EFFECTIVE PRACTICES FOR CONGESTION MANAGEMENT: FINAL REPORT Requested by: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Prepared by: Cambridge Systematics, Inc. Cambridge, MA Resource Systems Group, Inc. Burlington, VT November 2008 The information contained in this report was prepared as part of NCHRP Project 20-24(63), National Cooperative Highway Research Program, Transportation Research Board. Acknowledgements This study was requested by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and conducted as part of National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Project 20-24. The NCHRP is supported by annual voluntary contributions from the state Departments of Transportation (DOTs). Project 20-24 is intended to fund studies of interest to the leadership of AASHTO and its member DOTs. Christopher Porter of Cambridge Systematics was the lead author of the report, working with John Suhrbier of Cambridge Systematics and Peter Plumeau and Erica Campbell of Resource Systems Group. The work was guided by a task group chaired by Constance Sorrell which included Daniela Bremmer, Mara Campbell, Ken De Crescenzo, Eric Kalivoda, Ronald Kirby, Sheila Moore, Michael Morris, Janet Oakley, Gerald Ross, Steve Simmons, Dick Smith, Kevin Thibault, Mary Lynn Tischer, and Robert Zerrillo. The project was managed by Andrew C. Lemer, Ph. D., NCHRP Senior Program Officer. Disclaimer The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied are those of the research agency that performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Trans- portation Research Board or its sponsors. The information contained in this document was taken directly from the submission of the author(s). This docu- ment is not a report of the Transportation Research Board or of the National Research Council. NCHRP 20-24A, Task 63: Effective Strategies for Congestion Management Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction .........................................................................................................1-1 2.0 Relationship Between Congestion and Economic Growth ........................2-1 2.1 Overview......................................................................................................2-1 2.2 Transportation’s Benefits to the Economy ..............................................2-2 2.3 Definition, Sources, and Types of Congestion........................................2-6 2.4 Congestion Trends and Projections .........................................................2-9 2.5 Congestion’s Impacts on Economic Activity ........................................2-11 2.6 Studies of Congestion’s Economic Impacts ..........................................2-15 2.7 The Effects of Rising Fuel Prices.............................................................2-17 3.0 Summary of Congestion Management Strategies and Effectiveness .......3-1 3.1 Introduction.................................................................................................3-1 3.2 Discussion of Measures..............................................................................3-2 3.3 Interactive Effects .....................................................................................3-10 3.4 Implications of Rising Fuel Prices ..........................................................3-11 3.5 Other Benefits and Disbenefits of Congestion Management Strategies....................................................................................................3-12 3.6 List of Strategies........................................................................................3-14 3.7 Category A – Adding Capacity/Physical Improvements ..................3-15 3.8 Category B – Using Existing Capacity More Efficiently/ Operational Improvements .....................................................................3-35 3.9 Category C – Reducing Demand for Vehicle-Travel ...........................3-68 3.10 Category D – Reducing Congestion on Transit Vehicles ....................3-84 4.0 Case Studies.........................................................................................................4-1 4.1 Introduction.................................................................................................4-1 4.2 Noteworthy Findings.................................................................................4-3 4.3 Conclusions .................................................................................................4-5 5.0 Keys to Implementing Effective Strategies for Congestion Management ........................................................................................................5-7 A. Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area............................................................A-1 A.1 Introduction and Background..................................................................A-1 A.2 Planning Process........................................................................................A-1 A.3 Congestion Management Approaches ...................................................A-3 Cambridge Systematics, Inc. i 7994.063 Table of Contents, continued A.4 Performance Measurement ......................................................................A-6 A.5 Partnerships and Public Outreach...........................................................A-9 A.6 Funding.....................................................................................................A-10 A.7 Concluding Observations.......................................................................A-11 B. Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Area...................................................... B-1 B.1 Introduction and Background.................................................................. B-1 B.2 Planning Process........................................................................................ B-2 B.3 Congestion Management Approaches ................................................... B-3 B.4 Performance Measurement ...................................................................... B-9 B.5 Partnerships.............................................................................................. B-10 B.6 Funding..................................................................................................... B-11 B.7 Concluding Observations....................................................................... B-12 C. Orlando Metropolitan Area .............................................................................C-1 C.1 Introduction and Background..................................................................C-1 C.2 Planning Process........................................................................................C-2 C.3 Congestion Management Approaches ...................................................C-2 C.4 Performance Measurement ......................................................................C-5 C.5 Partnerships and Public Outreach...........................................................C-8 C.6 Funding.......................................................................................................C-9 C.7 Concluding Observations.......................................................................C-10 D. San Diego Metropolitan Area..........................................................................D-1 D.1 Introduction and Background..................................................................D-1 D.2 Planning Process........................................................................................D-2 D.3 Congestion Management Approaches ...................................................D-3 D.4 Performance Measurement ......................................................................D-8 D.5 Partnerships and Public Outreach.........................................................D-13 D.6 Funding.....................................................................................................D-14 D.7 Concluding Observations.......................................................................D-15 E. References ........................................................................................................... E-1 ii Cambridge Systematics, Inc. 7994.063 NCHRP 20-24A, Task 63: Effective Strategies for Congestion Management List of Tables Table 2.1 Measures of Congestion, 10 Most Congested Urban Areas ................2-7 Table 3.1 Congestion Management Strategies: Summary of Effectiveness and Implementation Potential.................................................................3-4 Table 4.1 Comparison of Metropolitan Area Congestion and Population Statistics (2005) ..........................................................................................4-2 Table A.1 NCTCOG Primary Congestion Management Performance Measures ....................................................................................................A-8 Table C.1 Toll Revenues in Orlando Metro Area ..................................................A-9 Table D.1 Summary Description of ITS Applications in SANDAG Region ......A-6 Table D.2 Regional Performance Measures............................................................A-9 Table D.3 TransNet-Funded Projects Underway...................................................D-14 Cambridge Systematics, Inc. iii NCHRP 20-24A, Task 63: Effective Strategies for Congestion Management List of Figures Figure 2.1 Sources of Congestion...............................................................................2-8 Figure A.1 NCTCOG Regional