Reducing Congestion: Tools of the Trade

1. Reducing Congestion Tools of the Trade Maryland Transportation Operations Summit Maritime InstituteLinthicum Heights, MD May 1, 2008 Jeffrey F. Paniati Executive Director Federal Highway Administration US Department of Transportation Washington, DC 20590

2. 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. Crisis of Congestion:A Tax on the Nation Congestion on I-95 in Northern Virginia

3. 1983 100 2003 80 60 Hours 40 20 0 Miami Atlanta Detroit Boston Phoenix Chicago Average Dallas Houston New York Washington San Francisco Philadelphia LA/Long Beach City 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.* Annual Hours Lost to Congestion Per Peak Hour Driver Very Large Metro Areas, 1983 v. 2003* * Texas Transportation Institute, 2005 Urban Mobility Report

4. Relieve urban congestion. 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. USDOT Congestion Initiative

5. Failure to properly price travel on highways is a root cause of congestion. The price of highway travel (gas taxes, registration fees, etc.) bears little or no relationship to the cost of congestion. Unlike other public utilities, the public expectation is that the “service” is free or does not change with changes in demand. Allocating transportation services via pricing is more efficient than rationing by delay Congestion Pricing:Bringing Supply and Demand into Alignment Congestion on I-95 in Northern Virginia

6. Congestion Pricing: UPAs/CRDs Seattle Minneapolis -St. Paul Chicago SanFrancisco Los Angeles Miami

7. Congestion Pricing: UPA/CRD Highlights • HOV – HOT Lane Conversions • Minneapolis • Miami • Los Angeles • Dynamically Priced Shoulder Lanes • -Minneapolis • Moving from Fixed to Variable Bridge Tolls • -San Francisco • Pricing of Existing Free Lanes • -Seattle

8. Congestion Pricing: UPA/CRD Highlights • Active Traffic Management Systems • -Minneapolis • -Seattle • -Miami • Parking Pricing • -San Francisco • -Chicago • Express Transit Services / Bus Rapid Transit • -All Sites

9. Congestion Pricing:HOV to HOT Conversions • Provides choice of reliable trip. • Uses excess capacity on HOV facilities. • Demonstrates value of pricing.

10. Congestion Pricing: HOT to HOV Conversions MnPass • Implemented in 2005. • 11 miles. • Converted pre-existing HOV • facility. • Dynamic pricing to ensure 50 mph • to 55 mph flows (tolls range from • $0.25 to $8). • Congestion on corridor’s non- • MnPASS lanes down by half. • 2:1 public approval.

11. HOV and HOT Lanes in the U.S. HOV Lane Locations HOT Lane Locations

12. Technology and Operations Sources of Highway Congestion Source: “ Traffic Congestion and Reliability;” FHWA (September, 2005)

13. Technology and Operations Reduce Incident Delay • 25 percent of all congestion. • 1-minute closure = 4-minute delay. • Key elements of a comprehensive incident management program. • Service patrols with incident • management capabilities. • Policies with performance goals. • Move It / Clear It laws.

14. Some Jurisdictions have Realized the Promise – We Know It Works Traffic Incident Management Atlanta, Georgia • TIME Task Force (over 6 Agencies represented). • HERO - Full Function Service Patrols Operating 24/7 (Across country, B/C up to 36:1). • 90 Minute Clearance Goal. • “Steer It and Clear It” Law.

15. Technology and Operations Improve Traveler Information • 511 accessible to 47 percent of USA • Travel times on DMS • 38 cities nationwide • 28 of top 40 metro areas

16. Some Jurisdictions have Realized the Promise – We Know it Works • DMS Example • Houston – • 85% of respondents to a Web survey • said they have changed their route in • response to a DMS message. • Travel time messages are the 2nd • most cited type of message causing • users to change their route. • Traffic incident alerts are 1st • 66% said the route change was to • save time.

17. Technology and Operations Improve Traffic Signal Timing • Of 330,000 traffic signals in USA, about 75 percent could operate more efficiently – National Report Card score of “D”. • Low cost approach to congestion reduction – BCRs as high as 40:1.

18. Some Jurisdictions have Realized the Promise – We Know It Works Signal Timing Denver Regional Council of Governments • Partnership between the MPO and 30 traffic signal operating agencies to coordinate signals on major roads. • Reduced delay by more than 41,000 vehicle hours/day.

19. “Congestion is not a fact of life. We need a new approach, and we need it now.” Former Secretary Norman Y. Mineta, May 2006 “Mobility is one of our country’s greatest freedoms, but congestion…limits predictable and reliable movement of people and goods and poses a serious threat to continued economic growth.” Secretary Mary Peters, October 2006 Closing