Presented at the 2013 WVDOT/MPO/FHWA Planning Conference

September 18, 2013

Congestion Management Process for the KYOVA/Huntington, WV-KY-OH Urbanized Area

Saleem A. Salameh, Ph.D., P.E.KYOVA Interstate Planning Commission

Tom Creasey, Ph.D., P.E.Stantec

TMA Boundary

Why required? Why now?• Transportation Management Area

(TMA) – 200,000 population or greater

• 2010 Census – KYOVA/Huntington, WV-KY-OH Urbanized Area designated as a TMA• Cabell County, WV• Wayne County, WV• Putnam County (portion), WV• Lawrence County, OH• Boyd County, KY• Greenup County, KY

Project PurposeTo create a Congestion Management Process that:• Provides a picture of the state of congestion• Provides input to development of strategies to

alleviate congestion• Helps decision makers plan for future system

improvements• Provides feedback on effectiveness of projects and

strategies• Provides knowledge base• Meets Federal requirements

CMP Steps1. Define Regional Objectives2. Develop CMP Network3. Develop Performance Measures4. Collect Data/Monitor System Performance5. Analyze Congestion Problems and Needs6. Identify and Assess Strategies7. Program and Implement Strategies8. Evaluate Strategy Effectiveness

Topics1 Project Purpose

2 Federal Requirements

3 MAP-21 Requirements

4 CMP Objectives

5 Performance Measures

MAP-21: 7 National Goals and Performance Measures

NATIONAL GOALS — It is in the interest of the United States to focus the Federal-aid highway program on the following national goals:

1. SAFETY— To achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads.

2. INFRASTRUCTURE CONDITION — To maintain the highway infrastructure asset system in a state of good repair.

3. CONGESTION REDUCTION — To achieve a significant reduction in congestion on the National Highway System.

4. SYSTEM RELIABILITY — To improve the efficiency of the surface transportation system.5. FREIGHT MOVEMENT AND ECONOMIC VITALITY — To improve the national freight network …

and support regional economic development.6. ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY — To enhance the performance of the transportation

system while protecting and enhancing the natural environment.7. REDUCED PROJECT DELIVERY DELAYS — To reduce project costs … delays … and improve

agencies’ work practices.

What this means to the KYOVA/Huntington, WV-KY-OH Urbanized Area• Public agencies will now have to evaluate

transportation decisions and investments in relation to these goals and the performance measures/targets that will be forthcoming

• National Highway System has been redefined by MAP-21 to include all streets classified as a principal arterials.

What is a Congestion Management Process (CMP)?• Systematic process that

provides accurate, up-to-date information on transportation system performance

• Assesses alternative strategies for congestion management that meet state and local needs

• Integrated into the metropolitan planning process

• Intended to move these congestion management strategies into the funding and implementation stages

• Intensity (How bad?)• Duration (How long?)• Extent (How far?)• Variability (How does

it change?)

Four Major Dimensions of Congestion

Source: Atlanta Regional Commission

Travel Time Reliability• Consistency or dependability in travel time• Drivers less tolerant of unexpected delays

because they have larger consequences than drivers face with everyday congestion• Late for work• Missed appointment• Late trucking shipment

• Averages don’t tell the full story

Source: Federal Highway Administration

Factors That Affect Travel Time Reliability• Recurring variations in demand, by hour of

day, day of week, and month of year• Severe weather• Incidents• Work zones• Special events

Travel Time Reliability Measures• Travel Time Index (TTI)

o Additional time that a trip will take under average congested conditions when compared to uncongested, free-flowing conditions

o Ratio of average travel time to free-flow travel timeo TTI = 1.3 means that a trip will take 30 percent longer

• 90th or 95th percentile travel timeo Estimate of how bad delay will be on the heaviest days

• Buffer Timeo Extra time (or time cushion) that travelers must add to

their average travel time when planning trips to ensure on-time arrival

• Planning Time Index (PTI)o Ratio of 95th percentile travel time to free-flow travel timeo Useful when compared to TTI

Travel Time Reliability Measures (cont.)

