Interstate 80 Integrated Corridor Management Project January 15, 2009 CTCDC Meeting

1. Interstate 80 Integrated Corridor Management Project January 15, 2009 CTCDC Meeting S. Sean Nozzari Deputy District 4 Director, Traffic Operations California Department of Transportation

2. Outline Why are we here? I-80 Integrated Corridor Management Project Active Traffic Management Current Practices: Changeable Message Signs Dialogue & Next Steps

3. Why are we here? • Anticipated future strategies and approaches require dialogue; • California freeway system is maturing in urban areas; • There are significant advances in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technology; • There is increased motorist expectations; • Transportation safety and mobility carry equal weight in this era of climate change. ? • Safety & Security • Growth • Congestion • Environment • Economy • Finance • Social Equity • Carbon Reduction • Climate Change

4. Solutions: Past, Present, and Future • Traffic Safety & Capacity Improvements • Ridesharing, Rail & Transit Systems, TOD Developments • Incident & Work Zone Management • Intelligent Transportation Systems • Traveler Information Systems • Weigh-in-motion/Truck Climbing Lanes • Electronic Toll Collection • Alternative Fuels/Vehicles • Weather Information Systems • Multimodal Corridor Systems Management • In-vehicle Information Systems • Active Traffic Management, Smart Parking/Transit & BRT • Vehicle Infrastructure Integration/Automated guidance Systems • User Fees: HOT Lanes & Congestion Pricing • Public Private Partnerships • Transportation System Completion Past Present Future

5. Future solutions require: • Active traffic management strategies on freeways; • Uniformity as well as compliance and consistency of new systems and devices being deployed with applicable legislation, state/national standards, technical guidelines and practices; • Dialogue, input, and guidance from stakeholders. • Interstate 80 Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) project, in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, is one of the first of such future projects.

6. San Francisco Bay Area I- 80 The No. 1 most congested Corridor in the San Francisco Bay Area.

7. Causes: High traffic demand Limited capacity & bottlenecks Physical and environmental constraints prevent traditional roadway improvements Independent arterial/freeway/transit management systems Significant traffic delays Inconsistent flow of traffic Speed differentials Shockwaves High incident rates Inconsistent travel time Transportation corridor impacts Interstate I-80 ICM Project Bottleneck Areas:  Pinole Valley - Richmond Parkway  San Pablo Dam Road - Cutting Blvd Effects:  Central Av – Potrero Av  San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge

8. San Francisco Bay Area I- 80Current Speed Limits Toll Plaza 50 MPH 55 MPH 65 MPH

9. I-80 Corridor stakeholders recognize that effective management of this corridor requires new systems and strategies beyond traditional activities.

10. I-80 ICM Project Elements: • Traffic Surveillance & Monitoring • Incident Management • Active Freeway Traffic Management Systems • Arterial Management • Transit Management • Traveler Information • Commercial vehicle operations

11. Active Traffic Management is: Proactive Management of Roadway Systembased on pre-defined performance thresholds and effective communication with motorists in response to changing traffic conditions, relative to recurrent congestion, incidents, highway maintenance and construction activities, or special events by means of state-of-practice ITS technology including Adaptive Ramp Metering and Speed Harmonization.

12. Speed harmonization is expected to help enhance mobility by reducing: • Gaps in traffic flow, • Unnecessary lane changes, • Shockwaves, • and above all incidents. Effective communication with motorists is facilitated by: • Sign Gantries, • Changeable Message Signs (CMS) or Lane Use Signals (LUS), and • Variable Speed Limit Signs (VSLS).

13. CONCEPTUALONLY Speed Harmonization via Roadside Variable Speed Limit Signs SPEEDLIMIT 55 HOV Lane Mixed flow lanes 55 R2-1 48”X60”

14. CONCEPTUALONLY Effective Communication with Motorists via Sign Gantries • Possible Applications: • Lane Closures/Detours (Incidents or planned work) • Carpool Hours • Travel Time • BART/Transit Information • Speed Limits • Other

15. LANE CLOSED LANE CLOSED LANE CLOSED MERGE RIGHT LANE CLOSED CONCEPTUALONLY LANE CLOSED LANE CLOSED LANE CLOSED LANE CLOSED LANE CLOSED LANE CLOSED MERGE RIGHT MERGE RIGHT LANE CLOSED LANE CLOSED ATM Sign Gantries may be used for various scenarios:

16. Next Generation CMSs with full color and graphic capabilities can potentially allow sign and symbol messages on gantries: Potential New CMS/Gantries Applications? W 8-5 R11- 3a Route Shield

17. I-80 ICM Project Status: • I-80 ICM Project is currently in the environmental assessment and preliminary engineering phase. • There is much work to be done in developing the respective systems and functional requirements, particularly with respect to speed harmonization. • It is, however, clear that the I-80 ICM project will take us beyond our current practices, particularly relative to real-time communication with motorists.

18. Changeable Message Signing Current Practices

19. Current Practices: Incident Management

20. Current Practices: Incident Management

21. Current Practices: Roadway Construction & Maintenance

22. Current Practices: Roadway Construction & Maintenance

23. Current Practices: Weather or Roadway Advisories

24. Current Practices: Commuter Travel Time Information & SMART Parking System

25. Current Practices: Toll Collection

26. Current Practices: Special Events

27. Current Practices: Law Enforcement & Motorist Education Examples: Amber Alerts Don’t Drink & Drive Report Drunk Drivers Hands Free Cell Phone Use No Texting

28. Private Sector Practice: Outdoor Advertising Note: This private practice is trictly outside the State Highway Right-of-way.

