freeway bottleneck removals workshop
TRANSCRIPT
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Scott A. Cooner, Carol H. Walters,
Poonam B. Wiles, and Yatin K. Rathod
DOT Grant No. DTRT06-G-0044
Freeway Bottleneck Removals: Workshop
Enhancement and Technology Transfer
Final Report
Performing OrganizationUniversity Transportation Center for Mobility
Texas Transportation Institute
The Texas A&M University System
College Station, TX
Sponsoring AgencyDepartment of Transportation
Research and Innovative Technology Administration
Washington, DC
Improving the Quality of Life
by Enhancing Mobility
University Transportation Center for Mobility
UTCM Project #08-37-16
December 2009
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TechnicalReportDocumentationPage1. ReportNo.
UTCM0837162. GovernmentAccessionNo. 3. Recipient'sCatalogNo.
4. TitleandSubtitle
FreewayBottleneckRemovals:WorkshopEnhancementandTechnology
Transfer
5. ReportDate
December2009
6. PerformingOrganizationCode
TexasTransportationInstitute
7. Author(s)
ScottA.Cooner,CarolH.Walters,PoonamB.Wiles,andYatinK.Rathod8. PerformingOrganizationReportNo.
UTCM083716
9.
PerformingOrganization
Name
and
Address
UniversityTransportationCenterforMobility
TexasTransportationInstitute
TheTexasA&MUniversitySystem
3135TAMU
CollegeStation,Texas778433135
10.
WorkUnit
No.
(TRAIS)
11. ContractorGrantNo.
DTRT06G0044
12. SponsoringAgencyNameandAddress
UniversityTransportationCenterforMobility
TexasTransportationInstitute
TheTexasA&MUniversitySystem,3135TAMU
CollegeStation,TX778433135
13. TypeofReportandPeriodCovered
FinalReport
9/1/0810/31/09
14. SponsoringAgencyCode
15. SupplementaryNotes
SupportedbyagrantfromtheUSDepartmentofTransportation,UniversityTransportationCentersProgram
16. Abstract
Astransportationimprovementprojectsbecomeincreasinglycostlyandcomplexandasfundingsourcesarenot
keepingpacewithneedsinhighlyurbanizedareas,itbecomescriticalthatexistingfreewaysystemsbefinetunedto
maximizecapacity.Oneofthemostcosteffectivesolutionsisimplementationoflowercostimprovementsto
improvemobilitywherebottlenecksoccurduringpeakperiodsonfreeways.Thissubjectisgainingnationalattention,
partlybecausebottlenecklocationsarehighlyvisible;failuretofixthemhaspoliticalaswellascongestioncosts.The
FederalHighwayAdministration(FHWA)isadvancingonthisfrontbothinresearchandoutreachefforts.
Thisproject
enhanced
and
improved
an
existing
Freeway
Bottleneck
Workshop
by:
(1)
gathering
further
data
on
implementedbottleneckremovalsbothinTexasandthroughouttheUnitedStates(U.S.)toaddtothecasestudy
database;and(2)improvingthecommunicationsaspectoftheworkshopthroughbettergraphics,video,andoverall
professionalappearance.FouroftheenhancedFreewayBottleneckWorkshopswerepresentedtoenthusiastic
participantsinAtlanta(Georgia),Austin,Houston,andSanAntonio.Eachhalfdayworkshopallowedparticipants
fromvariousdisciplines(design,operations,andplanning)andagencies(city,county,state,andfederal)tolearn
aboutbottleneckidentification,causes,lowcostsolutions,analysisandevaluation,casestudies,andguidelinesfor
successfulprojects.Workshopparticipantsalsohadtheopportunitytoworkinteamstoanalyzearealworldfreeway
bottleneckandtodiscussopportunitiesforbottleneckremovalintheirmetropolitanarea.Thefinalcomponentofthe
projectdevelopedawebsiteandeducationalmoduleforuniversitystudentsandprofessorsthatwillcontinuethe
technologytransfercomponent.Thelongtermimplicationsofthisworkareelevatedawarenessoftheextremely
highbenefits
relative
to
costs
and
development
of
professional
capacity
to
recognize
opportunities
and
to
analyze
andselectappropriatemeasuresforsuccessfulbottleneckremovalprojects.
