the file and file path in the Export Data window, and clicks the "Save" button, 

to export the data to the specified location. 

Occasionally, clicking on one of the “Export ... Data” buttons may result in the 

following pop-up window: 
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This message simply means that there were no data available to export. 

2.3.3.2.4.1 Fuel Supply Importer 

The Fuel Supply importer allows the user to assign existing fuels to counties, months, 

and years, and to assign the associated market share for each fuel. The market share for a 

fueltype (gasoline, diesel, etc.) must sum to one for each county, fuelyear, and month. In Draft 

MOVES2009, the user must select fuels from those available in the default database. The 

importer does not allow a user to add new fuels. 

This importer also allows the user to supply a data element, "marketShareCV", which is 

the coefficient of variation for the market share. This measures uncertainty associated with the 

market share determination, and is used if the user selects "Estimate Uncertainty" in the 

"Output Emissions Detail" part of the RunSpec. If the user does not select "Estimate 

Uncertainty", the value is not required and may be left blank. 

aCaution! Although fuelYearID might seem to refer to the calendar year, the year table in the 

Draft MOVES2009 default database maps all years 2012 through 2050 to the 

"fuelyear" 2012; thus for years 2012 through 2050, the fuelyearid 2012 should be 

used.

!Tip Modeling different fuels in different years (2012-and later) can be done with a separate 

run for each year assigning different fuels to the "2012" fuelyearid for each run. 

2.3.3.2.4.2 Vehicle Type VMT 

 

The Vehicle Type VMT importer allows the user to enter yearly vehicle miles traveled. 

These values will represent national values for the general Data Importer and county-year 

specific values for the County Data Manager. Yearly VMT is required regardless of the time 

span selected for the run. 

 

This tab does not have an “Export Default Data” button and the user is required to 

acquire/generate this data indepently if the County Domain/Scale is chosen. Data must be 

supplied for each HPMSVtype (e.g., passenger cars, combination trucks, etc.) implied by the 

Source Use Types selected in the RunSpec. 
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2.3.3.2.4.3 Source Type Population Importer 

The Source Type Population Importer allows the user to input the number of vehicles 

in the geographic area which is to be modeled for each vehicle or "source type" selected in the 

RunSpec. This manager does not allow input of either the sales growth rate or the migration 

factor. 

This tab does not have the “Export Default Data” button and the user is required to 

acquire/generate this data independently if the County Domain/Scale is chosen. Data must be 

supplied for each source type (e.g., passenger car, passenger trucks, light commercial trucks, 

etc.) selected in the RunSpec. 

2.3.3.2.4.4 Age Distribution Importer 

The Age Distribution Importer allows the user to enter data that provides the 

distribution of vehicle counts by age for each calendar year (yearID) and vehicle type 

(sourceTypeID). This data is required for the County Domain/Scale RunSpec. The distribution 

of ageIDs (the variable for age) must sum to one for each vehicle type and year. 

This tab does not have the “Export Default Data” button and the user is required to 

acquire/generate this data independently if either the County or Project Domain/Scale are 

chosen. 

2.3.3.2.4.5 Average Speed Distribution Importer 

The Average Speed Distribution Importer allows the user to input average speed data 

specific to vehicle type (sourceTypeID), road type (roadTypeID), and time of day/type of day 

(hourdayID). MOVES defines 16 "speed bins" which describe the average driving speed on a 

roadtype or link. The user must enter the fraction of driving time in each speed bin 

(avgSpeedFraction) for each hour/day type, vehicle type, road type, and average speed 

(avgspeedbinid), where the fractions sum to one for each vehicle type, road type, and hour/day 

type specified in the RunSpec. If desired, the user can use wildcards to apply one set of fractions 

to for all hour/day combinations for a specific vehicle type and road type. Note that MOVES 

uses a time-based distribution, whereas MOBILE6.2 used a VMT-Based speed distribution. 

Users may need to adjust their travel model post-processing code in order to generate the new 

distributions. 

2.3.3.2.4.6 Road Type Distribution Importer 

The Road Type Distribution Importer allows the user to enter data relating to the 

vehicle miles traveled by road type (roadTypeVMTFraction) for the domain being modeled. 

This data is entered as a distribution across road types (roadTypeID), where only road types 

selected by the user in the RunSpec are included in the distribution. The distribution must sum 

to one for each source type. 

This tab does not have the “Export Default Data” button and the user is required to 

acquire/generate this data independently if the County Domain/Scale is chosen. 
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2.3.3.2.4.7 Ramp Fraction Importer 

The Ramp Fraction Importer allows the user to modify the fraction of ramp driving on 

selected road types. Only limited access roadtypes (freeways and interstates) may have their 

ramp fractions modified. Thus, this Importer is only active if the user selects a limited access 

road type when defining the RunSpec. 

 

The County Domain Manager accepts default values for this parameter, so importing ramp 

fractions is optional when County Domain/Scale is chosen. 

2.3.3.2.4.8 Meteorology Data Importer 

The Meteorology Data Importer allows the user to import temperature and humidity 

data for months, zones, counties, and hours that are included in the RunSpec. While the MOVES 

model contains 30-year average temperature and humidity data for each county, month, and 

hour, the user should enter data specific to the modeled location and time. Also, note that for SIP 

and conformity purposes, the default values are not appropriate. 

2.3.3.2.4.9 Zone Road Activity Importer 

The Zone Road Activity Importer is used only if the Custom Domain option is chosen 

in the County Domain Manager. This importer allows the user to allocate Source Hours 

Operating (SHO) across the zones of the Custom Domain. In cases where there is only one zone 

in the county, the user should allocate activity to road type using the Road Type Distribution 

Importer (described above). Also, the table for the Zone Road Activity Importer should be 

populated with a “SHOAllocFactor” of 1.0 for each road type. 

However, if the user creates multiple zones within the Custom Domain, this table allows 

the user to allocate the SHO across the zones. In this case, the SHOAllocFactor should sum to 

one for each road type. For example, if a custom domain has 2 zones, then SHOAllocFactor 

could be 0.5 for all road types in the first zone and 0.5 for all road types in the second, giving a 

total allocation of 1.0 for each road type. 

This tab does not have the “Export Default Data” button and the user is required to 

acquire/generate this data independently if the County Domain/Scale and Custom Domain 

option are chosen. 

2.3.3.2.4.10 Operating Mode Distribution Importer 

The Operating Mode Distribution Importer is used only in the Project Domain 

Manager. It allows the user to import operating mode fraction data for source types, hour / day 

combinations, roadway links and pollutant / process combinations that are included in the 

RunSpec and Project domain. These data are entered as a distribution across operating modes. 

Operating modes are "modes"of vehicle activity that have distinct emission rates. For example, 

"running" activity has modes that are distinguished by their Vehicle Specific Power and 

instantaneous speed. "Start" activity has modes that are distinguished by the time the vehicle has 

been parked prior to the start ("soak time"). See EPA technical reports for additional information 
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on operating modes. For a given source type, hour/day combination, roadway link and pollutant 

/ process combination, the operating mode distribution must sum to one. 

The Operating Mode Distribution Importer is required for the Project Domain Manager

when modeling any ‘non-running emission’ process, and for modeling ‘running emission’ 

processes when the Link Drive Schedules Importer is not used. Operating Mode Importer 

data has precedent over data entered in the Link Drive Schedules Importer if conflicting data 

is entered.

2.3.3.2.4.11 Link Drive Schedules Importer 

The Link Drive Schedules Importer is used only in the Project Domain Manager. It 

allows the user to define the precise speed and grade as a function of time (seconds) on a 

particular roadway link. The time domain is entered in units of seconds, the speed variable in 

miles per hour and the grade variable in percent grade (i.e., vertical distance / lateral distance; 

100% grade equals a 45 degree slope). 

This Importer is used for the Project Domain Manager only when modeling ‘running 

emission’ processes when the Link Drive Schedules Importer is not used. Either an operating 

mode distribution or a link drive schedule must be entered for each of the user’s defined roadway 

links. 

2.3.3.2.4.12 Links Importer 

The Links Importer is used only in the Project Domain Manager. It allows the user to 

define individual roadway links. The MOVES links need not correspond to traffic modeling 

"links" but each link should be uniform in its activity as described by the following parameters. 

Each link requires a linkID (i.e., a unique integer between 1 and 99999 that is used to reference 

the link in the program), countyID, zoneID, and roadTypeID (these also must be specified in the 

Runspec or an error will occur), the length of the roadway link in units of miles, the traffic 

volume on the roadway link in units of vehicles per hour, and the average speed of all of the 

vehicles on the roadway link in the given hour. The link description field is a text field included 

for reference and has no impact on the calculations. 

A project may include a single off-network (parking lot or other non-road) link. For an 

off-network link, the user should enter a value of zero for link length, link volume and link 

average speed. 

2.3.3.2.4.13 Link Source Types Importer 

The Link Source Types Importer is used only in the Project Domain Manager. It is 

used to enter the fraction of the link traffic volume which is represented by each source type. It 

is not used to enter off-network data, and is not required if the Project contains only an offnetwork link. For each linkID, the sourceTypeHourFraction must sum to one across all source 

types. The user may enter data in this importer for source types which are not selected in the 

Runspec. However, MOVES will ignore data entered in this manager for source types which are 

not selected in the Runspec. The Project level calculator will not re-normalize the fractions to 

omit the contribution of source types which are not selected in the Runspec. 
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2.3.3.2.4.14 Off Network Importer 

The Off Network Importer is used only in the Project Domain Manager. It provides 

information about vehicles are not driving on the project links, but still contribute to the project 

emissions. For each source type in the RunSpec, ‘vehicle population’ is the average number of 

"off network” vehicles. . The ‘start fraction’ field is a number from 0 to 1.0 which specifies the 

fraction of this population which has a ‘start’ operation in the given hour. The ‘extendedIdle 

fraction’ field is a number from 0 to 1.0 which specifies the fraction of the population which has 

had an ‘extended idle’ operation in the given hour. Finally, the ‘parked vehicle fraction’ field is 

a number from 0 to 1.0 which specifies the fraction of the ‘vehicle population’ which have been 

parked in the given hour. 

For example, a vehicle population of 10 long-haul combination trucks with a start 

fraction of 0.5, an extended idle fraction of 0.25 and a parked vehicle fraction of 0.5 implies that 

the project includes the emissions associated with 5 starts, 150 minutes of extended idling and 

300 minutes of parking for this sourcetype. 

/Note Draft MOVES2009 computes extended idle emissions only for long-haul combination 

trucks, not for other sourcetypes; thus the extendedIdleFraction is ignored for 

sourcetypeids other than 62. 

/Note Draft MOVES2009 does not compute evaporative emissions at the Project 

Domain/Scale; thus, the "parked vehicle fraction" is ignored. 

2.3.3.2.4.15 I/M Program Coverage Records Editor 

The I/M Program Coverage Records Editor can be accessed from either the County Data 

Manager or the Project Domain Manager. Use of the I/M Program Coverage Records Editor is 

described in Appendix A. 

