Congestion Mitigation Programs and Strategies

Congestion Congestion MitigationMitigation

Programs and StrategiesPrograms and Strategies

Craig MizeraCraig Mizera

Advanced Highway DesignAdvanced Highway DesignCE 550CE 550

April 2, 2007April 2, 2007

OutlineOutline

►Overview of CongestionOverview of Congestion

►Effects of CongestionEffects of Congestion

►Solving the ProblemSolving the Problem

What is Congestion?What is Congestion?

►Highway Congestion occurs when the Highway Congestion occurs when the traffic demand approaches or traffic demand approaches or surpasses the available capacity.surpasses the available capacity.

►Measurements of the level of service, Measurements of the level of service, speed, travel time, and delay are used speed, travel time, and delay are used to express the severity.to express the severity.

What is Congestion?What is Congestion?

Expected Congestion in the Expected Congestion in the FutureFuture

Sources of CongestionSources of Congestion

►BottlenecksBottlenecks► Intersections & InterchangesIntersections & Interchanges►Work ZonesWork Zones►WeatherWeather►Traffic IncidentsTraffic Incidents►Special EventsSpecial Events

Sources of CongestionSources of Congestion

FHWAFHWA

Effects of CongestionEffects of Congestion

►SocietySociety

►FreightFreight

►EnvironmentEnvironment

SocietySociety

►TTI Traffic Congestion StudyTTI Traffic Congestion Study 85 Urban areas85 Urban areas 3.7 billion hours of delay3.7 billion hours of delay

►43 hrs/person/yr43 hrs/person/yr

Wasted time and FuelWasted time and Fuel►$63 million$63 million

$384 /person/yr$384 /person/yr

FreightFreight

►243 million hours of delay per year243 million hours of delay per year

►$7.8 billion/year$7.8 billion/year

►Freight movement increaseFreight movement increase 3% annually through 20203% annually through 2020

FreightFreight

FHWAFHWA

EnvironmentEnvironment

►Burning Excess FuelBurning Excess Fuel

►PollutantsPollutants Nitrogen OxidesNitrogen Oxides Carbon MonoxideCarbon Monoxide HydrocarbonsHydrocarbons

Highway Congestion Highway Congestion SolutionsSolutions

►Passenger cars Passenger cars increase 2.5% annuallyincrease 2.5% annually

►Truck freight movement Truck freight movement increase 3% annuallyincrease 3% annually

Highway Congestion Highway Congestion SolutionsSolutions

►Government EffortsGovernment Efforts

►Designs and StrategiesDesigns and Strategies

► Intelligent Transportation SystemsIntelligent Transportation Systems

► Rapid Urban Flexible SystemRapid Urban Flexible System

► Traffic Forecasting StrategyTraffic Forecasting Strategy

Government ProgramsGovernment Programs

►National Strategy to Reduce National Strategy to Reduce Congestion on America’s Congestion on America’s Transportation Network PlanTransportation Network Plan Congestion InitiativeCongestion Initiative

►Work Zone MobilityWork Zone Mobility

►Highways for LIFEHighways for LIFE

Congestion InitiativeCongestion Initiative

► Introduced May 2006Introduced May 2006►Six componentsSix components

Urban partnership agreementsUrban partnership agreements Public private partnershipsPublic private partnerships Corridors of the futureCorridors of the future Reducing border congestionReducing border congestion Reducing S. Cal. Freight CongestionReducing S. Cal. Freight Congestion Increasing aviation capacityIncreasing aviation capacity

Work Zone MobilityWork Zone Mobility

► Construction-related CongestionConstruction-related Congestion

► Accelerated Construction TechniquesAccelerated Construction Techniques

►Night WorkNight Work

► ITSITS

► Share successful ideas and strategiesShare successful ideas and strategies

Highways for LIFEHighways for LIFE

►LLonger-lasting highway infrastructure onger-lasting highway infrastructure using using IInnovations to accomplish the nnovations to accomplish the

FFast construction of ast construction of

EEfficient and Safe Highways and Bridgesfficient and Safe Highways and Bridges►3 Main Goals3 Main Goals

Improving SafetyImproving Safety Reduce CongestionReduce Congestion Improve QualityImprove Quality

Design Efforts and StrategiesDesign Efforts and Strategies

►Widening the RoadwayWidening the Roadway►High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) LanesHigh Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes► Ramp ManagementRamp Management► Separate and Reversible LanesSeparate and Reversible Lanes► Innovative DesignsInnovative Designs

TunnelsTunnels ““Stacking” LanesStacking” Lanes

Design Efforts and StrategiesDesign Efforts and Strategies

►Concentrate on new ideasConcentrate on new ideas

► In the Past……..In the Past…….. Spent $340 billion dollarsSpent $340 billion dollars

►Public transitPublic transit►Accounts for 2% of the tripsAccounts for 2% of the trips

Widening the RoadwayWidening the Roadway

►Wider is not always better.Wider is not always better.

