Understanding congestion context and a tool to help choose the right mitigation strategies : final report.

1645417PDFTech ReportPRC 16-59 FMobilityStrategic planningTraffic congestionTraffic mitigationContext sensitive solutionsUnited StatesTexasTexas A&M Transportation InstituteLasley, PhilMoran, MaaritTexas A&M Transportation InstituteUS Transportation CollectionCities of every size (and even some rural areas) face growing traffic delays, increasing travel time variability, and overall longer trip times, which makes traveling more frustrating and difficult for everyone. Many congestion solutions focus on a single location, a single type of problem, or a single idea that then generates few or similar solutions. The discussion often shifts to one strategy to fix traffic congestion and mobility. While this in general may help, taken out of context, this one strategy may not solve the systemic and underlying issue (and may even worsen the problem). For example, some cities have used highway-widening strategies exclusively that, in certain circumstances, no longer resolve congestion by themselves. This solution shortfall may be due to incorrect analysis techniques that only focus on the peak hour of the improved roadway; the larger effects are usually on parallel roads and times outside of the peak morning and evening traffic hours and are often unanticipated. While researchers have identified over 100 individual strategies to address congestion and mobility, the context in which these work best is often lost. Through misunderstanding of the strategy itself, the benefits it provides, or where it should and should not be used, many strategies simply cease to be discussed. Practitioners are left with limited options. Many of these strategies, when paired with their complements and used in the proper context, can provide synergistic benefits that save time for travelers and money for taxpayers. Many of the added benefits may also increase economic productivity, improve quality of life, or encourage healthy living