2.3.4 Action 

Action provides a drop-down menu with the choices Execute, Stop, Pause, Resume, and

MOVES Run Error Log. 
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After satisfying the RunSpec input requirements (all check marks in the Navigation Panel 

must be set to green checks or yellow tildes - see 2.2 Navigation Panel for an explanation of 

these marks), choose Execute to begin the MOVES simulation. Choose Stop or Pause in the 

Action menu to stop or pause the execution of the MOVES program. These two items will only 

be active if the MOVES program is running. The user may also resume a paused MOVES 

simulation by clicking the Resume item. 

/Note A program that has been stopped cannot be resumed. 

Click MOVES Run Error Log to display information on the processing outcome of the 

execution in the MOVES Run Error Log window. Alternatively, the log can be displayed by 

selecting the ALT and R keys when the Action menu option is open. 

/Note This window will only appear if a MOVES Output database has been created. 

Typically, the user should select MOVES Run Error Log immediately after the 

MOVES program has completed its execution. The window (shown below) will contain either a 

message stating that the run was successful and that no errors occurred, or it will report a brief 

error diagnostic. The example shows a successful run, indicating the run number (Run 5) and the 

time and date of the run. The user can also view the Run Error Log for the error status of 

previous runs by clicking the down arrow on the right side of the "Select Run" button. 

/Note Not all error log messages indicate invalid results. For example, "Warning: RunSpec 

doesn't have all the RoadTypes", indicates a problem with the RunSpec only if the user 

had intended to include all roadtypes. 

 

2.3.5 Post Processing 

MOVES output databases can be viewed and processed directly using MYSQL Query 

Browser or other database tools. In addition, MOVES provides a few simple options to postprocess and view the MOVES results. Post Processing contains three menu options, Run 
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MySQL Script on Output Database, Produce Summary Report, and Produce State/County 

Map. These features can be used after a successful execution of a MOVES RunSpec to further 

process the MOVES results into more aggregate or easy-to-use formats. 

2.3.5.1 Run MySQL Script on Output Database 

The Run MySQL Script on Output Database menu option enables the user to select 

from a set of MySQL scripts to further process the MOVES output databases stored in the 

MySQL database format. After selecting this menu option, the user clicks on the arrow in the 

scroll down box to view all the available scripts. After identifying the script to use, the user 

selects a post-processing script by clicking to highlight it. To execute the script, the user clicks 

the "OK" button. 

Several scripts are distributed with Draft MOVES2009. The first script, 

MOVESOutputDecodeExample.sql" is an example script that decodes the SourceUseType and 

FuelType fields from numerical code classification to the full text description. The script 

produces two new output tables with the expanded text descriptions: 

decodedmovesactivityoutput and decodedmovesoutput. 

The second script "TabbedOutput.sql" takes three MOVES MySQL output tables 

(MOVESOutput, MOVESActivityOutput and MOVESRun) and converts them into tabdelimited text files that can be read by a spreadsheet program such as Excel or Lotus123. This is 

useful if the user does not want to work with the results in the MySQL relational database 

format. In DRAFT MOVES2009, this can also be done with the Summary Reporting feature. 

!Tip The Run MySQL Script on Output Database Post Processing feature of MOVES also 

allows the user to run user-created MySQL scripts. Each user-created post-processing 

script must be a text file containing Structured Query Language (SQL) commands, and 

containing a .sql file extension. Detailed instructions on writing a MySQL script are 

beyond the scope of this document. To access user-created scripts from the tool bar, the 

completed script must be saved to the OutputProcessingScripts subfolder of the Database 

subfolder of the MOVES program folder. In other words, the path should be similar to the 

following: C:\...\MOVES\Database\OutputProcessingScripts. 

2.3.5.2 Produce Summary Report 

The Produce Summary Report menu option allows the user to summarize and report 

the output of one or more MOVES runs in a variety of ways. Reports can be viewed on the 

screen, printed, or saved in an ASCII text form that is easily imported into other software formats 

such as Microsoft Excel. The Summary Reporter makes it easy to display and print summary 
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reports of MOVES Output information and convert them to ASCII text files. For the Summary 

Reporter to operate properly, the run specification which produced the output, or one sufficiently 

similar to it, needs to be loaded in MOVES. 

When Produce Summary Report is selected and suitable run specification has been 

loaded, a popup appears asking the user to specify an emission process to be reported. The 

default option (which is the only option if the run did not distinguish results by emission process) 

is to combine the output results for all emission processes included in the run specification. But 

in many cases the user will want to select an emission process from the drop down list. "Evap 

Permeation" is selected in this example: 

Clicking "OK" allows the user to specify the content and level of report aggregation. 

This screen allows the user to: 

1. Give the report a title. The default title is "Summary Report" but the user may change 

this in the text field. 
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2. Specify the base portion of the file names which will be used to store various portions of 

the report. The default file name root is "SummaryReport" but the user should change 

this in the text field. 

 

aCaution! Files which already have this base file name will be overwritten without warning if 

reports are generated with the same base file name. 

3. Select one or more runs to be reported. Their output must have been stored in the same 

output database named in the active run specification. The twelve most recent runs are 

available for selection. In the example shown, two runs have been selected. Note that 

these two runs were made with the same run specification. 

aCaution! Care should be taken to compare runs with the same scope and level of output 

detail. 

4. Choose the categories to be distinguished in the report. At least one category must be 

selected. The category list is based on the run specification. The fewer categories 

selected, the more aggregate the report will be. Dimensions not distinguished when the 

run was made are not included. The "Move to Top of List" button may be used to 

reorder the category list. The order of the list determines the sort order and the column 

order used in the report. In this example, several categories, including "MOVESRunID" 

have been selected. 

!Tip If multiple runs are included in the report, the user may wish to select the 

"MOVESRunID" category. Otherwise, the results of the multiple runs will be combined 

in the report. Conversely, if only a single run is included in the report, there is little reason 

to select the "MOVESRunID" category. 

5. Select the data items to be included in the report. At least one data item besides 

"Distance" must be selected. In this example only one data item, "Total Gaseous 

Hydrocarbons" is available, so it must be selected. 

6. Select the forms of output desired. The report always produces a set of three MySQL 

tables placed in the output database. There is no selection governing this. If a screen 

display of the report is desired, the user checks the "Display on Screen" box. If ASCII 

tab-separated variable file output is desired, the user checks the "Produce Tabbed 

Output" box. 

aCaution! If the output data is disaggregated by day or hour, the output database will contain 

results for only two days in each month - a weekday (dayID 5) and a weekend-day 

(dayID 2). Therefore, attempting to see a summary report for a month or year will 

not return valid result as these two types of days together are simply summed 

together. The user should distinguish by dayID in the report and then externally 

must properly weight the result according to the type of day to see meaningful 

result for a month (e.g. 22 weekdays and 9 weekend-days in a 31-day month) or 

year (e.g. 261 weekdays and 104 weekend-days in a 365-day year).
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Because the width of a report can be a constraining factor (for example, when printing the 

report) the "Estimate Report Width" button can be clicked. When this is done, as in the 

example screen above, an estimate of the width of the report with the currently selected items 

appears in the window. Printed report output is obtained by producing a screen report and then 

choosing to print. 

In the example shown above, all report options have been selected. When "OK" is 

clicked, the screen report, if requested, appears: 

Note that the report consists of three tabs: Header, Body, and Decode. The Body tab is 

the default view; the other tabs are accessed by clicking on them. The body of the report 

contains columns for each of the category and data items selected. Clicking on the Header tab 

displays the report title, date and time the report was made, several items of information about 

the run specification, and the emission process covered by the report. Clicking on the Decode

tab displays the decoded numeric codes included in the report, which are not self-explanatory. 
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When the user is done viewing the screen report, the user may click on "Print and Close 

Report" to print. Printing is in landscape format. Clicking on "Close Report" closes the report 

without printing it. 

aCaution! Both buttons close the report. The Summary Reporter does not store reporting 

options, other than the last report title and base file name used. Because 

information is not remembered between Summary Reporter runs, the user should 

not close the report until the user is done viewing it. 

Once any screen report has been closed, and if ASCII tab-separated reporting has been 

selected, the user is prompted for a file directory in which to place the report output, and these 

files are written. 

2.3.5.3 Produce State/County Map 

The Produce State/County Map menu option allows the user to see the RunSpec output 

depicted in color-coded or gray-scaled maps. The maps can illustrate output at the county level, 

and represent value ranges of a single numerical variable which can be selected from a list by the 

user. It should be noted that this is a very basic mapping tool. For more sophisticated mapping 

options, you may want to apply GIS tools or other software to the MOVES database output. 

For the Produce State/County Map tool to operate properly, the run specification which 

produced the output, or one sufficiently similar to it, needs to be loaded in MOVES. When the 

user chooses the Produce State/County Map menu feature, the Generate State/County Map

window opens and displays the name of the source database for the map generation at the top of 

the window. (The source database for the map generation is the database containing the output 

of the RunSpec.) 

 

To view RunSpec output on a map, the user must first choose a table contained in the 

output database that has "CountyID" or “StateID” as a column and associates each emission 

quantity with each county or state selected only once; in other words, if there are multiple entries 

for the same pollutant in the same county, then the Produce State/County Map tool cannot be 

utilized. For example, if all 24 hours were modeled and the level of output detail was chosen to 
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be “Hour”, then there are at least 24 values for each pollutant in each county and the 

“MovesOutput” table cannot be used. It is possible for the "MovesOutput" table to be used if 

the user has appropriately defined or aggregated their RunSpec; however, it is more likely that 

the user will have to use the Summary Reporter to generate a table that fits the necessary 

criteria. 

Once a table with the attributes described above is created, it can be selected in the 

“Table” drop-down menu. The State or County FIPS Column box will be automatically 

populated with "CountyID" or “StateID”, instructing the mapping tool to consider output data at 

the county or state level. Next, the user should specify data to depict by selecting an output 

parameter in the Data Column dropdown menu. By choosing a column from the selected table, 

the user instructs the mapping tool to use results from the RunSpec to generate the map output. 

After making selections in this window, the user should click "Next". 

A window allowing the user to define map attributes opens. The user can choose "Full

Color" or "Grayscale" using the Colors drop-down box, and can customize the map using the 

check boxes and defining minimum and maximum data values for the emissions output data. 

When the user clicks "Next", the map output is generated. 

2.3.6 Settings 

Settings include one menu option, Configure MOVES. This menu option allows the 

user to set the basic MOVES operating configuration. 
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First, the user can specify the default input database by identifying the default server on 

which the MOVES input database is stored and the name of the default database. In most cases, 

"localhost" is the chosen server, although the user may select an alternate server (such as the 

MySQL database located on the user's computer) by typing the server name in the Server box. 

