diff --git a/.github/workflows/core_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/core_tests.yml
index f3fe380ae2..17b3cbc2ae 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/core_tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/core_tests.yml
@@ -275,11 +275,11 @@ jobs:
           - region: Standard 1-Zone Example (MTC)
             region-org: ActivitySim
             region-repo: activitysim-prototype-mtc
-            region-branch: extended
+            region-branch: pandas2
           - region: Standard 2-Zone Example (SANDAG)
             region-org: ActivitySim
             region-repo: sandag-abm3-example
-            region-branch: main
+            region-branch: pandas2
       fail-fast: false
     defaults:
       run:
diff --git a/activitysim/abm/models/disaggregate_accessibility.py b/activitysim/abm/models/disaggregate_accessibility.py
index e4d1ab9acb..bd1b291e68 100644
--- a/activitysim/abm/models/disaggregate_accessibility.py
+++ b/activitysim/abm/models/disaggregate_accessibility.py
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ class DisaggregateAccessibilitySettings(PydanticReadable, extra="forbid"):
     """
     Disaggreate accessibility table is grouped by the "by" cols above and the KEEP_COLS are averaged
     across the group.  Initializing the below as NA if not in the auto ownership level, they are skipped
-    in the groupby mean and the values are correct. 
+    in the groupby mean and the values are correct.
     (It's a way to avoid having to update code to reshape the table and introduce new functionality there.)
     If none, will keep all of the columns with "accessibility" in the name.
     """
@@ -581,7 +581,7 @@ def expand_template_zones(self, tables):
         _expanded = pd.DataFrame(util.named_product(**index_params)).set_index("index")
 
         # Use result to join template onto expanded table of zones
-        ex_table = _expanded.join(master_template).reset_index()
+        ex_table = _expanded.join(master_template).sort_index().reset_index()
 
         # Concatenate a new unique set of ids
         cols = ["home_zone_id", "proto_household_id", "proto_person_id"]
@@ -654,7 +654,9 @@ def create_proto_pop(self):
                 .set_index("index")
                 .rename(columns={"hhid": hhid})
             )
-            persons = rep.join(persons).sort_values(hhid).reset_index(drop=True)
+            persons = (
+                rep.join(persons, sort=True).sort_values(hhid).reset_index(drop=True)
+            )
             persons[perid] = persons.index + 1
 
             # Assign persons to tours
@@ -730,6 +732,7 @@ def merge_persons(self):
 
         perid = self.params["proto_persons"]["index_col"]
         persons_merged.set_index(perid, inplace=True, drop=True)
+        persons_merged = persons_merged.sort_index()
         self.proto_pop["proto_persons_merged"] = persons_merged
 
         # Store in pipeline
diff --git a/activitysim/abm/models/input_checker.py b/activitysim/abm/models/input_checker.py
index d1c8284f88..568da851e1 100644
--- a/activitysim/abm/models/input_checker.py
+++ b/activitysim/abm/models/input_checker.py
@@ -301,34 +301,42 @@ def report_errors(state, input_checker_settings, v_warnings, v_errors):
 