17. KeyWords
Bottleneck,LowCost,Freeway,Congestion18. DistributionStatement
Publicdistribution
19. SecurityClassif.(ofthisreport)
Unclassified20. SecurityClassif.(ofthispage)
Unclassified21. No.ofPages
4222. Price
n/a
FormDOTF1700.7(872) Reproductionofcompletedpageauthorized
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FreewayBottleneckRemovals:WorkshopEnhancementand
TechnologyTransfer
ScottA.Cooner
ResearchEngineer/ProgramManager
TexasTransportationInstitute
CarolH.Walters
SeniorResearchEngineer
TexasTransportationInstitute
PoonamB.Wiles
ResearchEngineer
TexasTransportationInstitute
YatinK.Rathod
AssociateTransportationResearcher
TexasTransportationInstitute
Sponsoredbythe
UniversityTransportation
Center
for
Mobility
December2009
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Page 2
DisclaimerThecontentsofthisreportreflecttheviewsoftheauthors,whoareresponsibleforthefacts
andtheaccuracyoftheinformationpresentedherein.Thisdocumentisdisseminatedunder
thesponsorshipoftheDepartmentofTransportation,UniversityTransportationCenters
Programintheinterestofinformationexchange.TheU.S.Governmentassumesnoliabilityfor
thecontents
or
use
thereof.
AcknowledgmentsSupportforthisresearchwasprovidedbyagrantfromtheU.S.DepartmentofTransportation,
UniversityTransportationCentersProgramtotheUniversityTransportationCenterfor
Mobility(DTRT06G0044).TheauthorsthankChristyHarris,administrativecoordinatorwith
theTexasTransportationInstitute(TTI),fororganizationandproductionofworkshopmaterials.
Theteamisalsothankfultotheindividualswhowereinstrumentalinhostingworkshopsand
invitingenthusiasticparticipants:
Atlanta,
Georgia:
o MarshaAndersonBomar,presidentandCEO,StreetSmarts,Inc.
o BrendaFarmer,marketingassociate,StreetSmarts,Inc.
Austin,Texas:
o CarlosLopez,districtengineer,TexasDepartmentofTransportation(TxDOT)
o RobertStuard,deputydistrictengineer,TxDOT
o AngieHernandez,humanresourcesspecialist,TxDOT
Houston,Texas:
o DelvinDennis,districtengineer,TxDOT
o StuartCorder,directoroftransportationoperations,TxDOT
SanAntonio,Texas:
o MarioMedina,
district
engineer,
TxDOT
o JulieBrown,deputydistrictengineer,TxDOT
o RicardoCastaneda,directoroftransportationoperations,TxDOT
TheauthorsalsorecognizethemanyTxDOTstaffforchampioningandimplementinglowcost
bottleneckremovalprojectsinthedistrictsofDallas,FortWorth,andElPaso.Specialthanksgo
toJohnBlain,SonnyLoper,StanHall,JayNelson,BillHale,TerrySams,AndyOberlander,and
KellySelmanofDallas;WallaceEwell,MarkSchluter,RoyParikh,andBurtonCliftonofFort
Worth;andMaryMeyland,CarlosChavez,MannyAguilera,EdgarFino,andChuckBerry.A
numberofTTIresearchershavealsocontributedtothevariousbottleneckprojectsovertime,
includingStephen
Ranft,
Don
Szczesny,
Ed
Pultorak,
Doug
Skowronek,
Mark
Middleton,
ChristopherPoe,AngelaStoddard,andKentCollins.
TheauthorsacknowledgethevaluablesupportandassistanceofDr.MelissaTooley,directorof
theUniversityTransportationCenterforMobility,andMarthaRaneyTaylor,business
managerwiththeUniversityTransportationCenterforMobility.Finally,theauthors
appreciateDr.JimWilliamsoftheUniversityofTexasatArlingtonforhisassistancewiththe
educationalmoduledevelopmentandforagreeingtogivethepilotdeliveryinspring2010.