Next the user can choose from a drop-down list to define the default database to be used as a data 

source for the MOVES RunSpec. In most cases, the user will choose "MOVESDBDraft2009" 

The user also can select a server to house the default output database server under the Settings 

menu option; "localhost" is appropriate in most cases. The actual output database file is named 

when selecting Output from the Navigation Panel to specify output parameters as part of the 

MOVES RunSpec setup process. 

aCaution! If the Default Input Database is changed the program should be stopped and 

restarted. This is because the user interface program will have already connected to 

the previously specified database in order to have constructed the GUI displays, 

which might not be relevant for a different database. 

Using the Settings menu option, the user also can identify the Shared Distributed Folder 

Path for the MOVES Worker and MOVES Master program modules. This is the Windows 

folder where all intermediate and internal MOVES work files are stored during processing. This 

folder is installed as part of the MOVES program installation. The user should browse his 

system to find where this folder was installed and indicate the exact location. It may not be the 

same path as shown in the example above. 

!Tip By changing the Shared Distributed Folder path, the user can take advantage of distributed 

processing by having the master and multiple worker computers on the same network 

“point” to a drive and folder that is accessible to all the computers involved. For more 

information about utilizing distributed processing, please consult the Draft MOVES2009 

Software Design and Reference Manual. 
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2.3.7 Help 

Help provides access to .pdf versions of the MOVES User Guide and the MOVES 

Software Design and Reference Manual, and supplies general information about the version of 

MOVES being used. 

Choose MOVES User Guide or MOVES Software Design/Reference Manual to open 

either of these documents in .pdf format. 

Choose About MOVES in the Help menu to obtain the release date of the model. This 

indicates which version of MOVES is open. In addition to the version, the EPA copyright and 

GNU General Public License (GPL) information is provided. The GNU license grants the user, 

free of charge, complete access to the object and source code of the MOVES program for 

personal use. For specific details regarding the GNU license, the user should consult the website 

http:/www.gnu.org.licenses/. 

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Appendix A - Displaying and Editing Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance 

(I/M) Program Coverage Information 

The Display/Edit IM Program Coverage Records menu option can be accessed from 

the Pre Processing drop-down menu in the Main Menu bar or through the “IM” tab in the 

County Data Manager and Project Domain Manager. This menu option gives the user access 

to a set of features called the I/M Coverage Editor, which allows the user to display and modify 

vehicle inspection maintenance (I/M) program coverage information. 

Although current local data may be more accurate, the MOVES default database is 

intended to contain I/M coverage data on a county/year/pollutant/fuel type/vehicle type basis for 

all I/M programs in the United States. The defaults will automatically be used in MOVES runs 

unless the I/M Coverage Editor is used to create new user input database that overlays the default 

IM coverage data. If the user opens the I/M Coverage Editor directly, the new user input 

database will be listed in the MOVES Manage Input Datasets panel. If the user opens the I/M 

Coverage Editor through the County Data Manager or the Project Domain Manager, the 

modified I/M coverage data will be stored in the database created by that tool, as entered on the 

Geographic Bounds panel. 

The I/M Coverage Editor requires that the MOVES RunSpec specify the calendar years, 

locations (states or counties), source use types, and pollutant-processes of interest. The I/M 

Coverage Preprocessor will not open until these MOVES RunSpec inputs have been made. 

!Tip The user is encouraged to successfully complete (i.e., green checkmarks) all of the main 

MOVES RunSpec check-list items before accessing the I/M Coverage Editor. 

When the Display/Edit IM Program Coverage Records menu option is selected, 

MOVES will show the IM Coverage in MOVES window. 
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This panel displays the I/M coverage information pertinent to the RunSpec. A scroll bar 

enables the user to see the complete list of the I/M coverage information, which includes the 

following fields: 

● Process. 

/Note MOVES I/M emission effects are applied to Running Exhaust and Evaporative Fuel 

Vapor Venting processes. I/M Emission effects for Starts are not functional in Draft 

MOVES2009.

● Pollutant. 

/Note MOVES I/M emission effects are applied only to HC, CO and NOX pollutants.

● County. 

● Year-- that is, the calendar year in which the IM program applies 

● Fuel-- that is, the fuel-type of the vehicle subject to the program. 

● Regulatory class. 

● Old Vehicle Age/New Vehicle Age - These fields specify the age range covered in the 

chosen I/M program. The allowable range is zero to thirty years (years beyond thirty can 

be entered and performance will not be affected). 

● Inspection Frequency - The three possible inputs for Inspection Frequency are annual, 

biennial, and continuous. 

aCAUTION! I/M emission effects are not currently available for a continuous I/M program. 
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● Compliance Factor - The Compliance Factor reflects the level of motorist compliance 

that the particular I/M program achieves. Different levels of compliance can be entered 

for each I/M program identification number. Only values between 0 and 100 are valid. 

/Note The I/M Compliance Factor is a multiplicative factor that adjusts a particular I/M 

program for losses associated with motorists who do not comply with the requirements 

of the I/M program. Typically, this includes motorists whose vehicles fail I/M but are 

not repaired or insufficiently repaired and continue to operate in the program area, as 

well as motorists whose vehicles are subject to I/M but are never tested. 

● Test Type/Test Standards - The Test Type and Test Standards selected should be 

consistent with each other (i.e., ASM (Acceleration Simulation Mode) test type with 

ASM cutpoints, transient test type with IM240 cutpoints, evaporative test type with 

evaporative tests). Failure to select consistent test types and test standards will result in 

error messages later. 

● Pgm ID - The Pgm ID column contains a program identification number to distinguish 

multiple I/M programs applying to the same vehicles. An I/M program is a combination 

of beginning and end model years, inspection frequency, test type, test standards and 

compliance factor. The Pgm ID must be an integer from 1 to 999. If multiple I/M 

programs apply to the same combination of county, state, year, pollutant, process, fuel, 

and regulatory class, each program must have a distinct program ID. 

● Ignore - The Ignore column is a Yes/No toggle for the use of the I/M coverage 

information, and can be modified by using the "Ignore I/M" and "Use I/M" buttons 

described later in this section. A value of 'N' is the default and signifies that MOVES 

will use the I/M coverage information. A value of 'Y' means either that there is no I/M 

program or that it is completely ineffective (i.e., non-I/M emission rates are used in the 

MOVES emission calculations). In this case, MOVES will ignore the chosen record 

when calculating I/M coverage effects, effectively creating a no I/M condition for the 

chosen combination of county, year, fuel type, regulatory class, and pollutant-process. 

!Tip Setting all of the I/M Coverage records to Ignore = 'Y' will completely shut off the effect of 

I/M for the RunSpec. 

The lower panel in the IM Coverage in MOVES window includes a message panel that 

displays error messages if the user input data is incorrect. The middle panel contains the 

following buttons: 

Print Report 

Edit Selected Records 

Generate New and Replacement Records 

Export 

Import 

Ignore I/M 

Use I/M 

Delete 

Exit 
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These are described below. 

Print Report Button: The user may print a report of the contents of the IM Coverage 

in MOVES window by clicking the "Print Report" button, which brings up a dialog box with 

standard Microsoft Print functions. The user may choose to print the information to a printer or 

other virtual network device. 

Edit Selected Records Button: The "Edit Selected Records" button will be inactive 

until the user selects a record or set of records from the IM Coverage in MOVES window. The 

user may select a single record by clicking on it. 

aCaution! The "Edit Selected Records" button should be used to edit only one record at a 

time. To edit multiple records at once, the user can use the "Generate New and 

Replacement Records" button as described later in this section. 

When the user selects one or more records, the "Edit Selected Records" button becomes 

active and may be used to change the data values in the selected records. If this button is 

selected, a window appears asking the user to Choose a User Input Database. 

/Note If the I/M Coverage Editor is accessed through the County Data Manager or Project 

Domain Manager, the associated user input database is used. 

The user should normally leave the server name field set to "localhost". An existing user 

input database, which must contain an I/M Coverage Table, can be specified in the database 

field, or a new database name can be entered and created by clicking on the "Create Database" 

button. A window will appear confirming that the database was created. 

 

/Note Operations in the I/M Coverage Editor create an overlay database extending or 

superseding the values in the default database. These operations do not change the 

default database values. 

aCaution! The user should be careful when selecting existing databases from the list of 

databases in the "Choose a User Input database" window. The I/M Coverage 

Editor tools have the ability to alter data without an 'undo' function in any MySQL 

database that contains an I/M Coverage table (except the current, active MOVES 

input database). An input or delete error may lead the user to inadvertently modify 

previous work. 
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Clicking the "Cancel" button in the Choose a User Input Database window aborts the 

editing operation. Clicking on the "OK" button will cause the program to display the IM 

Coverage Details window. 

The IM Coverage Details window allows the user to enter program data that will 

substitute for the default values in a particular I/M Coverage record. These fields are the same at 

those in the IM Coverage Details window, described above. 

Once the user has made any edits, clicking on the "OK" button enters the new values into 

the user's I/M Coverage database, while clicking on the "Cancel" button closes the IM 

Coverage Details panel without saving the new data. 

Generate New and Replacement Records: The Generate New and Replacement 

Records is similar to the Edit Selected Records in its effect, but it allows the user to change 

multiple records at the same time. 

When the "Generate New and Replacement Records" button is selected, the Choose a 

User Input Database window shown earlier appears. 

/Note If the I/M Coverage Editor is accessed through the County Data Manager or Project 

Domain Manager, the associated user input database is used. 

The user should normally leave the server name field set to "localhost". An existing 

database, which must contain an I/M Coverage Table, can be specified in the database field, or a 

new database name can be entered and created by clicking on the "Create Database" button. A 

window will appear confirming that the database was created. 

Clicking on the "Cancel" button in the Choose a User Input Database window aborts 

the editing operation. Clicking on the "OK" button causes the program to display the IM 

Coverage Categories window, which allows the user to enter larger amounts of alternative I/M 

Coverage data at one time into a MOVES user database. 
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!Tip The user may have to expand the IM Coverage Categories window to see the text in each 

column. 

This window contains five columns of I/M coverage data - Pollutants, Counties, Years, 

Fuels, and Reg(ulatory) Class - displaying only those entries selected by the user in the general 

MOVES RunSpec. Alternate I/M coverage records cannot be generated for pollutants, counties, 

years, fuels and regulatory classes that have not been already specified by the user in a MOVES 

RunSpec. Within each column, the user may either choose all of the entries using the "All" 

buttons or select individual entries using a mouse. The user must select at least one entry in each 

column. The user must also specify a value between 1 and 999 in the "IM Program ID" box, and 

should choose "IM Program ID" values that have not been used already if a new I/M program is 

being created (see the IM Coverage in MOVES window). 

/Note The user can select an existing “IM Program ID” to modify the I/M program with that 

ID. 

Clicking on the "OK" button opens the IM Coverage Details panel described above. 

Clicking on the "Cancel" button closes the IM Coverage Categories window without saving the 

new data. 