►Limited ROWLimited ROW

►Expensive ROWExpensive ROW

HOV LanesHOV Lanes

►Special LanesSpecial Lanes►15 million people carpool15 million people carpool►84 million drive alone84 million drive alone►High Occupancy Toll (HOT) LanesHigh Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes

Prices fluctuate with traffic volumesPrices fluctuate with traffic volumes 3Ps3Ps

Ramp ManagementRamp Management

►Control the number of vehiclesControl the number of vehicles SignsSigns Traffic signalsTraffic signals GatesGates

►VersatileVersatile

►Sufficient PlanningSufficient Planning Can create spillback to other routesCan create spillback to other routes

Ramp ManagementRamp Management

►MinneapolisMinneapolis B/C Ratio 15:1B/C Ratio 15:1 Reduced emissions by 1160 tons/yearReduced emissions by 1160 tons/year

Separate LanesSeparate Lanes

► Ignored for yearsIgnored for years

Federal Regulations forbid themFederal Regulations forbid them National System of Interstate and Defense National System of Interstate and Defense

HighwaysHighways

►Build to different standardsBuild to different standards Allow Larger TrucksAllow Larger Trucks

TunnelsTunnels

►Advances in tunnel technologiesAdvances in tunnel technologies Faster ConstructionFaster Construction Lower costLower cost

““Stacking” LanesStacking” Lanes

►Double-deckDouble-deck Low ceilings 7 ftLow ceilings 7 ft 10 ft lanes10 ft lanes

►80% of traffic passenger vehicles80% of traffic passenger vehicles

Intelligent Transportation Intelligent Transportation SystemSystem

►System that uses electronics, System that uses electronics, communications, or information communications, or information processing singly or together to processing singly or together to improve the efficiency or safety of a improve the efficiency or safety of a transportation systemtransportation system FHWAFHWA

►Educate DriversEducate Drivers IncidentsIncidents Work ZonesWork Zones

►Automated tollsAutomated tolls

Rapid Urban Flexible SystemRapid Urban Flexible System

►Palle JensenPalle Jensen DenmarkDenmark

►Dual Mode SystemDual Mode System Regular RoadwayRegular Roadway

►Manually controlledManually controlled

GuidewayGuideway►Automatically controlledAutomatically controlled

Rapid Urban Flexible SystemRapid Urban Flexible System

Rapid Urban Flexible SystemRapid Urban Flexible System

Rapid Urban Flexible SystemRapid Urban Flexible System

Rapid Urban Flexible SystemRapid Urban Flexible System

►Different sizesDifferent sizes Maxi-rufMaxi-ruf

►10 seats10 seats

Midi-rufMidi-ruf►5 seats5 seats

RUFRUF►4 seats4 seats

Mini-rufMini-ruf►2 seats2 seats

Rapid Urban Flexible SystemRapid Urban Flexible System

►Los AngelesLos Angeles $9.55 billion$9.55 billion

►SeattleSeattle $1.2 billion$1.2 billion

Planning and Forecasting Future Planning and Forecasting Future TrafficTraffic

►Traditional traffic forecastingTraditional traffic forecasting

Collect dataCollect data

Region’s travel demand modelRegion’s travel demand model

Planning and Forecasting Future Planning and Forecasting Future TrafficTraffic

►Goal-oriented Planning ProcessGoal-oriented Planning Process Developed in Texas and GeorgiaDeveloped in Texas and Georgia Need for additional projectsNeed for additional projects

►Estimate the costs and benefitsEstimate the costs and benefits

►Allowed the public to observe the Allowed the public to observe the range of project costs and how they range of project costs and how they affected congestionaffected congestion

ConclusionConclusion

““One of the most promising options for One of the most promising options for combating out-of-control congestion is combating out-of-control congestion is to turn to technology and invest in to turn to technology and invest in innovation.”innovation.”

- Secretary of Transportation Mary PetersSecretary of Transportation Mary Peters2007 TRB2007 TRB

QUESTIONS AND COMMENTSQUESTIONS AND COMMENTS