29. Refresh Time

30. Dialogue & Next Steps Changeable Message Signs (CMS) • To the extent possible, changeable message signs, which are traffic control devices designed to display variable messages, shall conform to the principles, design and applications established and prescribed in the CA MUTCD for highway regulatory, advisory, and guide signs. CA MUTCD does not contain specifications for changeable message signs. • CMSs currently deployed in California are highly effective in real-time communication of roadway, traffic conditions, detour, or traveler information to motorists. • Next generation CMSs with full color and graphics capability and enhanced resolution allow enhanced communication with motorists through increased displays of MUTCD standard and uniform messages or symbols on changeable message signs, helping better meet motorist expectations.

31. Dialogue & Next Steps (continued) Variable Speed Limit Signs (VSLSs) • CVC 22355 authorizes Caltrans to use VSLSs. • The speed limits displayed on these signs are enforceable. • Before VSLSs are implemented for corridor mobility applications, an appropriate engineering analysis is needed (in lieu of the traditional engineering & traffic surveys used for safety applications). • Appropriate documentation for use of VSLSs is to be developed in cooperation with the California Highway Patrol and regional/local stakeholders.

32. Thank you!(Discussion & Questions)

34. Supporting Slides • California Vehicle Code (CVC) • Variable Speed Limits • Uniform Standards • Engineering Traffic Survey (E&TS) • NCHRP Legal Research Digest

35. California Vehicle Code (CVC) • The California Vehicle Code (CVC) establishes the authority for the Department of Transportation to establish speed limits, and in particular provides the authority to use VSLS on freeways. The authority to install and operate VSLS is covered in section 22355

36. Variable Speed Limits – CVC 22355 •  Whenever the Department of Transportation determines upon the basis of an Engineering and Traffic Survey (E&TS) that the safe and orderly movement of traffic upon any state highway which is a freeway will be facilitated by the establishment of variable speed limits, the department may erect, regulate, and control signs upon the state highway which is a freeway, or any portion thereof, which signs shall be so designed as to permit display of different speed limits at various times of the day or night. Such signs need not conform to the standards and specifications established by regulations of the Department of Transportation pursuant to Section 21400, but shall be of sufficient size and clarity to give adequate notice of the applicable speed limit. The speed limit upon the freeway at a particular time and place shall be that which is then and there displayed upon such sign. Amended Ch. 78, Stats. 1973. Effective January 1, 1974

37. Uniform Standards • 22355 refers to section 21400, which is included in next slide for information. 22355 specifically states the signs do not need to comply with 21400.

38. Uniform Standards – CVC 21400 •  The DOT shall, after consultation with local agencies and public hearings, adopt rules and regulations prescribing uniform standards and specifications for all official traffic control devices placed pursuant to this code, including, but not limited to, stop signs, yield right-of-way signs, speed restriction signs, railroad warning approach signs, street name signs, lines and markings on the roadway, and stock crossing signs placed pursuant to Section 21364. • The DOT shall, after notice and public hearing, determine and publicize the specifications for uniform types of warning signs, lights, and devices to be placed upon a highway by any person engaged in performing work which interferes with or endangers the safe movement of traffic upon that highway. • Only those signs, lights, and devices as are provided for in this section shall be placed upon a highway to warn traffic of work which is being performed on the highway. • Any control devices or markings installed upon traffic barriers on or after January 1, 1984, shall conform to the uniform standards and specifications required by this section. Amended Ch. 291, Stats. 1983. Effective January 1, 1984.

39. Engineering Traffic Survey (E&TS) Section 22355 provides that the determination of the need for VSLS must be on the basis of “an engineering and traffic survey”. This is defined in the CVC by section 627 and is reproduced in next slides

40. Engineering Traffic Survey (ETS) - 627 • (a) "Engineering and traffic survey," as used in this code, means a survey of highway and traffic conditions in accordance with methods determined by the Department of Transportation for use by state and local authorities. • (b) An engineering and traffic survey shall include, among other requirements deemed necessary by the department, consideration of all of the following: • (1) Prevailing speeds as determined by traffic engineering measurements. • (2) Accident records. • (3) Highway, traffic, and roadside conditions not readily apparent to the driver. • (c) When conducting an engineering and traffic survey, local authorities, in addition to the factors set forth in paragraphs (1) to (3), inclusive, of subdivision (b) may consider all of the following:

41. Engineering Traffic Survey (E&TS) Cont’d • (1) Residential density, if any of the following conditions exist on the particular portion of highway and the property contiguous thereto, other than a business district: • (A) Upon one side of the highway, within a distance of a quarter of a mile, the contiguous property fronting thereon is occupied by 13 or more separate dwelling houses or business structures. • (B) Upon both sides of the highway, collectively, within a distance of a quarter of a mile, the contiguous property fronting thereon is occupied by 16 or more separate dwelling houses or business structures. • (C) The portion of highway is longer than one-quarter of a mile but has the ratio of separate dwelling houses or business structures to the length of the highway described in either subparagraph (A) or (B). • (2) Pedestrian and bicyclist safety. • Amended Ch. 466, Stats. 1982. Effective January 1, 1983.Amended Sec. 1, Ch. 45, Stats. 2000. Effective January 1, 2001.

42. NCHRP Legal Research Digest • NCHRP Legal Research Digest, March 2002-Number 47 was devoted to “Judicial Enforcement of Variable Speed Limits”. According to that report, “the only statutory provision that was found in any state’s laws specifically related to a ‘variable speed limit’ was Section 22355 of the California Vehicle Code. This section allows the DOT, on the basis of an engineering and traffic study that shows the ‘safe and orderly movement of traffic’ will be facilitated, to ‘erect, regulate and control signs…so designed as to permit display of different speed limits at various times of the day and night.’ The speed limit on the freeway ‘at a particular time and place shall be that which is then and there displayed upon such sign.’” • The researchers reported no “…known court challenges to enforcement of the existing ‘variable’ speed laws”.