             for warn in warns:
                 if "dataframe validator" in str(warn.message):
-                    file_logger.warning(
-                        "Failed dataframe validator: "
-                        + str(warn.message).split("\n")[-1]
-                    )
-                elif "element-wise validator" in str(warn.message):
-                    if "DataFrameSchema" in str(warn.message):
-                        file_logger.warning(
-                            "Failed element-wise validator: <"
-                            + str(warn.message).split("\n")[0].split(" ")[1]
-                            + table_name
-                            + ")>\n\t"
-                            + str(warn.message)
-                            .split("failure cases:\n")[0]
-                            .split("\n")[-2]
-                            + "\n\tfailure cases:\n\t"
-                            + "\n\t".join(
-                                str(warn.message)
-                                .split("failure cases:\n")[1]
-                                .split("\n")
-                            )
-                        )
-                    else:
+                    try:
                         file_logger.warning(
-                            "Failed element-wise validator: <"
-                            + " ".join(str(warn.message).split("\n")[0].split(" ")[1:3])
-                            + "\n\t"
-                            + "\n\t".join(str(warn.message).split("\n")[1:])
+                            "Failed dataframe validator: "
+                            + str(warn.message).split("\n")[-1]
                         )
+                    except Exception:
+                        file_logger.warning(warn)
+                elif "element-wise validator" in str(warn.message):
+                    try:
+                        if "DataFrameSchema" in str(warn.message):
+                            file_logger.warning(
+                                "Failed element-wise validator: <"
+                                + str(warn.message).split("\n")[0].split(" ")[1]
+                                + table_name
+                                + ")>\n\t"
+                                + str(warn.message)
+                                .split("failure cases:\n")[0]
+                                .split("\n")[-2]
+                                + "\n\tfailure cases:\n\t"
+                                + "\n\t".join(
+                                    str(warn.message)
+                                    .split("failure cases:\n")[1]
+                                    .split("\n")
+                                )
+                            )
+                        else:
+                            file_logger.warning(
+                                "Failed element-wise validator: <"
+                                + " ".join(
+                                    str(warn.message).split("\n")[0].split(" ")[1:3]
+                                )
+                                + "\n\t"
+                                + "\n\t".join(str(warn.message).split("\n")[1:])
+                            )
+                    except Exception:
+                        file_logger.warning(warn)
                 else:
                     file_logger.warning(warn)
             file_logger.warning("\n")
diff --git a/activitysim/abm/models/school_escorting.py b/activitysim/abm/models/school_escorting.py
index 22fea9e520..a0cf6a3312 100644
--- a/activitysim/abm/models/school_escorting.py
+++ b/activitysim/abm/models/school_escorting.py
@@ -634,7 +634,7 @@ def school_escorting(
     state.add_table("tours", tours)
     state.get_rn_generator().drop_channel("tours")
     state.get_rn_generator().add_channel("tours", tours)
-    state.add_table("escort_bundles", escort_bundles)
+    state.add_table("escort_bundles", escort_bundles.reset_index(drop=True))
     # save school escorting tours and trips in pipeline so we can overwrite results from downstream models
     state.add_table("school_escort_tours", school_escort_tours)
     state.add_table("school_escort_trips", school_escort_trips)
diff --git a/activitysim/abm/models/trip_departure_choice.py b/activitysim/abm/models/trip_departure_choice.py
index a0ddb363d8..236a755dec 100644
--- a/activitysim/abm/models/trip_departure_choice.py
+++ b/activitysim/abm/models/trip_departure_choice.py
@@ -404,7 +404,7 @@ def apply_stage_two_model(
     trace_label: str,
     compute_settings: ComputeSettings | None = None,
 ):
-    if not trips.index.is_monotonic:
+    if not trips.index.is_monotonic_increasing:
         trips = trips.sort_index()
 
     # Assign the duration of the appropriate leg to the trip
diff --git a/activitysim/abm/models/util/school_escort_tours_trips.py b/activitysim/abm/models/util/school_escort_tours_trips.py
index 35a0e84b5c..4a9f2ef170 100644
--- a/activitysim/abm/models/util/school_escort_tours_trips.py
+++ b/activitysim/abm/models/util/school_escort_tours_trips.py
@@ -353,7 +353,7 @@ def create_chauf_escort_trips(bundles):
             "outbound",
             "purpose",
         ]
-    ).reset_index()
+    ).reset_index(drop=True)
 
     # numbering trips such that outbound escorting trips must come first and inbound trips must come last
     outbound_trip_num = -1 * (
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ def create_escortee_trips(bundles):
     # create a new trip for each escortee destination
     escortee_trips = escortee_trips.explode(
         ["destination", "escort_participants", "school_escort_trip_num", "purpose"]
-    ).reset_index()
+    ).reset_index(drop=True)
 
     # numbering trips such that outbound escorting trips must come first and inbound trips must come last
     # this comes in handy when merging trips to others in the tour decided downstream
diff --git a/activitysim/abm/models/vehicle_allocation.py b/activitysim/abm/models/vehicle_allocation.py
index 632839b116..8dfb35bfd4 100644
--- a/activitysim/abm/models/vehicle_allocation.py
+++ b/activitysim/abm/models/vehicle_allocation.py
@@ -261,6 +261,7 @@ def vehicle_allocation(
             ]
 