!Tip MOVES does not allow more than one I/M coverage record for each combination of 

pollutant, process, county, year, fuel type, regulatory class, and model year. The duplicate 

record error, "Error: Duplicate Active Program", is common, and often indicates an issue 

with multiple programs applying to the same model year. Careful review of the oldest and 

newest vehicle ages in your input file may help eliminate this error. 

Export Button: The "Export" button allows the user to export the selected I/M 

coverage records to an external file or spreadsheet. An error message will result if no records are 

selected and the "Export" button is selected. If the "Export" button is selected and I/M 

coverage records are selected, the Export IM Programs window will open. The user may select 
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the folder and file in which to store the I/M coverage data. The data will be saved in tabdelimited format or the user can define the file path to save it as an Excel or text file. The 

primary function of the "Export" button is to allow the user to export selected records to an 

external file (e.g., a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet) for editing. The "Export" button will 

automatically export the correct names and spelling for the process, pollutant and county names. 

After editing the I/M coverage records, the user will typically import the data back into MOVES 

using the I/M "Import" button. 

Import Button: The I/M "Import" button allows the user to import I/M coverage 

records from an external text file or spreadsheet into a user input database. Selecting the 

"Import" button opens the Import IM window, allowing the user to select the folder and file 

where the desired I/M coverage data are stored. These files may be tab- or comma-delimited 

text, or in Microsoft Excel XLS files. If an Excel workbook with multiple worksheets is 

selected, MOVES will prompt the user to select the desired individual worksheet within the 

workbook.

Next, the Choose a User Input database window will prompt the user to select the 

database where the imported I/M data will be written. The server name field should normally be 

"localhost". An existing database with an I/M Coverage Table can be specified in the database 

field, or a new database can be created by entering a new database name and clicking the 

"Create Database" button. A panel will confirm that the database was created. 

The I/M data importer requires that the import data file have a full set of correct column 

headings. For most of the inputs, the user must use the abbreviated name (aka “shortName). 

Gasoline vehicles should be indicated with the text "Gasol". The I/M data importer will also 

generate an error message - "Error: Duplicate Active Program" - if there are duplicate data 

errors. As with the "Edit Selected Records" and the "Generate New and Replacement 

Records" buttons, the user can enter no more than one I/M coverage record for each 

combination of pollutant, process, county, year, fuel type, regulatory class, and model year. 

!Tip To generate an I/M data file for input, we recommend first exporting the desired records. 

The export utility will automatically export the correct column headers and default data 

values. Users can then use a spreadsheet or text editor to make data changes, such as 

changing compliance rates. The user can refer to the “emissionprocess”, “pollutant”, and 

“regulatoryclass” tables in the MOVES default database, and the “imtesttype”, and 

“imteststandards” tables below to see the available options for the “Process”, “Pollutant”, 

“Regulatory Class”, “Test Type”, and “Test Standards” columns, respectively. The 

appropriate “shortName” for each column should be entered, except for “Regulatory Class” 

where the “regClassName” should be used. Once changes are made, the data file can be 

imported with the "Import"button. 

MOVES I/M Test Types 

testTypeID testTypeDesc shortName

1 Exhaust Basic Test (Idle, 2500/Idle, Loaded/Idle) Idle Basic

2 Exhaust Acceleration Simulation Mode Test 

(ASM)

ASM

3 Exhaust Transient Test (IM240, IM147) IM240/IM147

4 Evaporative Emissions Tests (EVAP) Evaporative

5 Exhaust Onboard Diagnostics Test (OBD) OBD
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MOVES I/M Test Standards 

testStandardsID testStandardsDesc shortName 

11 Unloaded Idle Test Unloaded Idle 

12 Two-mode, 2500 RPM/Idle Test 2500 RPM/Idle 

13 Loaded / Idle Test Loaded/Idle 

21 ASM 2525 Phase-in Cutpoints A2525 Phase 

22 ASM 5015 Phase-in Cutpoints A5015 Phase 

23 ASM 2525/5015 Phase-in Cutpoints A2525/5015 Phase 

24 ASM 2525 Final Cutpoints A2525 Final 

25 ASM 5015 Final Cutpoints A5015 Final 

26 ASM 2525/5015 Final Cutpoints A2525/5015 Final 

31 IM240 Phase-in Cutpoints IM240 Phase 

32 IM147 Phase-in Cutpoints IM147 Phase 

33 IM240 Final Cutpoints IM240 Final 

34 IM147 Final Cutpoints IM147 Final 

41 Evaporative Gas Cap Check Evp Cap 

42 Evaporative System Pressure Check Evp Pressure 

43 Evaporative System OBD Check Evp OBD 

44 Evaporative Gas Cap and Pressure Check Evp Cap,Prs 

45 Evaporative Gas Cap and OBD Check Evp Cap,OBD 

46 Evaporative Pressure and OBD Check Evp Prs,OBD 

47 Evaporative Gas Cap, Pressure and OBD Check Evp Cap,OBD,Prs 

51 Exhaust OBD Check Exhaust OBD 

Delete Button: The "Delete" button allows the user to delete previously modified or 

imported I/M coverage data from a user input database, thus reversing the effects of a data 

import using the "Import" button. It does not allow the user to delete I/M coverage records from 

the default MOVES database. At least one record must be selected from the IM Coverage in 

MOVES window before being deleted using the "Delete" button. 

After of the user selects one or more records and clicks on the "Delete" button, the 

Choose a User Input database window shown earlier will open. 

/Note If the I/M Coverage Editor is accessed through the County Data Manager or Project 

Domain Manager, the associated user input database is used. 

The user should normally set the server name field to "localhost." The existing user input 

database in which the selected record(s) reside will be visible in the "Database" field. Selecting 

the "OK" button will delete the selected records, while selecting the "Cancel" button will cancel 

the delete process and close the Choose a User Input database window. 

/Note After a record is deleted using the "Delete" button, it is removed from the user input 

database but not the default MOVES database. As a result, the user will often notice 

that the I/M coverage record displayed in the IM Coverage in MOVES panel has been 

changed from a user-supplied value to the default value. The number of records 

appearing on the IM Coverage in MOVES screen will often stay the same. 

Ignore I/M Button: To "turn off" I/M for one or more records in the IM Coverage in 

MOVES window, the user can highlight record(s) using the mouse and the Shift key (for more 
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than one record), and then click the "Ignore I/M" button. The Choose a User Input database

window will allow the user to select the server and database where this change will be written. 

The server should generally be left at 'localhost', and the user can select an existing database 

which contains an IMCoverage Table, or create a new one by entering a name and clicking the 

"Create Database" button. A panel appears confirming that the database was created. Clicking 

the "OK" button closes this panel. This action will not modify the default MOVES input 

database. If the user sets all of the I/M Coverage records to Ignore = "Y", the effect of I/M will 

be shut off for the RunSpec.

Use I/M Button: As with the "Ignore I/M" button, if the user wants to change the status 

of records in the IM Coverage in MOVES window from "Y" to "N", the user can highlight 

record(s) using the mouse and the Shift key (for more than one record), and then click the "Use 

I/M" button. The user will have to select a server and database to which to write the changes, as 

is described in the instructions for the "Ignore I/M" button.

Exit Button: The user can click on the "Exit" button to close the IM Coverage in 

MOVES window. 

Use of the I/M Compliance Rate in MOVES: The I/M compliance rate is a discounting 

factor expressed as a percentage that accounts for less than perfect operation of a real-world I/M 

program. It attempts to account for emission benefit losses associated with motorists who refuse 

to comply with the I/M program by not getting their vehicle tested, losses from failing vehicles 

that are either not repaired or inadequately repaired, and other miscellaneous losses. The 

MOVES model contains default values for I/M compliance rate for most I/M programs in the 

United States. These default values were obtained from the 2005 EPA National Emission 

Inventory data files. The distribution of I/M compliance rates range from 83 percent to 100 

percent, with more than half of the I/M programs having a value of 93 percent - a 7% loss of 

potential benefit. The I/M Coverage Editor in MOVES allows the user to modify the default 

values in the range from zero percent (if the I/M program is completely ineffective) to 100 

percent (signifying no losses). 

/Note EPA plans to provide guidance on developing appropriate local I/M compliance rates. 

I/M Compliance and Geographic Pre-Aggregation in MOVES: If the user selects 

National Domain/Scale in MOVES, the I/M data can be pre-aggregated to the state, or national 

level. If the user selects "State" or "Nation" inputs on the Geographic Bounds panel, MOVES 

will calculate emissions as an appropriate weighted average of the applicable I/M and non-I/M 

emission rates. 
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Appendix B - Linking MySQL Tables from MS ACCESS or MS Excel 

(includes ODBC usage) 

This Appendix describes in detail how the user can transform MOVES MySQL tables 

into Microsoft ACCESS database tables or Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. This may be useful for 

those who wish to view or manipulate these tables in an alternate format. This appendix also 

explains how to use the Open Database Connectivity interface protocols and tools. 

Adding a MySQL database as an ODBC User Data Source 

1. Install MySQL driver, MyODBC-3.51.06.exe. 

2. Create an ODBC data source with the same name as the folder which corresponds to the 

MySQL database. 

a. In the Control Panel, select "Administrative Tools": 
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b. In the "Administrative Tools" menu, select "Data Sources (ODBC)": 

c. In the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog choose to "Add" a "User Data 

Source." 
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d. The "New Data Source" should use the MySQL ODBC Driver that was installed 

earlier (step 2a.). Scroll through the list until the MySQL ODBC driver is found, 

highlight it, and click the "Finish" button. 

e. Next, the database links need to be defined. The values shown below are for a 

database called "movesdefault". The database name should be the name of the folder 

which contains the desired MySQL database files (i.e., the MySQL database name). 
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f. Once the database name and the data source name have been changed to an existing 

MySQL database name, the database connection can be checked by clicking on the 

"Test Data Source" button. 

g. The added data source will show up in the list of data sources in the ODBC Data 

Source Administrator dialog. This will finish the process of creating a new ODBC 

data source associated with a particular MySQL database. 
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Using Microsoft Access with MySQL Tables 

1. Run an Access .mdb (either a new one or an existing one). 

2. On the top menu bar, look for menu items "File", "Get External Data", then "Link 

Tables ..." (see picture below). Click on the item "Link Tables..." 

3. On the pop-up window like the one shown below, choose "ODBC Databases()" from the 

drop-down list which is located next to the label "Files of type". 
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4. Another pop-up window similar to the one below will appear. Click on the tab Machine 

Data Source, to select a database of interest. 

In this example NMIM20070812 is chosen from the Data Source Name column. Select 

OK to load the data into Access. 
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If the Data Source Name of the file is not listed, the user must follow the instructions 

provided in the section, "How to create a DSN Connection to a MySQL database" 

presented later in this appendix. 

5. Once the data is loaded into access, the "Link Tables" window shown below will appear. 

This screen displays all of the database tables that are visible in Access. The user may 

select tables to view, and click the "OK" button. 

