Congestion Summary

							             ITE Annual Meeting
               Orlando, Florida
               August 2, 2004


Managing Traffic Congestion:
  Can Operations Make A
       Difference?
        A National Perspective


              Jeffrey F. Paniati
    Associate Administrator for Operations
       Federal Highway Administration
    Presentation Outline
 Congestion Trends
 Importance of Reliability

 Examples of Aggressive Operations
  Strategies to Improve System Reliability
Figure ES.2     Congestion Has Grown in Several Ways in the Past 20 Years
       Congestion is Getting Worse
                in Our Largest Cities


                                                   Intensity

                                                          39 minute average delay


              Intensity
                    13 minute average delay




                 Congestion                             Congestion
                                 32% of travel
                  In 1982                                In 2002
                                       Extent
                                                                                    67% of travel
             4.5 hours per day                                                            Extent
     Duration



                                             7.1 hours per day
                                     Duration
Exhibit ES.4 The Sources of Congestion
             National Summary
       Sources of Congestion
                       Special Events (5%)

         Poor Signal Timing (5%)


    Bad Weather (15%)

                                                             Bottlenecks (40%)




    Work Zones (10%)




                                   Traffic Incidents (25%)
  Performance Measurement from the
  Customers Perspective - Reliability
   Travel Time Index and Buffer Index by Time-of-Day
Index Value or
Congested Travel (1.0=100%)                                                        Travel Time Index
2.40                                                                               Buffer Index

2.20                                              On time 95%

2.00


1.80
                                          Unreliable travel                        Travel Time Reliability
                                          conditions                                 -- Reduce the Gap
1.60


1.40


1.20


1.00
    0:00   2:00   4:00   6:00      8:00   10:00    12:00   14:00   16:00   18:00   20:00   22:00   0:00
                                Time of Day (Average Weekdays Only)
Making Travel More Reliable
Has Multiple Benefits
 Reducing  the effects of events (e.g., traffic
 incidents, WZs, weather)
     Provides “double” congestion relief:
         More predictable (less variable travel), AND
         Lower overall delay
     Improves safety
         Duration of motorist exposure to unsafe conditions
          reduced
     Saves fuel
     Reduces emissions
 Unreliable      trips valued at a premium by users
     2-6X the average for commuters
     Higher value for freight, especially JIT
   Examples of Aggressive
Operations Strategies to Improve
       System Reliability
    Traffic Incident Management

    Work Zone Management

    Traveler Information
    Traffic Incident Management
Aggressive:
• Formal regional program with mutual
  agreements.
• Defined performance goals.
• Integrated on-scene activity.

Typical:
• Informal, personality-dependent programs.
• Agency culture and priorities drive on-scene
  operations.
• Incompatible communications systems.
Integrated On-Scene Operations
          Seattle, WA




 • Joint Operations Policy Statement
 • WSDOT and WSP
 • 90 Minute Clearance Goal
Work Zone Safety and Mobility
Aggressive:
• Real time traveler information on web sites.
• Shorter construction duration and traveler exposure to
  work zones.
• Using ITS applications to improve safety and mobility
  in work zones.

Typical:
• Only general construction information on web sites.
• Limited use of innovative construction and contracting
  strategies designed to reduce project duration.
• Minor application of ITS technologies to improve work
  zone performance.
   Albuquerque “Big I” Work Zone ITS
New Mexico used ITS to reduce traffic
incident clearance time from 45 minutes in
the past to 25 minutes during the project.

                     ITS Control
Coordination with    Center
Emergency Services
         Traveler Information
Aggressive:
• Travel times and incident information on DMS.
 High quality 511 services, including ubiquitous
  metropolitan implementation.
• High quality, easily accessible, and
  understandable information on websites.


Typical:
• DMS blank, limited information
  (e.g., “Congestion Ahead”).
• No 511 service.
• Out-of-date information on websites.
San Antonio
 “Final Word”
 Can    Operations Make a Difference
  – YES!
 What will it take …..
  A Comprehensive set of strategies
   Ownership by all regional stakeholders
       Public, businesses, and agencies
   Aggressively    Operate the Transportation
   System
       Proactively and Regionally
   Focus   on Addressing System Reliability