         # set choice for non-household vehicle option
+        choices["choice"] = choices["choice"].astype(veh_choice_dtype)
         choices.loc[
             choices["alt_choice"] == alts_from_spec[-1], "choice"
         ] = alts_from_spec[-1]
diff --git a/activitysim/cli/create.py b/activitysim/cli/create.py
index b810cdcd2d..4275ad3a1d 100644
--- a/activitysim/cli/create.py
+++ b/activitysim/cli/create.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import glob
 import hashlib
+import importlib.resources
 import logging
 import os
 import shutil
@@ -21,14 +22,15 @@
 
 def _example_path(resource):
     resource = os.path.join(EXAMPLES_DIR, resource)
-    path = pkg_resources.resource_filename(PACKAGE, resource)
-
-    return path
+    return importlib.resources.as_file(
+        importlib.resources.files(PACKAGE).joinpath(resource)
+    )
 
 
 def _load_manifest():
-    with open(_example_path(MANIFEST), "r") as f:
-        manifest = yaml.safe_load(f.read())
+    with _example_path(MANIFEST) as f_pth:
+        with open(f_pth, "r") as f:
+            manifest = yaml.safe_load(f.read())
 
     assert manifest, f"error: could not load {MANIFEST}"
     return {example["name"]: example for example in manifest}
@@ -177,8 +179,9 @@ def get_example(
             )
 
         else:
-            for asset_path in glob.glob(_example_path(assets)):
-                copy_asset(asset_path, target_path, dirs_exist_ok=True)
+            with _example_path(assets) as pth:
+                for asset_path in glob.glob(str(pth)):
+                    copy_asset(asset_path, target_path, dirs_exist_ok=True)
 
     print(f"copied! new project files are in {os.path.abspath(dest_path)}")
 
diff --git a/activitysim/core/assign.py b/activitysim/core/assign.py
index 4054b2aec9..c5f69d1d12 100644
--- a/activitysim/core/assign.py
+++ b/activitysim/core/assign.py
@@ -96,7 +96,36 @@ def read_assignment_spec(
     """
 