In the screenshot shown below, the user has chosen three tables to work with in MS 

Access: baseyearvmt, county, and state. The user can now work with these tables in MS 

Access. 

 

aCaution! Edits made to the tables or data in MS Access will not affect the original MySQL 

tables and can not be used directly in MOVES. 
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The user can view data specific to a particular state by clicking on the StateName in the table. 

How to create a DSN Connection to a MySQL database. 

If the user does not find the MySql database referenced in the Data Source Name listing in MS 

Access, a DSN connection must be established. In order to do so, click on the Machine Data 

Source tab from the Select Data Source screen. Click the “New” button, and select "Next>". 
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At the Create New Data Source Dialog box, select MySQL ODBC 3.51 Driver. Click “Next >”. 

Click "Finish" to begin to establish the connection. 
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The Connector/ODBC screen is used to establish the connection from MS Access to the 

MySQL database. Use this screen to define the “Data Source Name”. 

/Note Consider making the Data Source Name similar to the database name, such as 

DSN_DatabaseName. This will make it easier to find. 

Once the Data Source Name has been created, select the "Test" button. The popup box 

Connector/ODBC should open, with the message, "Success; connection was made!" Press OK, 

and the popup box will disappear. Click OK to create the DSN connection. 
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. 

The Data Source Name will now be listed in the Select Data Source window. 

Using Microsoft Excel with MySQL Tables 

1. Follow the instructions in the section "Adding a MySQL database as an ODBC User Data 

Source" for adding the desired MySQL database as an ODBC data source. 

2. Open an Excel file. Click on "Data" from the top menu bar, and choose "Import 

External Data". Select "New Database Query ..." from the sub-menu window. This 

will open the "Choose Data Source" window. 

3. From the Choose Data Source window, select the desired DSN from the list, e.g., 

"MOVESDB", then click "OK". 

4. Click the "OK" button in the "mysql Driver connect" window. 

5. Follow the instructions posted by the Wizard until finished. 
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Appendix C - Using the Batch Command Line Interface 

The MOVES command line allows MOVES to be executed without running its graphical 

user interface. It is useful in situations where repeated or unattended runs are needed, or for 

another computer program to execute MOVES. This interface presumes that a MOVES run 

specification file has been prepared and that the user is running from the DOS prompt. 

These instructions presume some familiarity with DOS commands. The DOS command 

to execute the MOVES Command Line Interface is: 

java MOVESCommandLine -r runspecfile 

 

[OR] 

java MOVESCommandLine -rl runspeclistfile 

where "runspecfile" is the name of a file containing a saved MOVES run specification and 

"runspeclistfile" is the name of a text file containing a list of run specification file names, with 

one per line. The rest of the syntax is literal. The spelling of "MOVESCommandLine" is case 

sensitive because it is a java class name. 

By executing one of these commands, the user runs the java interpreter (java.exe). 

MOVESCommandLine is a DOS parameter telling java.exe what java class file to begin 

executing, and the last two tokens are parameters passed to MOVESCommandLine. 

Either version of this command can be executed from a DOS batch file, and batch files 

can contain multiple commands. 

Prior to executing the command, the active directory should be set to the location where 

MOVES is installed, typically C:\Program Files\MOVES, and the SETENV.BAT file should be 

executed. 

It can be difficult for DOS to find everything. For the command to work, three elements 

must be found: 

● The java interpreter. 

● The MOVESCommandLine java class. 

● Any runspeclistfile and all runspecfiles. 

Running SETENV.BAT insures that the java interpreter is found. 

Running SETENV.BAT also insures that the procedure described in the next paragraph 

results in the MOVESCommandLine java class being found. Java experts can also use the 

CLASSPATH environment variable more directly to locate java class files. 
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If MOVES has been installed in the default location, C:\MOVES, then 

MOVESCommandLine.class is located at C:\MOVES\gov\epa\otaq\moves\master\commandline. 

This can be made the active directory, or the command can specify whatever part of the path is 

needed. For example, if the active directory is C:\MOVES, the command line interface class 

would be specified as "gov.epa.otaq.moves.master.commandline.MOVESCommandLine". 

One way to insure that the runspecfile or the runspeclistfile is found is to specify the full 

path. If a simple file name is used the file should be located in the active DOS directory. 

If the GUI is used to create an importer XML file (see Section 2.3.3.2), the XML file can 

be edited and executed via the command line. Remember that when using the command line, 

text output is not sent to the screen but instead stored in MOVESBatch.log. An example 

command line is: 

java gov.epa.otaq.moves.master.commandline.MOVESCommandLine -e DEBUG 

 -i importAllFromTemplates.xml 

Be sure to place all of this on one line. The “-e DEBUG” portion ensures that all 

messages will be captured, even if they are just informational. The “-i” option directs MOVES 

to the XML file that describes the import actions to occur. Note that this XML file essentially 

contains a RunSpec within it, thus allowing wildcards even when importing via the command 

line. 
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Appendix D - Creating an On-Road Retrofit Input File 

The "On-Road Retrofit" strategy, described in Section 2.9.9 allows the user to enter 

information about diesel trucks and buses that have been retrofit with emission control 

equipment. An On-Road Retrofit Parameters File must be input to the MOVES model to model 

on-road vehicle retrofit effects. This file can be in tab-delimited text, comma-delimited (*.csv), 

or Microsoft Excel (*.XLS) format. The user must create the Retrofit Parameters File by using 

either a text editor such as Wordpad or Notepad, or a spreadsheet such as Excel. 

A. Header and Comment Rows 

The first row of the Retrofit Parameter File must be a header row that contains the retrofit 

input parameter names separated by tabs. The remaining rows of the file contain the retrofit 

parameters. Comment rows are allowed if the first character in the row or the first cell in the 

tabbed file or *.XLS file is the '#' character. 

B. Retrofit Parameter File Format 

The Retrofit Parameter File must contain the following ten parameters in the order listed. 

Each parameter's possible values are provided. 

1. Retrofit Pollutant 

This column must contain the full MOVES pollutant name or the pollutant abbreviation 

for which the user wishes to model retrofit data. (In Draft MOVES2009 the user should not use 

the MOVES PollutantID number.) The data must appear exactly as shown in Table D-1 below, 

except that the pollutant abbreviation and/or full name input are not case sensitive. 

Table D-1 

Retrofit Parameter File Pollutants 

PollutantID Full MOVES Pollutant Name Pollutant Abbreviation 

1 Total Gaseous Hydrocarbons HC 

2 Carbon Monoxide (CO) CO 

3 Oxides of Nitrogen NOX

5 Methane (CH4) CH4

6 Nitrous Oxide (N2O) N2O 

90 Atmospheric CO2 AT CO2

91 Total Energy Consumption TotEnergy 

92 Petroleum Energy Consumption PetEnergy 
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93 Fossil Fuel Energy Consumption FossilEnergy 

(cont.)

Table D-1 

Retrofit Parameter File Pollutants (cont.) 

PollutantID Full MOVES Pollutant Name Pollutant Abbreviation 

98 CO2 Equivalent CO2EQ 

101 Primary PM10 - Organic Carbon PM10OC 

102 Primary PM10 - Elemental Carbon PM10EC 

105 Primary PM10 - Sulfate Particulate PM10Sulfate 

106 Primary PM10 - Brakewear Particulate PM10Brake 

107 Primary PM10 - Tirewear Particulate PM10Tire 

111 Primary PM2.5 - Organic Carbon PM25OC 

112 Primary PM2.5 - Elemental Carbon PM25EC 

115 Primary PM2.5 - Sulfate Particulate PM25Sulfate 

116 Primary PM2.5 - Brakewear Particulate PM25Brake 

117 Primary PM2.5 - Tirewear Particulate PM25Tire 

2. Retrofit Emission Process Input 

This column must contain the full MOVES process name or the ProcessID abbreviation 

for which the user wishes to model retrofit data. In Draft MOVES2009, the user should not use 

MOVES ProcessID. The data must appear exactly as shown in Table D-2 below, except that the 

ProcessID abbreviation and full name are not case sensitive. 

Table D-2 

Retrofit Parameter File Processes 

ProcessID Full MOVES Process Name Process Abbreviation 

1 Running Exhaust Running 

2 Start Exhaust Start 

90 Extended Idle Exhaust Extended Idle 

9 Brakewear Brake 

10 Tirewear Tire 

3. Retrofit Fuel Type Input 
DRAFT MOVES2009 User Guide March 2009 

United States Environmental Protection Agency PageD-3 

This column must contain the full MOVES fuel name or the fuel abbreviation for which 

the user wishes to model retrofit data. In Draft MOVES2009, the user should not use 

FuelTypeID. The data must appear exactly as shown in Table D-3 below, except that the fuel 

abbreviation and full name are not case sensitive. 

Table D-3 

Retrofit Parameter File Fuel Types 

FuelTypeID 

Full MOVES Fuel Type 

Name Fuel Type Abbreviation 

1 Gasoline Gas 

2 Diesel Fuel Diesel 

5 Ethanol (E85) Ethanol 

4. Retrofit Vehicle Source Type Input 

This column must contain the Sourcetype abbreviation or the full MOVES Sourcetype 

name for which the user wishes to model retrofit data. In Draft MOVES2009, the user should 

not use SourceTypeID number. The data must appear exactly as shown in Table D-4 below, 

except that the sourcetype abbreviation and full name input are not case sensitive. 

In Draft MOVES2009, only diesel (FuelTypeID = 2) vehicles with the following 

SourceTypeIDs are covered by the Retrofit Calculations: 32, 41, 42, 43, 51, 52, 53, 61, and 62. 
March 2009 DRAFT MOVES2009 User Guide 

PageD-4 United States Environmental Protection Agency 

Table D-4 

Retrofit Parameter File Source Types

SourceTypeID 

Full MOVES Vehicle 

SourceType Name SourceType Abbreviation 

11 Motorcycle* MC 

21 Passenger Car* Car 

31 Passenger Truck* PTruck 

32 Light Commercial Truck ComTruck 

51 Refuse Truck RefuseTruck 

52 Single Unit Short-Haul Truck SUShortTruck 

53 Single Unit Long-Haul Truck SULongTruck 

54 Motor Home MH 

43 School Bus SBus 

42 Transit Bus TBus 

41 Intercity Bus IBus 

61 Combination Short-haul Truck CShortTruck 

62 Combination Long-haul Truck CLongTruck 

* These sourcetypes should not be used in retrofit input files. 

MOVES compares the user inputs for pollutant, process, fuel type, and source type with 

the stored retrofit possibilities and prompts the user if an incorrect name, abbreviation or number 

for pollutant, process, fuel type, or source type is entered. 

5. Initial Calendar Year of Retrofit Implementation 

The Initial Calendar Year of the Retrofit Implementation is the first calendar year that a 

retrofit program is administered. Initial Calendar Year input must be equal to or less than the 

Final Calendar Year of Retrofit Implementation. All months within a calendar year are affected 

equally by the retrofit. 

