Active traffic management : the next step in congestion management

010550951668838602007Maier, HanaPDFTech ReportFHWA-PL-07-012;NTIS-PB2008100599DTFH61-99-C-005Congestion management systemsTraffic congestionTraffic mitigationAdvanced traffic management systemsHighway planningHighway operationsRecommendationsEurope;Denmark;England;Germany;NetherlandsUnited States. Federal Highway AdministrationAmerican Association of State Highway and Transportation OfficialsNational Cooperative Highway Research ProgramMirshahi, MohammadObenberger, JonFuhs, Charles A.Howard, Charles E.Krammes, Raymond A.Kuhn, Beverly T.Mayhew, Robin M.Moore, Margaret A.Sahebjam, KhaniStone, Craig J.Yung, Jessie L.American Trade Initiatives, Inc.United States. Federal Highway Administration. Office of International ProgramsAmerican Association of State Highway and Transportation OfficialsNational Cooperative Highway Research ProgramNTL-HIGHWAY/ROAD TRANSPORTATION-HIGHWAY/ROAD TRANSPORTATIONNTL-PLANNING AND POLICY-PLANNING AND POLICYFederal Highway AdministrationThe combination of continued travel growth and budget constraints makes it difficult for transportation agencies to provide sufficient roadway capacity in major metropolitan areas. The Federal Highway Administration, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and National Cooperative Highway Research Program sponsored a scanning study to examine congestion management programs and policies in Europe. The scan team observed that transportation agencies in Denmark, England, Germany, and the Netherlands, through the deployment of congestion management strategies, are able to optimize the investment in infrastructure to meet drivers\u2019 needs. Strategies include speed harmonization, temporary shoulder use, and dynamic signing and rerouting. The team\u2019s recommendations for U.S. implementation include promoting active traffic management to optimize existing infrastructure during recurrent and nonrecurrent congestion, emphasizing customer orientation, focusing on trip reliability, providing consistent messages to roadway users, and making operations a priority in planning, programming, and funding processes