Evaluating Alternative Operations Strategies to Improve Travel

SHRP2 Project L11:Evaluating Alternative Operations Strategies to Improve Travel Time

Reliability

Kittelson & Associates, Inc.

ECONorthwest

University of Washington Transportation Research Center

University of Florida Transportation Center

Dr. Joseph Schofer, Northwestern University

Dr. Michael Meyer, Georgia Institute of Technology

Write Rhetoric

Project Objective

Identify and evaluate strategies to meet road user reliability needs according to:

– Travel type (person vs. freight)

– Travel location (urban vs. rural)

– Time scenario (near-term vs. long-term)

Provide institutional guidance for developing a strategic (long-term) operational plan.

Future Scenarios

Intent of the future scenarios was not to predict the future, but to prepare for it.

Three future scenarios were explored for 2030:

– Optimistic : reasonably best conditions we might expect

– Mediocre: conservative continuation of existing conditions

– Pessimistic: reasonably worst conditions we might expect

Three key drivers of transportation conditions were identified:

– Environment

– Economy

– Energy

Scenario Drivers

Driver

Scenario

Optimistic Mediocre Pessimistic

Environment

Rare Moderate Increase

Significant Increase

Economy

StrongGDP: 3 – 4%VMT: 2%

ModerateGDP: 3 – 4%VMT: 2%

SlowGDP: 3 – 4%VMT: 2%

Energy

PlentifulEnergy: Stable

Alternative Tech: Significant

Development

StableEnergy: Moderate

IncreaseAlternative Tech: Continued

Development

UnstableEnergy: Significant

IncreaseAlternative Tech: Continued

Development

Responding Trends

Trend

Scenario


Demographics

Spreading cities

Rural development

Downtown redevelopment

Re-gentrification

Dense urban development

Movement from rural to urban

Technology

Greater use of technology

More reliability

Deteriorating infrastructure

Less reliable transportation

Deteriorating infrastructure

Increased Travel Costs

Policy

GHG targets met GHG targets not met GHG targets not met

Freight

Increased demand Modest growth

Some shifts to air and rail

Modest growth

Manufacturing toward US

Shift to highway and rail

Financing

Extensive VMT charges

Extensive PPP

Some use of VMT charges

Extensive PPP

Developing VMT charges

Extensive PPP

Effects on Sources of Congestion

Sources of Congestion

Scenario


Incidents

Increase, offset by ITS gains

ITS gains Increase in weather-related incidents, ITS

gains

Weather

Negligible effects Moderate effects Significant effects

Work Zone

Improved ITS

System integration

Work zones more common

Better ITS

Work zones more common

ITS status quo

Special Events

Peak demand spreading Peak demand spreading Lower demand

Lower fluctuation

Traffic Control

Improved reliability Improved reliability Less reliability

Bottlenecks

Increase Same Decrease

Source of Congestion Optimistic Scenario Mediocre Scenario Pessimistic Scenario

Incidents

Remote VerificationTTMSVII, Driver Assistance On-Scene Incident Management

TTMSService PatrolsOn-Scene Incident ManagementTMC

TTMSService PatrolsOn-Scene Incident Management

Weather

TTMSBetter weather forecasts and winter maintenance decisions

TTMS Remote Verification National Traffic & Road Closure VIITMC

Work Zones

VIIWork Zone Management

TTMSWZM

National Traffic and Road Closure Pre-trip information

Special Events

PSEMPre-trip informationTTMSManaged Lanes

Remote VerificationPre-trip informationTTMSVSL

Variable Speed LimitsManaged Lanes

Traffic Control

VIITMCSROTraffic Signal Preemption

Remote Verification TMCSROATA

TMCSRO

Bottlenecks

Automated Enforcement CVOBottleneck Removal Geometric Improvements

Bottleneck RemovalGeometric ImprovementsRamp Metering or ClosureManaged Lanes

Ramp Metering, Ramp ClosureVariable Speed Limits Electronic Toll Collection Managed Lanes

Institutional Response to Baseline and Future Scenarios

Existing, New, and Emerging Strategies

Automation/Infrastructure

– Road pricing, real-time control of transit arrivals, IntelliDrive, vehicle automation, automation in truck operations

Information Technology/Data Sharing Technologies

– Real-time system status and predictive models, weather detection and response, accessible vehicle probe data

Integration/Cooperation

– Customized real-time multimodal routing, crash detection and clearance, real-time parking, conditions, and routing information

For each strategy, the following is provided:

- description

- affected travel modes

- impacts on reliability

- implementation cost

Effectively Integrating Reliability into an Agency

How is agency effectiveness measured?

– Output measures (number of VMS signs, 511 calls, average incident duration)

– Outcome measures (effect of actions on improved travel time reliability and/or reduced delay)

What issues affect agency effectiveness?

– Availability of and access to appropriate resources

– Control/understanding over when, where, and how disruptions occur

– Knowledge/training in when and how to apply resources

– Feedback on results of past performance

Steps to an Effective Agency Operation

SO&M: Application of ITS strategies to maintain and improve highway service in terms of recurring and non-recurring congestion

1. Incorporate Systems Operations and Management (SO&M) into Institutional Architecture

Four Key Elements of Institutional Architecture:

System Operations and Management (SO&M) Structure Awareness

Establish SO&M Structure

Establish SO&M as a High-Priority Budget Item

Identify Public-Private Partnership Opportunities

Where does it

fit in?

Typical DOT

Planning Operations Design

SO&M

Maintenance SO&M

SO&M


2. Provide more accurate and accessible travel time information

Probe vehicles and point detection

Surveillance and detection

Pre-trip information

Real-time information

Roadside messages

Modified travel behavior:

Departure time

Mode choice

Route choice

Improved network capacity utilization and reliability


3. Develop safer, more efficient, and more intelligent vehicles

=


4. Manage Incidents, Work Zones and Special Events

– Pre-event - construction phasing

- evacuation planning

– Post-event - coordinated response

- service patrols

- Monitor and evaluate

infrastructure to determine vulnerability


Reduce and encourage alternative travel

Multimodal travel

Travel reduction

Low-cost changes to the physical roadway section

Geometric design treatments

Access management

Lane treatments

Strategies that influence and respond to demand

Signal timing/ITS

Traffic demand metering

Variable speed limits

Congestion pricing

5. Implement strategies and treatments to improve roadway performance

Agency Implementation Roadmap

Political steps

– Educate decision makers on need to balance demand and supply

– Select accountability-based performance measures

– Use pricing strategies to achieve performance outcomes

– Participate in demand management programs

Interagency steps

– Create collaborative culture among agencies

– Collect and share performance data

– Encourage interaction with the private sector and trip generators

Technology steps

– Collect and share data with both public and private partners

– Encourage private innovation and risk-taking

An Agency Path to Mainstreaming Reliability

1. Introduce culture of service, innovation, and partnerships

2. Prioritize projects per performance measures

3. Integrate Agency Path

Mode Jurisdiction Functional responsibilities Data Public/Private Partnerships

4. Deploy Current & New Technologies

5. Integrate Technologies

6. Trade fuel tax for fees-for-service funding

Integration

User Options

Funding

Structure

Questions and Discussion

Evaluating Alternative Operations Strategies to Improve Travel

Documents

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