6. Final Calendar Year of Retrofit Implementation 

The Final Calendar Year of the Retrofit Implementation is the last calendar year that a 

retrofit program is administered. Final Calendar Year input must be equal to or greater than the 

Initial Calendar Year of Retrofit Implementation. 

7. Initial Model Year that will be Retrofit 

The Initial Model Year that will be Retrofit is the first model year of coverage for a 

particular vehicle class/pollutant combination. Valid entries for initial model year must meet the 

following mathematical requirement: 
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United States Environmental Protection Agency PageD-5 

Initial Model Year ≥ Initial Calendar Year - 30 

The Initial Model Year cannot be greater than the Final Model Year that will be Retrofit. 

8. Final Model Year that will be Retrofit 

The Final Model Year that will be retrofit is the last model year of coverage for a 

particular vehicle class/pollutant combination. No retrofit will be performed on Final Model 

Year input which is larger than the Evaluation Calendar Year. Also, the Final Model Year input 

cannot be less than the Initial Model Year that will be Retrofit. 

9. Percentage of the Fleet Retrofit per Year 

The Percentage of the Fleet Retrofit per Year represents the percentage of VMT of a 

particular fleet of a particular vehicle class, retrofit calendar year group, model year group, and 

pollutant combination that is to be rebuilt in a given calendar year. For a successful retrofit 

simulation, a value greater than zero and less than or equal to 100.0% must be entered. MOVES 

checks to ensure that the product of the number of calendar years of retrofit coverage (Final 

Calendar Year of Retrofit Implementation - Initial Calendar Year of Retrofit Implementation) 

and the Percentage of the Fleet Retrofit per Year does not exceed 100%. For example, a retrofit 

simulation will be flagged as invalid, and an error message will appear, if the simulation has a 

retrofit program start in calendar year 2005, a program end in calendar year 2008, and a yearly 

Fleet Retrofit Percentage of 50% (3 * 50% > 100%). 

10. Percentage Effectiveness of the Retrofit 

The Percentage Effectiveness of the Retrofit is the percent emission reduction achieved 

by a retrofit. It is computed from a non-retrofit emission baseline. The user must enter a retrofit 

effectiveness value for a particular vehicle class, retrofit calendar year group, model year group, 

and pollutant combination. All values up to 100% are valid. A negative value is permitted 

because it implies an emission increase as a result of retrofit, which can occur. A value greater 

than 100% is not permitted because it implies negative emissions will be generated. 

DRAFT MOVES2009 User Guide March 2009 

United States Environmental Protection Agency PageE-1 

Appendix E - Best Practices 

There are several “best practices” that can assist the user in managing various aspects of 

the MOVES process. In particular, we have found it helpful to be careful and consistent in 

naming, managing & documenting RunSpecs and files. 

Table E-1 

MOVES Best Practices 

Suggestion Rationale Example 

Name all your MOVES 

output databases with a code 

indicating that the database 

includes MOVES output 

Prevents overwriting 

input files; makes it 

easier to identify output 

files. 

Washtenaw2008_MO (for 

MOVES Output) or just 

Washtenaw2008_out 

When testing MOVES, name 

output with "Temp" or other 

indicator. 

Mysql/data folder can get 

cluttered. This allows 

you to clean up more 

easily 

Washtenaw2008_temp_MO 

Name all your MOVES 

input databases and strategy 

files with a code indicating 

that the database contains 

MOVES alternate input data. 

Helps you organize your 

inputs and prevents you 

from inadvertently 

damaging important input 

information. 

Washtenaw2008_IN 

Name all your MOVES run 

specification text files with a 

code indicating that the file 

contains a MOVES run spec. 

Helps you organize your 

input information and can 

be used to locate files 

using a search. 

Washtenaw2008.mrs (for 

MOVES Run Specification) or 

Washtenaw2008_mrs.txt 

Name all the files you use 

for a specific run using the 

same name, but with 

extensions to identify the 

parts (see file naming 

suggestions above). 

Helps you organize your 

information. 

Washtenaw2008_in, 

Washtenaw2008.mrs, 

Washtenaw2008_mo 
March 2009 DRAFT MOVES2009 User Guide 

PageE-2 United States Environmental Protection Agency 

Suggestion Rationale Example 

Keep all of your run 

specifications in the same 

directory (RunSpecs). This 

folder should be outside the 

folders installed by MOVES 

so that it will not be 

overwritten when installing a 

new version of MOVES. 

MOVES will always look 

in the last location you 

accessed, so keeping 

them all in one place 

keeps you from searching 

for your runspecs. 

My Documents\RunSpecs 

Decide on the Scale you 

wish to use before making 

selections on any other 

panels. 

Changing the Scale 

option after making 

choices in other panels 

may require you to re-do 

those panels. 

 

Using the description panel 

is helpful when trying to 

discriminate between several 

runs. Think about filling out 

some sort of repeatable 

formula such as date, 

relevant important 

parameters, who is doing the 

run, etc. 

Note that MOVES preserves 

these descriptions in the 

movesrun output table for 

future reference. 

Documentation of the 

RunSpec is very 

important, especially if 

many scenarios are being 

processed. 

 

Every run used for any 

official purpose should be 

archived completely. All 

batch files, RunSpecs, 

MOVES code and 

configuration files, 

supplemental code copied 

into MOVES by batch files, 

default database, user input 

databases, etc. should be 

saved. 

Months or years later, the 

run can be reproduced by 

anyone opening the 

archive. 
DRAFT MOVES2009 User Guide March 2009 

United States Environmental Protection Agency PageE-3 

Suggestion Rationale Example 

If they are not too large, 

output related runs should be 

saved to the same MySQL 

database 

Combined with useful 

Run descriptions, you can 

keep all the data, and its 

description in a single 

place. Looking at the 

Moves Run table in that 

database can be very 

informative. 

 

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United States Environmental Protection Agency PageF-1 

Appendix F - Scenario 1: Estimating Changes in CO2 using the AVFT 

Explanation of Scenario 1: Estimating Changes in CO2 using the AVFT 

This AVFT Scenario.mrs RunSpec (found in the User Guide Example files\AVFT 

Example folder on the MOVES Installation disk) demonstrates how the EPA’s Motor Vehicle 

Emission Simulator (MOVES) could be used to generate estimates of light-duty vehicle 

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and fuel use. The “policy scenario” discussed here consists of 

potential increases in car and truck CO2 standards, while the baseline scenario is similar to the 

MOVES defaults. To model these scenarios, we created new MOVES inputs to simulate 

potential vehicle CO2 limits. 

Creating new MOVES inputs involved multiple steps. First, Alternative Vehicle Fuels 

and Technologies (AVFT) files were created to model the CO2 limits. These files are used to 

specify the fraction of the vehicle fleet in a given calendar year that is comprised of vehicles of a 

certain vehicle technology (e.g., conventional gasoline, conventional diesel, electric vehicle, 

etc.). For simplicity, CO2 limits were simulated by shifting a fraction of the gasoline and diesel 

vehicle fleets into the electric vehicle (EV) fleet. Since EVs do not contribute to onroad CO2

emissions, shifting vehicles to the EV fleet has the same effect as improving the efficiency of the 

gasoline and diesel fleets in terms of total CO2 emissions. It should be noted this approach is not 

predicting that EVs will be used to meet tighter CO2 limits, it is simply a method used to achieve 

the desired overall fleet total CO2 levels. 

Use of the AVFT: 

This example uses the MOVES Alternate Vehicle Fuels and Technologies (AVFT) 

Strategy tool to estimate the effect of a change in fuel economy standards. Incorporating 

potential CO2 limits into the MOVES AVFT files was achieved by shifting a fraction of the 

gasoline and diesel fleets into the electric vehicle fleet to simulate increased fleetwide energy 

efficiency relative to the MOVES default assumptions. The basis of the MOVES CO2 estimates 

is energy consumed. We can model new potential CO2 limits by reducing energy consumption 

rates in MOVES using fuel consumption as a surrogate for these reductions; hence our 

discussion focuses on MPG. 

 Table II-1 shows the fuel economy assumptions for cars in the baseline and policy 

scenarios. These fuel economy values are unadjusted values (i.e. they are on the same basis as 

CAFE ratings), so they are higher than the actual onroad fuel economy; CAFE values were used 

to generate the percent reductions in fuel consumption that were used to calculate the on-road 

emissions calculated by MOVES. As MOVES simulates on-road fuel economy, the values 

output by the model will be lower than those in Table II-1 
March 2009 DRAFT MOVES2009 User Guide 

PageF-2 United States Environmental Protection Agency 

Table II-1 

MPG values for Baseline and Policy Scenarios 

Cars 

Model Year baseline Policy Scenario 

2001 29.8 29.8 

2002 29.8 29.8 

2003 29.8 29.8 

2004 29.8 29.8 

2005 29.8 29.8 

2006 29.8 29.8 

2007 29.8 29.8 

2008 29.6 29.6 

2009 29.7 29.7 

2010 29.7 29.7 

2011 30.1 30.1 

2012 30.4 30.4 

2013 30.7 30.9 

2014 30.7 32.2 

The diesel market share was assumed to be the same for both scenarios, as shown in 

Table II-2. 

Table II-2 

Diesel market share (%) 

Model year Cars 

2001 - 2010 1.0 

2011 1.2 

2012 1.3 

2013 1.3 

2014 1.3 

For a given model year, the percentage of electric vehicles was calculated based on the 

scenario fuel economy, and the diesel market share, as follows: 

⎥

⎥

⎥

⎥

⎦

⎤

⎢

⎢

⎢

⎢

⎣

⎡

⎟

⎟

⎟

⎟

⎠

⎞

⎜

⎜

⎜

⎜

⎝

⎛

−=

DefaultFuelEconomy

ScenarioFuelEconomy EV 1

1

Scenario 1% , 
DRAFT MOVES2009 User Guide March 2009 

United States Environmental Protection Agency PageF-3 

For example, the percentage of EVs for cars in MY 2014, for the policy scenario, was: 

%66.4

7.30

1

2.32

1

1% Scenario =

⎥

⎥

⎥

⎥

⎦

⎤

⎢

⎢

⎢

⎢

⎣

⎡

⎟

⎟

⎟

⎟

⎠

⎞

⎜

⎜

⎜

⎜

⎝

⎛

EV −= , 

The percentages of gasoline and diesel vehicles in the car and truck fleets were then 

calculated such that the percentages of diesels in the car and truck fleets, excluding the EVs, 

equaled the market share percentages specified in Table II-2, as follows: 

( )

% 1()%1( )

%1%

gasoline EV DieselMarketShare

diesel EV DieselMarketShare

−×−=

= − ×

For example, returning to cars in MY 2014, Policy scenario, the gasoline and diesel 

percentages were: 

 

 %diesel = (1-0.047) x .013 = 1.24% 

 %gasoline = (1- 0.047) x (1-0.013) = 94.10% 

The appropriate percentages were entered into the AVFT Scenario.mrs RunSpec using 

the AVFT. When the AVFT Scenario.mrs RunSpec is loaded into MOVES, the values can be 

viewed using the MOVES GUI AVFT Strategy panel. 

