USDOT Congestion Initiative Update: The Federal Government Takes Up the Congestion Challenge

SLIDE 1

October 10, 2007

National Traffic Management & Work Zone Safety Conference

Greater Fort Lauderdale-Broward County Convention Center
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Robert Arnold 
Director, Office of Transportation Operations 
Federal Highway Administrator 
U.S. Department of Transportation

SLIDE 2

Crisis of Congestion
A Tax on the NationPicture of a congested highway

  • Commuting costs: Each motorist stuck in traffic wastes 
    on average 47 hours and 30 gallons of fuel every year 
    – at a cost of $800 per person annually.
  • Quality of life: Reduced air quality, less time with 
    family and friends.
  • Productivity: Delays to trucks and unreliability of 
    delivery times increase costs for businesses and 
    reduce economic competitiveness  
SLIDE 3

Crisis of Congestion
Wasted Hours Across America

  • Congestion has increased dramatically over the past 20 years in the 85 largest U.S. cities. During this time the number of hours lost each year by an average driver to congestion increased from 17 to almost 50.*
  • In the 13 largest cities, drivers now spend the equivalent of almost 8 work days each year stuck in traffic.* 

    A bar chart titled Annual Hours Lost to Congestion Per Peak Hour Driver Very Large Metro Areas, 1983 v. 2003* with City on the X-Axis and Hours on the Y-Axis. The green bar displays data for 1983 and the orange bar, for 2003.

    * Texas Transportation Institute, 2005 Urban Mobility Report

SLIDE 4

USDOT’s Congestion Initiative: A Six-Point Plan

  • Relieve Urban Congestion. Picture of a congested highway
  • Unleash private sector investment resources.
  • Promote operational and technological improvements.
  • Establish a “Corridors of the Future” competition.
  • Target major freight bottlenecks and expand freight policy outreach.
  • Accelerate major aviation capacity projects and provide a future funding framework.
SLIDE 5

Operational and Technological Improvements

Picture of a traffic model with different parts labeled as Traffic Signal Timing, Work Zone Management, Incident Management, Traveler Information, and Bottleneck Reduction.

SLIDE 6

Congestion experienced by highway travelers is caused 
by many different factors

A pie chart displaying the following: Special Events 5%, Poor Signal Timing 5%, Bad Weather 15%, Work Zones 10%, Traffic Indidents 25%, and Bottlenecks 40%

SLIDE 7Picture of an incident scene with police cars and emergency vehicles

Enhanced Incident Management

  • Advance move-it laws.
  • Establish quick clearance policy agreements.
  • Promote full function service patrols.
  • Data integration.
  • Performance measures.

 

SLIDE 8Picture of a speed trailer in a work zone

Enhanced Work Zone Mobility

  • Support implementation of the key concepts of the 
    Work Zone Safety and Mobility Final Rule:
    • Better understand, anticipate and plan for the impacts.
    • Do so early in the program delivery process.
    • Consider solutions that go beyond the immediate 
      location of the work zone.
    • Integrate this thinking in the agency/DOT culture. 
SLIDE 9Picture of a sign displaying the message NEED TRAFFIC INFO? CALL 511

Enhanced Traveler Information

  • Implement 511
  • Implement travel times on DMS.
  • Establish Real-time Traveler Information 
    Program (SAFTEA-LU, section 1201).
    • Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – Winter 2007. 
 SLIDE 10

511 Deployment Status

A U.S. map showing 511 Deployment Status of states by color. The caption says Accessible by 46% of Population as of October 1, 2007 and Accessible by 65% of Population in 2008.

SLIDE 11

Travel Times on DMS Status

A U.S. map showing travel times on DMS staus, total combined as of July 12, 2007, with orange dot indicating areas that provide travel times, yellow dot, plans to provide travel times, and red cross, Top 40 metro area.

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Improved Traffic Signal Timing

  • National Report Card 
    • Traffic Signal Audit Guide implemented Picture of traffic signals
    • Release of report card (Oct 9th)
  • ACS-Lite available
    • Lessons learned from test sites.
    • Technical assistance, training, outreach.
    • First “real” deployment – 11/07 Tyler, Tx
    • Traffic Signal Timing Manual – 01/08
SLIDE 13Picture of a less congested highway

Operational Improvements to Alleviate 
Bottleneck Congestion

  • Establish and learn from lead States
  • Released primer (July 2007); update electronic 
    version with good ideas.
  • Initiate dialogue with states to pursue innovative, 
    low-cost solutions (July 2007). 
SLIDE 14Picture of a very congested highway

Summary

Many opportunities to reduce congestion, and the USDOT is working to help State and local 
agencies take advantage of these opportunities.

FHWA’s “Operational & Technological 
Improvements“ website http://www.oti.dot.gov/

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