Integration of Active Traffic Management in the transport planning process

1. Integration of Active Traffic Management in the transport planning process observations and experiences from Germany TRB Application Conference, May 2009, Houston, TX Dr. Rainer Schwarzmann, PTV AG (Germany) Transport Consulting Business Unit

2. Overview • Introduction: ATM - ITS measures to improve (road) infrastructure performance • Background I: ATM policy development in Germany • Background II: Planning Context and Requirements • Methodology questions: Empirical base, micro- and macro impacts • Example: • The Rhine-Main-Area • Application: Integrated modeling and assessment • Outlook

3. Introduction • ATM – Active Traffic management to improve the (road) infrastructure performance by improving the operation of road network • Increase capacity by dynamic allocation of road space • User information • Influencing users’ mode and time decisions • Dynamic route guidance • Optimization of speed according to capacity maximization

4. ATM: Experienced benefits (roughly) + = impr., ++ = strong impr.,n.a.= not applicable

5. Germany‘s ITS policy framework • Short history • Active Traffic Management has been seen as “repair” for a long time • Construction, extension and adequate dimensioning of roads was the first choice • ATM is not a standard feature for new motorways • Since 1980’s implementation programs (also driven by industrial support ideas) • In the meantime established based on good experiences • Safety • Capacity and quality of traffic flow • Reduction of incidents and increase of reliability of the major corridors • Implementation plans and programs in all states

6. Planning context and requirements – how to proceed • The “classical investment” preference • Assessment and appraisal procedures are clearly adjusted for road infrastructure investments (extension of physical infrastructure) • Usual funds cannot be used for ATM • The maximization of benefits of available resources in terms of investment, maintenance and operation is difficult (impossible?) • Need for integrative planning procedures • Consideration of (mode) interdependencies in system • Consideration of impacts in all network categories in urban agglomerations • Equal consideration of intended impacts regardless the nature of investment • → certain methodical requirements in terms of ATM

7. Methodology questions • Micro Impacts (Dynamic effects) • Incident prevention • Reduction of congestion • Increase of travel speed • Increase of reliability • Increase of maximum traffic flows • Macro Representation • Derivation of aggregated criteria and parameters • Increase of average speed • Increase of average capacity • Reduction of accidents (rates)

8. Methodology questions • Empirical information basis • Measurement of ATM impacts on • Capacity • Safety • by • On-site (before/after) evaluations • Micro simulation • Experience basis (costs and technical aspects) • Investment and operation costs • Maintenance costs • Technical durability (→ lifetime costs)

9. Example: Safety Impacts of Section Control Systems - compared to whole federal motorway network

10. Example: ATM – impact analysis by simulation

11. 160 Standard CR 140 CR Section control 120 100 80 Average Speed) [km/h] 60 40 20 0 0 800 1600 2400 3200 4000 4800 5600 6400 7200 Traffic volume [Vh/h]] Representation of impact of dynamic section control systems (measurement -> CR-Functions) Increase of travel speed

12. 160 Standard CR 140 CR HSU 120 100 80 Average Speed [km/h] 60 40 20 0 0 800 1600 2400 3200 4000 4800 5600 6400 7200 8000 8800 Traffic volume [Vh/h] Representation of impact of dynamic Hard Shoulder use appl. (measurement -> CR-Functions) DisproportionateIncrease of capacity (3lanes + 1)

13. Example: The Rhine-Main Area ‘Mobility Master Plan’ • The Rhine-Main area [speak “rine-mine”] • One of 11 “European Metropolitan Regions” in Germany • top higher-order central place: Frankfurt (+ some other big cities) • 5,5 million Inhabitants • 2 million employees • forming one of the most busiest areas in Germany

14. A5 North-South City of Frankfurt/M. A3 West-East The Rhine-Main Area

15. Example: The Rhine-Main Area ‘Mobility Master Plan’ • Transport Challenge • Frankfurt is Germany’s most important transport Hub (Air Transport, Rail Transport) • Some of the major German motorways (crossing of East-West and North-South axis – federal motorways A5 and A3) • Extremely high traffic flows due to Transit and Regional traffic • High density of settlement areas and transport networks • Very early introduction of ATM (→ State Hesse is one of the most advanced operators of ATM)

16. ATM in Rhine-Main Area: Dynamic Section Control

17. ATM in Rhine-Main Area: Dynamic Route guidance

18. ATM in Rhine-Main Area: Temp. Hard Shoulder Use

19. Example: The Rhine-Main Area ‘Mobility Master Plan’ • A meta planning institution • Foundation of a new entity: IVM (Integriertes Verkehrsmanagement Region Frankfurt Rhein Main – Integrated Transport Management Rhine-Main region) • Common Platform for public authorities of all institutional levels in the region (State, Major Cities and counties are share- and stakeholders) • Cooperation in a mutual planning project • A new multi-integral planning approach • All modes • All levels of network • All kind of measures (Road infrastructure, Public Transport, ATM, Information, Parking and Demand Management) • Use of the VDRM (Transport Data Base Rhine-Main) providing a large Transport Model

20. Example: The Rhine-Main Area ‘Mobility Master Plan’ • The VDRM Transport Model

21. The model area Frankfurt /Main VDRM Example: The Rhine-Main Area ‘Mobility Master Plan’ The VDRM Transport Model

22. Example: The Rhine-Main Area ‘Mobility Master Plan’ • Impact Analysis by integrated modeling of • Measures in road network • Major investments (bridge, tunnel) • Regional bypass roads • Intersection redesign • Motorway extensions (additional lanes) • Public Transport measures • ATM on several sections of motorways (section control, hard shoulder use)

23. Example: The Rhine-Main Area ‘Mobility Master Plan’ • Integrated assessment • Based on 10 years demand forecast • Consideration of mode shifts • Consideration of overall budget (investment, operation and maintenance) • Multi-criteria assessment (modified cost-benefit analysis) based on the model outputs • Final results not yet available • Project ongoing in final phase • Difficult political discussion and decisions • But first indications and experiences

24. Experiences: Can ATM be integrated in Planning process ? • Base information for impact analysis is available • Equitable dealing with ATM and “classical measures” in terms of the traditional modeling parameters is possible • Modeling results show the effectiveness of ATM also for an integrated (intermodal) system view • The cost-benefit ratio is higher than for many road infrastructure investments (travel time savings) • But still many questions • appraisal procedures and • adequate dealing with dynamic effects in road network • Many institutional problems remain • AND: Still first attempts (using static methods for dynamic phenomena)

25. Outlook • Expectations and assumptions • ATM and other road operation tools will become standard features • Growing understanding of Traffic management impacts • Commitment to integration of planning and operation (institutional setup!) • Changes and developments • Dynamic modeling dealing with hourly congestion rather than with daily volumes • Corresponding collection of “dynamic data” • Adaptation of appraisal procedures • Vertical and horizontal integration of planning and operation • (including integration of interurban ATM - and urban ITS- strategies) • Support by corresponding tools (Borders between strategic and traffic engineering tools will disappear)

26. WWW.PTVAG.COM Thank you very much for your attention! PTV – The Transportation Experts. PTV Planung Transport Verkehr AG, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany PTV America, Inc., Portland, OR; Tacoma, WA; Vancouver, BC; Wilmington, DE; Austin, TX