Application of Travel Time Reliability Data

Computed using Planning Time Index (PTI)

Recurring–Demand exceeds capacity–System choke points–Predictable Reliability (Travel Time Index)Non-recurring–Incidents–Work zones–Weather–Can be predictable (to an extent)

Two Types of Congestion

Role of Congestion Management Objectives

Define what the region wants to achieve regarding congestion management

Serve as primary point of connection between CMP and Metropolitan Transportation Plan

Serve as basis for defining direction of CMP and its performance measures

Reflect priorities of the MPO Serve as tool for MPO to assess how well actions

and policies are helping to achieve goals

Questions that CMP Objectives should ask:

1) What do we want to achieve?

2) What is considered unacceptable congestion for the KYOVA/Huntington Urbanized Area?

Understanding What the Public Wants• What does the public really care about

with regard to congestion?• How high of a priority is traffic congestion?• What type of congestion is most

problematic? For the public? For freight shippers?

• What aspects of congestion are most important to support livability, safety and economic vitality?

KYOVA/Huntington, WV-KY-OH Urbanized AreaCMP Candidate ObjectivesPreserve/Expand Capacity

• I-64 through capacity• I-64 interchanges• Other major regional routes

Enhance System Connectivity

• Ohio River bridges• Connectivity among major

routesImprove Arterial Operations

• Traffic signals/signal systems• Access management

Congestion Types• Recurring• Non-recurring

Enhance System Efficiency/Safety

• Incident response• Traveler information• Work zone activity• Transportation Systems

Management• Travel Demand Management• Alternative transportation

modes (bus transit, bicycle, pedestrian)

• Accommodation of freight movement

Preserve/Expand Capacity• I-64 through capacity• I-64 interchanges• Other major regional

routesEnhance System Connectivity

• Ohio River bridges• Connectivity among major

routesImprove Arterial Operations

• Traffic signals/signal systems

• Access management

Congestion Types• Recurring• Non-recurring

Enhance System Efficiency/Safety

• Incident response• Traveler information• Work zone activity• Transportation Systems

Management• Travel Demand Management• Alternative transportation

modes (bus transit, bicycle, pedestrian)

• Accommodation of freight movement

Highest ranked by Stakeholder Group

KYOVA/Huntington, WV-KY-OH Urbanized AreaCMP Candidate Objectives

CMP Network• MPOs have some discretion• MAP-21 requirements to include National

Highway System• Typical elements

o Freeways/interstate highwayso Arterial roadwayso Transit service (bus routes)o Bicycle networkso Pedestrian networks

CMP Network

What will the CMP look like at the end?A defined process that:

– Provides a snapshot of the current state of congestion– Peak into the future indicating where we can expect

congestion to worsen– Identification of strategies and projects to mitigate or reduce

existing and/or anticipated congestion– Prioritization of recommended strategies/projects for

implementation through metropolitan planning process– Evaluation of effectiveness of previously implemented

strategies and projectsFinal report documenting development and results

of CMPCollection of data upon which the CMP was

developed

Project StatusWhat’s Been Accomplished• Stakeholder Committee Meeting• Data Collection• Draft Objectives• Draft CMP NetworkCurrently Underway• Select Performance Measures• Determine Evaluation Methods• Identify ITS Coverage and Capabilities

Project ScheduleActivity

1. Develop Congestion Management Objectives

2. Define CMP Network

3. Select Performance Measures

4. Identify Evaluation Methods and Data Needs

5. Identify ITS Capacibilities

6. Data Collection

7. System Evaluation and Monitoring

8. Stakeholder Involvement

Stakeholder Meeting #1 u

Stakeholder Meeting #2 u

KYOVA Policy Board Meeting #1 u

KYOVA Policy Board Meeting #2 u

9. Integrate Into Transportation Plan

10. DSS Recommendations

11. TDM Review/Recommendations

12. Documentation

12.1 Prepare Draft Report

12.2 Prepapre Final Report

12.3 Submit Final Report n

Feb 2014Aug 2013 Sep 2013 Oct 2013 Nov 2013 Dec 2013 Jan 2014

Future CMP Enhancements

• Travel Time Reliability• Truck Level of Service• Travel Demand Model Integration• Decision Support System

Questions?