     try:
-        cfg = pd.read_csv(file_name, comment="#")
+        # we use an explicit list of na_values, these are the values that
+        # Pandas version 1.5 recognized as NaN by default.  Notably absent is
+        # 'None' which is used in some spec files to be the object `None` not
+        # the float value NaN.
+        cfg = pd.read_csv(
+            file_name,
+            comment="#",
+            na_values=[
+                "",
+                "#N/A",
+                "#N/A N/A",
+                "#NA",
+                "-1.#IND",
+                "-1.#QNAN",
+                "-NaN",
+                "-nan",
+                "1.#IND",
+                "1.#QNAN",
+                "<NA>",
+                "N/A",
+                "NA",
+                "NULL",
+                "NaN",
+                "n/a",
+                "nan",
+                "null",
+            ],
+            keep_default_na=False,
+        )
+
     except Exception as e:
         logger.error(f"Error reading spec file: {file_name}")
         logger.error(str(e))
diff --git a/activitysim/core/fast_eval.py b/activitysim/core/fast_eval.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..189db086c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/activitysim/core/fast_eval.py
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
+
+import pandas as pd
+from pandas import eval as _eval
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from collections.abc import Hashable, Iterator, Mapping, Sequence
+
+    from pandas._typing import ArrayLike
+
+
+def _get_cleaned_column_resolvers(
+    df: pd.DataFrame, raw: bool = True
+) -> dict[Hashable, ArrayLike | pd.Series]:
+    """
+    Return the special character free column resolvers of a dataframe.
+
+    Column names with special characters are 'cleaned up' so that they can
+    be referred to by backtick quoting.
+    Used in :meth:`DataFrame.eval`.
+    """
+    from pandas import Series
+    from pandas.core.computation.parsing import clean_column_name
+
+    if isinstance(df, pd.Series):
+        return {clean_column_name(df.name): df}
+
+    # CHANGED FROM PANDAS: do not even convert the arrays to pd.Series, just
+    # give the raw arrays to the compute engine. This is potentially a breaking
+    # change if any of the operations in the eval string require a pd.Series.
+    if raw:
+        # Performance tradeoff: in the dict below, we iterate over `df.items`,
+        # which yields tuples of (column_name, data as pd.Series). This is marginally
+        # slower than iterating over `df.columns` and `df._iter_column_arrays()`,
+        # but the latter is not in Pandas' public API, and may be removed in the future.
+        return {
+            clean_column_name(k): v for k, v in df.items() if not isinstance(k, int)
+        }
+
+    # CHANGED FROM PANDAS: do not call df.dtype inside the dict comprehension loop
+    # This update has been made in https://github.com/pandas-dev/pandas/pull/59573,
+    # but appears not to have been released yet as of pandas 2.2.3
+    dtypes = df.dtypes
+
+    return {
+        clean_column_name(k): Series(
+            v, copy=False, index=df.index, name=k, dtype=dtypes[k]
+        ).__finalize__(df)
+        for k, v in zip(df.columns, df._iter_column_arrays())
+        if not isinstance(k, int)
+    }
+
+
+def fast_eval(df: pd.DataFrame, expr: str, **kwargs) -> Any | None:
+    """
+    Evaluate a string describing operations on DataFrame columns.
+
+    Operates on columns only, not specific rows or elements.  This allows
+    `eval` to run arbitrary code, which can make you vulnerable to code
+    injection if you pass user input to this function.
+
+    This function is a wrapper that replaces :meth:`~pandas.DataFrame.eval`
+    with a more efficient version than in the default pandas library (as
+    of pandas 2.2.3). It is recommended to use this function instead of
+    :meth:`~pandas.DataFrame.eval` for better performance. However, if you
+    encounter issues with this function, you can switch back to the default
+    pandas eval by changing the function call from `fast_eval(df, ...)` to
+    `df.eval(...)`.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    expr : str
+        The expression string to evaluate.
+    **kwargs
+        See the documentation for  :meth:`~pandas.DataFrame.eval` for complete
+        details on the keyword arguments accepted.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    ndarray, scalar, or pandas object
+        The result of the evaluation.
+    """
+
+    inplace = False
+    kwargs["level"] = kwargs.pop("level", 0) + 1
+    index_resolvers = df._get_index_resolvers()
+    column_resolvers = _get_cleaned_column_resolvers(df)
+    resolvers = column_resolvers, index_resolvers
+    if "target" not in kwargs:
+        kwargs["target"] = df
+    kwargs["resolvers"] = tuple(kwargs.get("resolvers", ())) + resolvers
+
+    try:
+        return pd.Series(
+            _eval(expr, inplace=inplace, **kwargs), index=df.index, name=expr
+        ).__finalize__(df)
+    except Exception as e:
+        # Initially assume that the exception is caused by the potentially
+        # breaking change in _get_cleaned_column_resolvers, and try again
+        # TODO: what kind of exception should be caught here so it is less broad
+        column_resolvers = _get_cleaned_column_resolvers(df, raw=False)
+        resolvers = column_resolvers, index_resolvers
+        kwargs["resolvers"] = kwargs["resolvers"][:-2] + resolvers
+        return _eval(expr, inplace=inplace, **kwargs)
diff --git a/activitysim/core/interaction_simulate.py b/activitysim/core/interaction_simulate.py
index 1089de3edc..f14f0201d9 100644
--- a/activitysim/core/interaction_simulate.py
+++ b/activitysim/core/interaction_simulate.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 from activitysim.core import chunk, logit, simulate, tracing, util, workflow
 from activitysim.core.configuration.base import ComputeSettings
+from activitysim.core.fast_eval import fast_eval
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -287,7 +288,7 @@ def to_series(x):
                         if expr.startswith("@"):
                             v = to_series(eval(expr[1:], globals(), locals_d))
                         else:
-                            v = df.eval(expr, resolvers=[locals_d])
+                            v = fast_eval(df, expr, resolvers=[locals_d])
 
                         if check_for_variability and v.std() == 0:
                             logger.info(
@@ -556,7 +557,7 @@ def to_series(x):
                             if expr.startswith("@"):
                                 v = to_series(eval(expr[1:], globals(), locals_d))
                             else:
-                                v = df.eval(expr, resolvers=[locals_d])
+                                v = fast_eval(df, expr, resolvers=[locals_d])
                             if check_for_variability and v.std() == 0:
                                 logger.info(
                                     "%s: no variability (%s) in: %s"
diff --git a/activitysim/core/los.py b/activitysim/core/los.py
index 8586a3018c..5ac90f930e 100644
--- a/activitysim/core/los.py
+++ b/activitysim/core/los.py
@@ -780,7 +780,15 @@ def get_mazpairs(self, omaz, dmaz, attribute):
                 self.maz_ceiling
             ) + np.asanyarray(dmaz, dtype=np.int64)
         else:
-            i = np.asanyarray(omaz) * self.maz_ceiling + np.asanyarray(dmaz)
+            # if we have less than a 32-bit index, it will
+            # overflow so we need to upgrade to at least 32 bit
+            omaz_as_array = np.asanyarray(omaz)
+            if omaz_as_array.dtype not in (np.int32, np.int64):
+                omaz_as_array = omaz_as_array.astype(np.int32)
+            dmaz_as_array = np.asanyarray(dmaz)
+            if dmaz_as_array.dtype not in (np.int32, np.int64):
+                dmaz_as_array = dmaz_as_array.astype(np.int32)
+            i = omaz_as_array * self.maz_ceiling + dmaz_as_array
         s = util.quick_loc_df(i, self.maz_to_maz_df, attribute)
 