 

Running Scenario 1 

To run Scenario 1, start up the MOVES program, then use the File menu to Open the 

AVFT Scenario.mrs RunSpec. This RunSpec includes the AVFT information described above. 

Go to the General Output panel to create an output database named "Scenario1_mo". Use the 

File Menu command to save the RunSpec, then use the Action menu to Execute the run. The run 

will take between 10 and 30 minutes on most computers. 

Analysis of Results 

After running Scenario 1, use MySQL Query Browser or other database tools to examine 

the output database. 

1. You can check to see that the electric vehicles use no on-road energy. 

SELECT * FROM movesoutput m where yearid=2014 and modelyearid=2014 and 

sourcetypeid=21 and pollutantid=90; 

Look at the emissionquant column, and match it to the various fueltypes. Notice that fuel 

type 9 = 0 for both starts and running, while fuel types 1 and 2 have emission output. 
March 2009 DRAFT MOVES2009 User Guide 

PageF-4 United States Environmental Protection Agency 

2. Go to the movesoutput table, and select pollutant id for CO2 (90) along with the start and 

running processes (1 and 2). Sum the emission quantity (emissionquant) and record this value.

SELECT sum(emissionquant) FROM movesoutput m where yearid=2014 and 

modelyearid=2014 and sourcetypeid=21 and pollutantid=90 and fueltypeid in (1,2); 

3. Look at the movesactivityoutput table and in the year 2014, sum the VMT from the cars with 

the modelyear 2014. Record this value. 

SELECT sum(activity) FROM movesactivityoutput m where yearid=2014 and 

modelyearid=2014 and sourcetypeid=21; 

By including the electric fueled mileage in the activity output, you can simulate a CO2

standard for cars which is higher than the MOVES default. Dividing the emission output by the 

activity provides grams of CO2 per mile. This number can be compared against a similar run 

without an AVFT in order to compare the potential CO2 improvements over a baseline scenario. 

Remember, the MOVES output is based on-road fuel consumption, which is higher than 

indicated by CAFE standards. 
DRAFT MOVES2009 User Guide March 2009 

United States Environmental Protection Agency PageG-1 

Appendix G - Scenario 2: MOVES Project Level Example 

 

1. Definition of the MOVES Project 

In this example MOVES Runspec, the EPA’s Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator 

(MOVES) was used to generate emission inventory estimates from a hypothetical scenario where 

heavy-duty vehicle traffic is entering and departing a parking lot using a single roadway. Since 

this example is only for illustration of the MOVES software features, it was kept intentionally 

simple. It does not represent any specific real-world project. 

The Project constraints are: 

1. There are only two links (inbound and outbound from a parking lot) 

2. The two links and the off-network link are independent of each other. 

3. A simple off-network link contains all of the parking, extended idle and vehicle 

start operations. 

4. Only heavy-duty vehicles operate on the roadway and are present in the offnetwork area. 

5. The project example only models nitrogen oxide (NOx). 

6. One hour of operation was selected. If the user desired to model additional hours, 

then additional MOVES Projects need to be created. 

Figure 1 Basic Schematic of the Project 

Parking Lot Roadway Link

 Figure 1 shows a basic schematic of the Project to be modeled. It consists of a parking 

lot and a two-way road link leading in and out of the parking lot. The specific modeling 

parameters are shown and discussed in Tables 1, 2 and 3 below. 

 

 
March 2009 DRAFT MOVES2009 User Guide 

PageG-2 United States Environmental Protection Agency 

Table 1 

Summary of On-road Project Level Parameters 

Location County Washtenaw County, Michigan 

Calendar Year 2009 

Month January 

Time 11:00 PM to 11:59:59 PM (hour 24) 

Weekday/Weekend Weekday 

Temperature 28.5 F 

Humidity 69.5 % 

Road type of links (link1 and link 2) Rural Unrestricted Access – can represent 

any non freeway rural road 

Roadway Link Length (both links) 0.998 miles 

Link Traffic Volume – In (link 1) 100 vehicles per hour 

Link Traffic Volume – Out (link 2) 10 vehicles per hour 

Link Average Speed – In (link 1) 28.5 miles per hour 

Link Average Speed – Out (link 2) 28.5 miles per hour 

 

 Only one county may be chosen for a given project level run. In this example, 

Washtenaw County, Michigan was chosen. Any of the 3,222 counties or a generic county 

(defined by the user) may be chosen. Only one calendar year, one month and one hour may be 

chosen for a given project level run. If the user desires to model more than one such entity (i.e., 

all 24 hours), then they must perform additional and separate project level runs. It is suggested 

for such runs that the user employ MOVES batch mode features. A project level run may 

include either weekday or weekend or both. In this example only weekday was included. A 

temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (28.5 F), and relative humidity of (69.5 percent) were also 

used. These are the default MOVES values for this county, month and hour. However, any 

reasonable values may be entered for these parameters. 

 For each roadway link the user must specify a MOVES road type which best represents 

it. In this example, the rural unrestricted access road type was chosen to represent both links. 

The user must also specify a roadway link length for each link they wish to model. In this case 

because it is the same road in and out of the parking lot, both links are 0.998 miles in length. 

 The traffic volume must also be specified for each link. This is the total average traffic 

flow from all vehicle types on the link during the hour period. In this simple example, all of the 

vehicles are heavy-duty trucks, but in general any and all of the MOVES vehicle source types 

may be included at the same time in a project level run. The distribution of the traffic by 

MOVES source type is an additional input. 

The average speed on each link must also be specified. This is used for internal 

calculations in the project level model. If the user provides a driving schedule input [speed / 

grade inputs versus time (seconds)], then the driving schedule input and the average speed input 

need to be consistent. In this case, a driving schedule input is provided for both links. Figure 1 

shows the driving schedule in graphical form. Link 1 shown in blue, has driving starting at 30 

mph and decreasing to zero mph as the vehicles enter the parking lot. Link 2 shown in green has 
DRAFT MOVES2009 User Guide March 2009 

United States Environmental Protection Agency PageG-3 

driving starting at zero mph and accelerating to a 30 mph cruise. The driving schedule data, and 

all the rest of the required data for the project level example, is contained in the input spreadsheet 

“Project Level HD Example.xls” 

Figure 1 

S peed / Time Trace for E xample Links

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

1 21 41 61 81 101 121

Time (seconds)

Speed (mph)

Link 1

Link 2

 For this example, the off-network parameters are shown in Table 2. These four 

parameters include a vehicle population of 200 vehicles in the parking lot on average during the 

hour period. This input is an average value, because some vehicles may have been in the lot at 

all times while others entered or exiting during the hour period. In this example, the start 

fraction is set to three percent (0.03). This is the fraction of the average vehicle population 

which started the vehicle during the hour. If all of the vehicles in the lot on average had been 

started, then this value would be unity (1.0). It may also be greater than unity if large numbers 

vehicles are repeatedly started during the period. 

 The extended idle and parked vehicle fraction parameters were set to 0.90 and 0.09 

respectively, for this example. The 90 percent input for extended idle reflects the fact that 90 

percent of the total vehicle – hours (only one hour by definition) in the parking lot were spent in 

extended idle mode (vehicles are parked in a lot with their engines idling at higher than curb idle 

speeds). The 9 percent input for parking reflects the fact that 9 percent of the total vehicle – 

hours in the parking lot were spent in park mode (vehicle is parked and the engine is off). The 

sum of extended idling and parking cannot be greater than unity. 
March 2009 DRAFT MOVES2009 User Guide 

PageG-4 United States Environmental Protection Agency 

Table 2 

Summary of Off-Network Project Level Parameters 

Average Vehicle Population 200 vehicles in the parking lot on average 

Start Fraction 0.03 

Extended Idle Fraction 0.90 

Parked Vehicle Fraction 0.09 

The operating mode distribution for the parking lot link must be entered. This is a 

distribution by AVERAGE vehicle ‘soak’ time (i.e., the time since a vehicle was last started). 

For example, the table below shows that 5 percent of the vehicles in the parking lot have not 

been started for more than 720 minutes or 12 hours. Extended Idle operating model fraction is 

always set to unity (1.00) when it is present because it is the only operating mode of its type. 

This input should not be confused with the off network parameter called Extended Idle Fraction 

with a value of 0.90 that is shown in Table 2. 

Table 3 

Operating Mode Distribution Parameters for Start and 

Extended Idle Processes 

OpmodeID 

Code 

Operating Mode Description Operating Mode Fraction 

101 Soak Time < 6 minutes 0.00 

102 6 minutes <= Soak Time < 30 minutes 0.05 

103 30 minutes <= Soak Time < 60 minutes 0.30 

104 60 minutes <= Soak Time < 90 minutes 0.10 

105 90 minutes <= Soak Time < 120 minutes 0.50 

106 120 minutes <= Soak Time < 360 minutes 0.00 

107 360 minutes <= Soak Time < 720 minutes 0.00 

108 720 minutes <= Soak Time 0.05 

200 Extended Idle Operating Mode 1.00 

 Table 4 shows the source type age distribution for the vehicles in the project. In this 

example, there is only one source type (heavy-duty long haul trucks) present. Thus, only one age 

distribution is required. Additional age distributions would be required if additional source types 

were present. The age distribution runs from age zero (brand new) to 30 years. All ages greater 

than 30 years are included in the age 30 group. The distribution must sum to unity within a 

source type. Note that the project level model does not allow separate age distributions for 

different fuel types if the same source type is selected. For example, the same age distribution 

would be used for both gasoline and diesel long haul trucks if both were present in the project. 
DRAFT MOVES2009 User Guide March 2009 

United States Environmental Protection Agency PageG-5 

Table 4 

Source Type Age Distribution 

Source Type ageID ageFraction 

62 0 0.2 

62 1 0.15 

62 2 0.1 

62 3 0.1 

62 4 0.1 

62 5 0.07 

62 6 0.05 

62 7 0.05 

62 8 0.05 

62 9 0.02 

62 10 0.02 

62 11 0.01 

62 12 0.01 

62 13 0.01 

62 14 0.01 

62 15 0.01 

62 16 0.01 

62 17 0.01 

62 18 0.01 

62 19 0.01 

62 20 0 

62 21 0 

62 22 0 

62 23 0 

62 24 0 

62 25 0 

62 26 0 

62 27 0 

62 28 0 

62 29 0 

62 30 0 
March 2009 DRAFT MOVES2009 User Guide 

PageG-6 United States Environmental Protection Agency 

2. Example Data Creation and Input 

All inputs for the example MOVES Project Level run are in the Excel Workbook - 

Project_Level_HD_Example.xls. 

The inputs are in the spreadsheets. 

