2003 Urban Mobility Report. Volume 2: Five Congestion Reduction Strategies and Their Effects on Mobility

The Urban Mobility Study Report procedures provide estimates of mobility at the areawide level. The approach that is used describes congestion in consistent ways using generally available data allowing for comparisons across urban areas or groups of urban areas. Past procedures only looked at projects that added lanes or reduced demand and overlooked many other types of projects that affected the demand characteristics. This report extends the procedures to several other treatments and even to public transportation. It describes a framework for incorporating additional treatments and shows effects of those treatments. These two pieces should be viewed separately. This is a "first attempt" at showing the benefits of such projects and programs at an areawide level. The methodology for analyzing the treatments is developing just as transportation systems are also in a constant growth and development cycle. The results from the analysis could easily change as the research proceeds in this area. The five countermeasures looked at for easing of congestion are 1) Freeway Entrance Ramp Metering, 2) Traffic Signal Coordination, 3) Incident Management Programs, 4) High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lands and 5) Public Transportation Programs. References, 25 exhibits, 30 p