         # FIXME - no point in returning series?
diff --git a/activitysim/core/simulate.py b/activitysim/core/simulate.py
index fcffcf6066..2afed7f014 100644
--- a/activitysim/core/simulate.py
+++ b/activitysim/core/simulate.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
     TemplatedLogitComponentSettings,
 )
 from activitysim.core.estimation import Estimator
+from activitysim.core.fast_eval import fast_eval
 from activitysim.core.simulate_consts import (
     ALT_LOSER_UTIL,
     SPEC_DESCRIPTION_NAME,
@@ -656,7 +657,7 @@ def eval_utilities(
                         if expr.startswith("@"):
                             expression_value = eval(expr[1:], globals_dict, locals_dict)
                         else:
-                            expression_value = choosers.eval(expr)
+                            expression_value = fast_eval(choosers, expr)
 
                         if len(w) > 0:
                             for wrn in w:
@@ -913,7 +914,7 @@ def to_array(x):
             if expr.startswith("@"):
                 expr_values = to_array(eval(expr[1:], globals_dict, locals_dict))
             else:
-                expr_values = to_array(df.eval(expr))
+                expr_values = to_array(fast_eval(df, expr))
             # read model spec should ensure uniqueness, otherwise we should uniquify
             assert expr not in values
             values[expr] = expr_values
diff --git a/activitysim/core/test/_tools.py b/activitysim/core/test/_tools.py
index b8f338ce9f..618b467bb9 100644
--- a/activitysim/core/test/_tools.py
+++ b/activitysim/core/test/_tools.py
@@ -165,8 +165,8 @@ def progressive_checkpoint_test(
         if ref_target.exists():
             try:
                 state.checkpoint.check_against(ref_target, checkpoint_name=step_name)
-            except Exception:
-                print(f"> {name} {step_name}: ERROR")
+            except Exception as e:
+                print(f"> {name} {step_name}: ERROR {e}")
                 raise
             else:
                 print(f"> {name} {step_name}: ok")
diff --git a/activitysim/core/util.py b/activitysim/core/util.py
index eb874f2841..940796e4bd 100644
--- a/activitysim/core/util.py
+++ b/activitysim/core/util.py
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ def quick_loc_series(loc_list, target_series):
 
     left_on = "left"
 
-    if isinstance(loc_list, pd.Int64Index):
+    if isinstance(loc_list, pd.Index):
         left_df = pd.DataFrame({left_on: loc_list.values})
     elif isinstance(loc_list, pd.Series):
         left_df = loc_list.to_frame(name=left_on)
diff --git a/activitysim/core/workflow/state.py b/activitysim/core/workflow/state.py
index dd81534605..45aa7a1f74 100644
--- a/activitysim/core/workflow/state.py
+++ b/activitysim/core/workflow/state.py
@@ -711,7 +711,18 @@ def get_pyarrow(
         if t is None:
             raise KeyError(tablename)
         if isinstance(t, pd.DataFrame):
-            t = pa.Table.from_pandas(t, preserve_index=True, columns=columns)
+            df = t
+            try:
+                t = pa.Table.from_pandas(df, preserve_index=True, columns=columns)
+            except (pa.ArrowTypeError, pa.ArrowInvalid):
+                # if there are object columns, try to convert them to categories
+                df = df.copy()
+                for k, dtype in df.dtypes.items():
+                    if dtype.kind == "O":
+                        df[k] = df[k].astype("str")
+                    elif dtype == "boolean":
+                        df[k] = df[k].astype("str")
+                t = pa.Table.from_pandas(df, preserve_index=True, columns=columns)
         if isinstance(t, pa.Table):
             if columns is not None:
                 t = t.select(columns)
diff --git a/activitysim/estimation/larch/scheduling.py b/activitysim/estimation/larch/scheduling.py
index c8600f8136..7d9461b5ca 100644
--- a/activitysim/estimation/larch/scheduling.py
+++ b/activitysim/estimation/larch/scheduling.py
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 import pandas as pd
 import yaml
 
