I-74 Ramp Meter System Fact Sheet In an effort to reduce the number and severity of crashes on Interstate 74 in Hamilton County, the Ohio Department of Transporta- tion recently implemented ramp metering on eastbound I-74. The location serves up to 120,000 vehicles per day and is considered one of the top high-crash, congested freeway locations in Ohio.
What are ramp meters? Ramp meters are traffic signals on freeway entrance ramps that release one vehicle at a time. By regulating the flow of traffic onto the freeway, ramp meters can break up large platoons of vehicles to make it easier and safer for motorists to merge onto the free- way.
Why consider ramp meters on I-74? This corridor has a high number of crashes occurring each year. Also, high levels of congestion slow down traffic flow during peak hours. The ramp meters were installed in an effort to reduce crashes, improve commuter travel times, and improve traffic flow.
Why is safety a concern? From January 2000 to December 2002, 417 eastbound crashes were reported along the I-74 corridor between I-275 and I-75. Approximately 24 percent of those crashes involved injuries and four crashes were fatal. The alarming number of crashes has caused ODOT to categorize this corridor as a “safety hot spot.”
What causes the I-74 crashes? Almost half of the crashes along I-74 were rear-end collisions caused by stop-and-go traf- fic. Many of the crashes occurred at interchanges, where motorists are merging with freeway traffic.
How much traffic travels on I-74? Average daily traffic varies from approximately 60,000 vehicles per day near I-275, to about 120,000 vehicles per day near I-75.
How can ramp meters help? Ramp meters are used in more than 33 metro areas in the United States, including Detroit, Seattle and Atlanta. Case studies have shown that ramp meters substantially re- duce the total number of crashes - in some cases by up to 50 percent. In addition, they can improve travel times by up to 60 percent. Where are the ramp meters? The ramp meters are located at the North Bend, Montana, Colerain/Beekman and Spring Grove ramps to eastbound I-74
When are the ramp meters operational? The ramp meters are used during the morning rush hour from 6 to 9 a.m.
Is every vehicle stopped on these ramps? When the ramp meter is operating, every vehicle must stop at the traffic signal. One vehicle is released per green signal. At the two-lane ramps at Montana and Colerain/Beekman, the green signal alternates between the two lanes. When the system is not operating, the signals rest on green.
What did the project entail? The project installed ramp metering traffic signals on the entrance ramps to eastbound I-74 from North Bend oadR through Spring Grove Avenue. The $2.97 million contract was awarded to JR Jurgensen. The work items included: • North Bend Road – Shoulder widening to accommodate installation of a law enforcement pad for traffic monitoring, new pavement markings, and installation of the signal system • Montana Avenue – Reconstruction of the entrance ramp to accommodate an additional lane for traffic storage, pavement markings, installation of the signal system, and a law enforcement pad for traffic monitoring.The addition of this second lane required cutting five feet of rock from the hillside at Montana, accounting for approximately half of the $2.97 million cost of the contract. • Colerain Avenue/Beekman Street – Reconfiguration of the existing lanes to accommodate new traffic patterns, which re- quired the removal and replacement of existing pavement, new pavement markings, installation of the signal system, and a law enforcement pad for traffic monitoring. • Spring Grove Avenue – New pavement markings and the installation of the signal system.
What is ODOT doing to address concerns? ODOT continues to monitor traffic and make adjustments in the system. Early observations indicate that eastbound I-74 traffic during the AM peak is flowing well at approximately 55 mph.