1. DriveScheduleSecondLink 

2. OffNetworkLink 

3. ZoneMonthHour 

4. LinkSourceTypeHour 

5. SourcetypeAgeDistribution 

6. FuelSupply 

7. Link 

8. OpModeDistribution 

In this example, all of the inputs for the Project Level were read from a single Excel 

workbook. However, it is recommended that the user use the Create Template button for each of 

the Project Level input tabs and create a set of Excel workbook templates (with a set of 

individual worksheets - one for each input tab) and modify / populate these templates with the 

actual data. The spreadsheets within each template will provide necessary descriptions of the 

data fields and moves codes (i.e., countyID codes, fuelformulationID codes, roadtypeID codes, 

hourDayID codes and sourcetypeID codes. The MOVES project level importer will show a list 

of all of the individual Excel worksheets from an Excel workbook. The user must pick the 

‘active’ worksheet (usually the leftmost worksheet in the workbook or the first spreadsheet entry 

in the MOVES importer) as an input 

The user should also note that the DriveScheduleSecondLink and the opmodeDistribution 

table need not exist together for all of the roadtype links. In this example, the 

DriveScheduleSecondLink table contains an average speed-time ‘trace’ for both roadway links. 

It is used by MOVES to internally create an opmodeDistribution for each roadway link. A 

separate opmodeDistribution for the road links is not required to be supplied, but could have 

been supplied in-lieu of the DriveScheduleSecondLink data input. The opmodeDistribution is 

always required for the start operation parameters (table 3 contains the inputs). It contains the 

opmodeDistribution for the NOx emission starts. These values are used to differentiate start 

soak times. 

The first input step is to create the Project Level database where the imported data is 

stored. This is a MySQL database and it is named “projectHDinput” in this example. 

The user loads the data into the Project Level database (i.e., projectHDinput) for each 

input tab by browsing for the individual file (use the Browse button), and once found, pressing 

the “Import” button to import the data into MOVES. A message diagnostic of “Import 

Complete” will be issued if the data import was successful. This process is repeated for each of 

the tabs. 

After the data loading process is complete the user should press the Done button to save 

the data in the database. This will exit the Project Level data manager. As a final step, the user 
DRAFT MOVES2009 User Guide March 2009 

United States Environmental Protection Agency PageG-7 

may be required to go to the Geographic Panel tab and choose the new Project Level database 

(“projectHDinput”) from a list of databases. If the new database is not visible, the user should 

press the Refresh button. 

Both the Excel input file Project_Level_HD_Example.xls and the MOVES project level 

input database projectHDinput are provided in the MOVES package as an assistance to the 

user. 

3. MOVES Runspec 

A MOVES Runspec (called Project_HDExample.mrs) was created to model this 

example MOVES Project level analysis. A standard MOVES Runspec was created first. The 

user should note that a Project level run MUST contain only ONE 

 County 

 Year 

 Month 

 Hour 

 The example Runspec was further simplified to include only one sourcetype, one 

roadtype, one weekday/weekend combination and three pollutant / process combinations. The 

runspec is provided as an example and the user should load it to become more familiar with this 

example. 

4. MOVES Simulator Results for the Example 

The results for this simple MOVES Project Level simulation are reported in the MySQL 

database “ProjectLevelHDOutput”. They are summarized below. 

Table 5

MOVES Project Level Example Simulation Results 

LinkID Link Description NOx emissions (grams) 

1 Inbound Road 1154.582 

2 Outbound Road 129.330 

3 Parking Lot (extended idle) 8349.843 

3 Parking Lot (start) 3.574 

The emissions are reported as an ‘inventory’ for the project and are broken down by 

linkID (roadway and off-network – the user must specify that the results to be reported by 

roadway and process in the Runspec). In this example, the result are reported in units of grams 

of NOx emissions. The time domain for the Project Level is always one hour. The user should 

also remember that these results are average results over the one hour time domain and the 

geographic link domain. One reason project level reports ‘average’ results is because the 
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model’s calculation methodology assumes (for simplicity) independence of the individual links 

in the project, and does not dynamically calculate traffic flows between links or residence times 

in off network (the user must do this step before the data is entered into the MOVE project level 

simulator. 

The large difference in NOx emission inventories between two physically similar links 

(link 1 and link 2) is because of the large difference in traffic volumes. The traffic volume for 

link 1 is an order of magnitude greater than the traffic volume for link 2. The relatively small 

amount of NOx emissions from the start process is the result of a very low start fraction input 

(i.e., 3 percent). The relatively large amount of emissions from the extended idle process reflects 

a fairly high fraction of extended idle operation (i.e., 90 percent). In comparison, the running 

operation of the inbound road contains half as many vehicles (100 vehicles versus 200 in 

extended idle), and the running operation on average lasts only about 2 minutes per vehicle 

versus the entire hour for 90 percent of the vehicles. 
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Appendix H - Scenario 3: County Data Manager and I/M Editor Example

 

1. Explanation of Scenario 3 

 MOVES becomes an official EPA model, the County Data Manager and I/M Editor are 

expected to be used extensively by users, particularly by nonattainment or maintenance areas 

when conducting SIP or conformity analyses. These tools provide the user the ability to import 

and edit local data, rather than using MOVES defaults. 

 In this scenario, the County Data Manager and I/M Editor are used to construct a 

RunSpec using area-specific data. The area being modeled will be a custom domain. While 

there are some differences between using the custom domain option and selecting an individual 

county, the basic operation of the County Manager and I/M Editor are the same. Where 

differences exist, this scenario will describe how a custom domain and a single county would be 

treated differently. 

2. Constructing the RunSpec 

 The custom domain in this scenario will be named “Example City” and will be an ozone 

nonattainment area, so the selections and use of the County Data Manager and I/M Editor will 

reflect that assumption (i.e. on the Pollutants and Processes panel, Running Exhaust for Total 

Gaseous Hydrocarbons and Oxides of Nitrogen and Evap Fuel Vapor Venting for Total Gaseous 

Hydrocarbons were selected because these pollutants are associated with the formation of 

ground-level ozone and are affected by I/M). The RunSpec should be filled out in its entirety 

before either the County Data Manager or the I/M Editor are used. In this example, some 

selections were limited to reduce the run-time of the RunSpec (e.g. only Passenger Cars were 

selected on the On Road Vehicle Equipment panel). 

 Open the file name “examplecity.mrs” (located in the USER Guide Example Files\City 

Example\City Example Files folder) to view the RunSpec and to create an output database using 

the General output panel (e.g. examplecity_output). Then select the RunSpec Geographic 

Bounds panel and click the “Enter/Edit Data” button. This will open the County Data Manager 

window. 

3. Using the County Data Manager

 With the County Data Manager open, name and create a user-input database (e.g. 

examplecity_import). Next, files containing the area-specific data must be imported on each tab. 

The importing process is the same for all the tabs, so it is explained generally in the next 

paragraph. 

 The Excel files containing the example area-specific data are included as part of the 

MOVES installation pack and have the following naming convention: 

“examplecity_[TABNAME]”. Importing the files is straightforward - simply click the “Browse” 

button, find where the file is saved, and select the appropriate file for the tab (i.e. if working in 
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the “Age Distribution” tab, select the file “examplecity_agedistribution.xls”). After the file has 

been selected, a small pop-up window appears: 

Select the correct worksheet (in this example, it will be the first worksheet listed and will have a 

name similar to the tab name) and click "OK." 

Next click the “Import” button. The “Messages” box should say, “Import Complete.” If there 

were problems with the import, error messages here would describe the problem. In case of 

error, the user should revise the input, then click, the “Clear Imported Data” button before 

reattempting the import. 

 The County Domain Manager can be used to input data for a specific county or to create 

a custom domain. Currently, the only difference is that the custom domain option includes a 

“Zone Road Activity” tab and users are required to fill-in a value of 1 for all rows in 

“SHOAllocFactor” column. This tab exists to allow the Source Hours Operating (SHO) to be 

allocated to different zones within a custom domain; however, this capability is not fully 

implemented in DRAFT MOVES2009.. It is possible to create multiple zones using the Manage 

Input Data Sets panel, but this feature is not illustrated here. 

4. Using the I/M Editor

 After data have been imported in all of the tabs in the County Data Manager (all the tabs 

should have green checks), the user can go to the “IM” tab and click the “Display/Edit IM 

Program Coverage Records” button to open the I/M Editor. Because the custom domain option 

is being used, there are no default I/M programs; however, if a county is selected, some default 

I/M programs may exist and be listed. 

 Since no default I/M programs exist in the custom domain option, the “Generate New and 

Replacement Records” button should be clicked, which will open the IM Coverage Categories

panel. 
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The panel should be modifed as illustrated above to create a new I/M program. The user should 

enter an IM Program ID of “1” and should select, the Pollutant “Evap Fuel Vapor Venting - 

Total Gaseous Hydrocarbons” and the Reg Class “LDV." (Note that “Example City”, “2013”, 

and “Gasol” are selected automatically because these are the only possible selections in these 

columns.) Once these entries have been made, click “OK,” and the “IM Coverage Details” 

window will open: 

The user should modify the IM Coverage Details panel as illustrated above. This process could 

be repeated to create additional I/M programs for the exhaust pollutants, or the additional I/M 

programs could be imported into the I/M Editor by simply clicking the “Import” button, finding 

and selecting the file “examplecity_im.xls”, and choosing the “IMActive” worksheet. The 

resulting IM coverage is displayed in the IM Coverage in MOVES panel, as illustrated below: 
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/Note; There are several additional worksheets included in the “examplecity_im.xls” file to 

provide examples of how changes can be made to the I/M programs. These changes can 

also be made by clicking the “Edit Selected Records”, “Generate New and Replacement 

Records”, or “Ignore I/M”/ “Use I/M” buttons; however, if using the “Edit Selected 

Records” button, only one record (or extremely similar records) should be selected to 

prevent illogical process/test type combinations (e.g. “Evap Fuel Vent” process, but 

“Exhaust OBD” test type). 

 The custom domain user-input database process has been completed. Click “Exit” in the 

I/M Editor and “Done” in the County Data Manager to return to the Geographic Bounds panel. 

Make sure the user-input database is selected in the Domain Input Database section of the 

Geographic Bounds panel. 

5. Executing the RunSpec and Analyzing the Results

 The RunSpec and county-input database have both been completed, so the RunSpec can 

now be executed by selecting Execute from the Action drop-down menu. 

 The results for this simple MOVES County Data Manager Example are reported in the 

MySQL database “examplecity_output”. They are summarized below. 

Table H-1 Example City - July 2013 Weekday Emissions from Passenger Cars 

Pollutant (pollutantID) Process (processID) Emissions (grams) 

Total Gaseous Hydrocarbons (1) Running Exhaust (1) 943643

Total Gaseous Hydrocarbons (1) Evaporative Fuel Vapor Venting (12) 748853

Oxides of Nitrogen (3) Running Exhaust (1) 3913423