+from activitysim.core.fast_eval import fast_eval
+
 from .general import (
     apply_coefficients,
     construct_nesting_tree,
@@ -210,7 +212,7 @@ def construct_availability_ca(model, chooser_data, alt_codes_to_names):
             (
                 chooser_data[i.data]
                 if i.data in chooser_data
-                else chooser_data.eval(i.data)
+                else fast_eval(chooser_data, i.data)
             )
             for i in model.utility_co[acode]
             if (i.param == "-999" or i.param == "-999.0")
diff --git a/activitysim/estimation/larch/simple_simulate.py b/activitysim/estimation/larch/simple_simulate.py
index 2c585506a4..e608a50084 100644
--- a/activitysim/estimation/larch/simple_simulate.py
+++ b/activitysim/estimation/larch/simple_simulate.py
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
 import pandas as pd
 import yaml
 
+from activitysim.core.fast_eval import fast_eval
+
 from .general import (
     apply_coefficients,
     construct_nesting_tree,
@@ -43,7 +45,7 @@ def construct_availability(model, chooser_data, alt_codes_to_names):
             (
                 chooser_data[i.data]
                 if i.data in chooser_data
-                else chooser_data.eval(i.data)
+                else fast_eval(chooser_data, i.data)
             )
             for i in model.utility_co[acode]
             if i.param == "-999"
diff --git a/activitysim/examples/placeholder_sandag/test/test_sandag.py b/activitysim/examples/placeholder_sandag/test/test_sandag.py
index a907333ee0..cda0d08725 100644
--- a/activitysim/examples/placeholder_sandag/test/test_sandag.py
+++ b/activitysim/examples/placeholder_sandag/test/test_sandag.py
@@ -195,6 +195,57 @@ def test_2_zone(data):
     run_test(zone="2", multiprocess=False)
 
 
+def test_2_zone_local_compute(data):
+    def _test_path(dirname):
+        return os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), dirname)
+
+    import activitysim.abm  # register components # noqa: F401
+
+    state = workflow.State.make_default(
+        data_dir=example_path("data_2"),
+        configs_dir=(
+            _test_path("configs_2_zone"),
+            example_path("configs_2_zone"),
+            psrc_example_path("configs"),
+        ),
+        output_dir=_test_path("output_2"),
+    )
+    state.run.all(resume_after=None)
+    # ## regress tours
+    regress_tours_df = pd.read_csv(_test_path(f"regress/final_2_zone_tours.csv"))
+    tours_df = pd.read_csv(_test_path(f"output_2/final_2_zone_tours.csv"))
+    tours_df.to_csv(
+        _test_path(f"regress/final_2_zone_tours_last_run_localcompute.csv"), index=False
+    )
+    test.assert_frame_substantively_equal(
+        tours_df, regress_tours_df, rtol=1e-03, check_dtype=False
+    )
+
+    # ## regress trips
+    regress_trips_df = pd.read_csv(_test_path(f"regress/final_2_zone_trips.csv"))
+    trips_df = pd.read_csv(_test_path(f"output_2/final_2_zone_trips.csv"))
+    trips_df.to_csv(_test_path(f"regress/final_2_zone_trips_last_run.csv"), index=False)
+    test.assert_frame_substantively_equal(
+        trips_df, regress_trips_df, rtol=1e-03, check_dtype=False
+    )
+
+    # also test accessibility for the 2-zone system
+    regress_accessibility_df = pd.read_csv(
+        _test_path(f"regress/final_2_zone_proto_disaggregate_accessibility.csv")
+    )
+    final_accessibility_df = pd.read_csv(
+        _test_path(f"output_2/final_2_zone_proto_disaggregate_accessibility.csv")
+    )
+    final_accessibility_df = final_accessibility_df[
+        [c for c in final_accessibility_df.columns if not c.startswith("_original_")]
+    ]
+    test.assert_frame_substantively_equal(
+        final_accessibility_df,
+        regress_accessibility_df,
+        check_dtype=False,
+    )
+
+
 def test_2_zone_norecode(data):
     run_test(zone="2", multiprocess=False, recode=False)
 
