2017 Urban Congestion Trends: Measuring, Managing, and Improving Operations in the 21st Century

2018PDFBriefFHWA-HOP-18-025Traffic congestionTrend (Statistics)Travel timeTraffic dataTransportation operationsHighway operationsUrban areasPerformance measurementUnited StatesUnited States. Federal Highway AdministrationUnited States. Federal Highway AdministrationFederal Highway AdministrationThis report provides the current state of congestion and reliability in 52 of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States. It also highlights relevant successful operational strategies and performance management approaches implemented by state and local transportation agencies. The report concludes with a brief discussion of the new travel time-based performance measures that became effective May 20, 2017. The national congestion measures across all 52 metropolitan statistical areas included in the report are generally down from 2016 to 2017. Because the causes of congestion are varied and this year also includes a new data provider with a different method of collecting travel times, there are many things to consider when investigating this year\u2019s congestion trends. The focus of this report continues to be how operational improvements and strategies can help state and local agencies more effectively and efficiently address congestion growth.88