diff --git a/activitysim/examples/prototype_mtc_extended/configs/trip_mode_choice_annotate_trips_preprocessor.csv b/activitysim/examples/prototype_mtc_extended/configs/trip_mode_choice_annotate_trips_preprocessor.csv
index fefe54a13d..df7059cd85 100644
--- a/activitysim/examples/prototype_mtc_extended/configs/trip_mode_choice_annotate_trips_preprocessor.csv
+++ b/activitysim/examples/prototype_mtc_extended/configs/trip_mode_choice_annotate_trips_preprocessor.csv
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ Description,Target,Expression
 ,tour_mode_is_drive_transit,i_tour_mode.isin(I_DRIVE_TRANSIT_MODES)
 ,tour_mode_is_ride_hail,i_tour_mode.isin(I_RIDE_HAIL_MODES)
 #,,
-,selected_tour_vehicle,"reindex(tours.selected_vehicle, df.tour_id)"
+,selected_tour_vehicle,"reindex(tours.selected_vehicle, df.tour_id).astype(vehicles.vehicle_type.dtype)"
 ,auto_op_cost,"reindex(vehicles.groupby('vehicle_type')['auto_operating_cost'].mean(), pd.Series(selected_tour_vehicle, df.index))"
 ,auto_op_cost,"np.where(pd.isna(auto_op_cost), costPerMile, auto_op_cost)"
 ,inbound,~df.outbound
@@ -92,4 +92,4 @@ dest terminal time not counted at home,_dest_terminal_time,"np.where(inbound & l
 #,dist_bike,od_skims['DISTBIKE']
 #,dist_only,od_skims['DIST']
 # added for school escorting model,,
-Number of school children in vehicle on trip,num_escortees,df.escort_participants.fillna('').apply(lambda x: len(x.split('_')))
\ No newline at end of file
+Number of school children in vehicle on trip,num_escortees,df.escort_participants.fillna('').apply(lambda x: len(x.split('_')))
diff --git a/activitysim/examples/prototype_mtc_extended/test/prototype_mtc_extended_reference_pipeline.zip b/activitysim/examples/prototype_mtc_extended/test/prototype_mtc_extended_reference_pipeline.zip
index 62fa47d659..41ed28ba26 100644
Binary files a/activitysim/examples/prototype_mtc_extended/test/prototype_mtc_extended_reference_pipeline.zip and b/activitysim/examples/prototype_mtc_extended/test/prototype_mtc_extended_reference_pipeline.zip differ
diff --git a/activitysim/workflows/steps/contrast/transform_data.py b/activitysim/workflows/steps/contrast/transform_data.py
index 05b777ea21..a3c8b11c2c 100644
--- a/activitysim/workflows/steps/contrast/transform_data.py
+++ b/activitysim/workflows/steps/contrast/transform_data.py
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 import pandas as pd
 from pypyr.context import Context
 
+from activitysim.core.fast_eval import fast_eval
+
 from ..progression import reset_progress_step
 from ..wrapping import workstep
 
@@ -32,7 +34,7 @@ def transform_data(
     if eval is not None:
         for key, tableset in tablesets.items():
             for target, expr in eval.items():
-                tableset[tablename][target] = tableset[tablename].eval(expr)
+                tableset[tablename][target] = fast_eval(tableset[tablename], expr)
         return dict(tablesets=tablesets)
 
     # collect all series into a common vector, so bins are common
diff --git a/conda-environments/activitysim-dev-base.yml b/conda-environments/activitysim-dev-base.yml
index 489de345b3..74df60783d 100644
--- a/conda-environments/activitysim-dev-base.yml
+++ b/conda-environments/activitysim-dev-base.yml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ dependencies:
 - bump2version  # for making a release
 - coveralls
 - cytoolz = 0.12.*
-- dask = 2023.3.*
+- dask = 2023.11.*
 - descartes
 - filelock
 - fsspec
@@ -40,11 +40,11 @@ dependencies:
 - nbmake
 - numba = 0.57.*
 - numexpr
-- numpy = 1.23.*
+- numpy = 1.24.*
 - numpydoc
 - openmatrix = 0.3.*
 - orca = 1.8
-- pandas = 1.4.*
+- pandas = 2.2.*
 - pandera >= 0.15, <0.18.1
 - platformdirs = 3.2.*
 - pre-commit
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ dependencies:
 - pydata-sphinx-theme
 - pyinstrument = 4.4
 - pypyr = 5.8.*
-- pytables >=3.7
+- pytables >=3.9
 - pytest = 7.2.*
 - pytest-cov
 - pytest-regressions
@@ -72,9 +72,9 @@ dependencies:
 - sphinx = 6.1.*
 - sphinx_rtd_theme = 1.2.*
 - sphinx-argparse = 0.4.*
-- xarray = 2023.2.*
+- xarray = 2025.01.*
 - xmle
-- zarr = 2.14.*
+- zarr>=2,<3
 - zstandard
 
 - pip:
diff --git a/conda-environments/activitysim-dev.yml b/conda-environments/activitysim-dev.yml
index b69a69f239..50d67cfc2a 100644
--- a/conda-environments/activitysim-dev.yml
+++ b/conda-environments/activitysim-dev.yml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ dependencies:
 - bump2version  # for making a release
 - coveralls
 - cytoolz = 0.12.*
-- dask = 2023.3.*
+- dask = 2023.11.*
 - descartes
 - filelock
 - fsspec
@@ -36,11 +36,11 @@ dependencies:
 - nbmake
 - numba = 0.57.*
 - numexpr
-- numpy = 1.23.*
+- numpy = 1.24.*
 - numpydoc
 - openmatrix = 0.3.*
 - orca = 1.8
-- pandas = 1.4.*
+- pandas = 2.2.*
 - pandera >= 0.15, <0.18.1
 - platformdirs = 3.2.*
 - pre-commit
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ dependencies:
 - pydata-sphinx-theme
 - pyinstrument = 4.4
 - pypyr = 5.8.*
-- pytables >=3.7
+- pytables >=3.9
 - pytest = 7.2.*
 - pytest-cov
 - pytest-regressions
@@ -69,9 +69,9 @@ dependencies:
 - sphinx = 6.1.*
 - sphinx_rtd_theme = 1.2.*
 - sphinx-argparse = 0.4.*
-- xarray = 2023.2.*
+- xarray = 2025.01.*
 - xmle
-- zarr = 2.14.*
+- zarr>=2,<3
 - zstandard
 
 - pip:
diff --git a/conda-environments/docbuild.yml b/conda-environments/docbuild.yml
index df20b77291..275709c4e3 100644
--- a/conda-environments/docbuild.yml
+++ b/conda-environments/docbuild.yml
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ dependencies:
 - pyarrow >= 2.0,<19
 - pydantic = 2.6.*
 - pypyr >= 5.3
-- pytables >=3.7
+- pytables >=3.9
 - pytest
 - pytest-cov
 - pytest-regressions
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ dependencies:
 - sphinx-copybutton
 - sphinx-remove-toctrees
 - sphinx_rtd_theme
-- xarray >= 0.21
-- zarr
+- xarray = 2025.01.*
+- zarr>=2,<3
 
 - pip:
   - autodoc_pydantic
diff --git a/conda-environments/github-actions-tests.yml b/conda-environments/github-actions-tests.yml
index 4489cba886..019bcccda3 100644
--- a/conda-environments/github-actions-tests.yml
+++ b/conda-environments/github-actions-tests.yml
@@ -10,22 +10,22 @@ dependencies:
 - black = 22.12.0
 - coveralls = 3.3.1
 - cytoolz = 0.12.2
-- dask = 2023.3.2
+- dask = 2023.11.*
 - isort = 5.12.0
 - multimethod <2.0
 - nbmake = 1.4.6
 - numba = 0.57.*
-- numpy = 1.23.5
+- numpy = 1.24.*
 - openmatrix = 0.3.5.0
 - orca = 1.8
 - pandera >= 0.15, <0.18.1
-- pandas = 1.4.*
+- pandas = 2.2.*
 - platformdirs = 3.2.*
 - psutil = 5.9.*
 - pyarrow = 11.*
 - pydantic = 2.6.*
 - pypyr = 5.8.*
-- pytables >= 3.7
+- pytables >= 3.9
 - pytest = 7.2.*
 - pytest-cov
 - pytest-regressions
@@ -36,6 +36,6 @@ dependencies:
 - sharrow >= 2.9.1
 - simwrapper > 1.7
 - sparse
-- xarray = 2023.2.*
-- zarr = 2.14.*
+- xarray = 2025.01.*
+- zarr>=2,<3
 - zstandard
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 693a2ac03d..6a76cacb26 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ dependencies = [
     "numba >= 0.57",
     "numpy >= 1.16.1, <2",
     "openmatrix >= 0.3.4.1",
-    "pandas >= 1.4, <2",
+    "pandas >= 2.2",
     "pandera >=0.15, <0.18.1",
     "platformdirs",
     "psutil >= 4.1",
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ dependencies = [
     "simwrapper > 1.7",
     "sparse",
     "tables >= 3.9",
-    "xarray >= 0.21"
+    "xarray >= 2024.05",
 ]
 readme = "README.md"
 requires-python = ">=3.10"