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Table of Contents
ListofFiguresandTables................................................................................................................ 4
ExecutiveSummary......................................................................................................................... 5
Introduction:OverviewofProblem................................................................................................ 7
SummaryofTexasTransportationInstituteBottleneckResearch.....................................7
ProjectApproach:Objectives........................................................................................... 10
ProjectMethodology:Tasks............................................................................................. 11
StateofthePracticeLiteratureReview:SummaryofFindings...................................................11
OverviewofKeyFederalInitiatives.................................................................................. 11
OverviewofKeyStateandLocalInitiatives...................................................................... 14
Project
Website:
Summary
of
Findings
.........................................................................................
24
InformationRepository..................................................................................................... 24
InformationExchange....................................................................................................... 25
FreewayBottleneckWorkshopEnhancement:SummaryofFindings.........................................25
AdditionofNationalBottleneckRemovalExperiences....................................................25
UpgradedParticipantNotebook....................................................................................... 27
AdditionofInteractiveElements...................................................................................... 28
PilotWorkshops:SummaryofFindings........................................................................................ 30
SanAntonioWorkshop..................................................................................................... 31
HoustonWorkshop
...........................................................................................................
33
AtlantaWorkshop............................................................................................................. 34
AustinWorkshop............................................................................................................... 36
NationalWorkshopDeliveryPlan:SummaryofFindings.............................................................37
TargetSponsors................................................................................................................ 37
PotentialforWebBasedDelivery.................................................................................... 38
EducationalModule:SummaryofFindings.................................................................................. 39
ModuleDevelopment....................................................................................................... 39
UniversityDelivery
............................................................................................................
39
ProjectSummary:ConclusionsandRecommendations...............................................................40
Conclusions....................................................................................................................... 40
Recommendations............................................................................................................ 40
References.................................................................................................................................... 41
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List of Figures and Tables
Figure1.PhotographofPreviousFreewayBottleneckWorkshop(Dallas,May2007)................12
Figure2.SourcesofTrafficCongestion........................................................................................ 15
Figure3.TypesofFreewayBottlenecks....................................................................................... 16
Table1.
Descriptions
of
Minneapolis
Area
Bottleneck
Removal
Projects
...................................
17
Figure4.MapofMinneapolisAreaBottleneckRemovalProjects...............................................18
Table2.CostandTravelTimeBenefitofMinnesotaBottleneckRemovalProjects....................18
Table3.OtherBenefitsofMinnesotaBottleneckRemovalProjects...........................................18
Table4.SummaryofSevenBottleneckRemovalProjectsinAustin,Texas.................................20
Figure5.NBSH360atDivision(SH180):BeforeandAfterDiagrams.........................................21
Figure6.EBI10atUS54inElPaso:BeforeandAfterDiagrams................................................23
Table5.OperationalEvaluationSummaryof13BottleneckProjectsinTexas............................24
Table6.SafetyEvaluationSummaryof13BottleneckProjectsinTexas.....................................25
Figure7.ScreenCaptureofHomepageforProjectWebsite.......................................................26
Table
7.
Enhanced
Freeway
Bottleneck
Workshop
Course
Design
..............................................
28
Table8.ExampleLearningOutcomesandReviewQuestionsfromModule2............................28
Figure8.ExampleofParticipantNotebookCover....................................................................... 29
Figure9.ExampleofModuleSlidesinParticipantWorkbook.....................................................30
Figure10.ExampleSiteLayoutforGroupProblemSolvingExercise..........................................31
Figure11.InteractiveGroupProblemSolvingoverLunch...........................................................31
Figure12.ExampleofFreewayMapUsedtoFacilitateDiscussionofLocalBottlenecks............32
Figure13.ReviewofBottleneckCaseStudyatSanAntonioWorkshop......................................34
Table9.SummaryEvaluationforSanAntonioWorkshop...........................................................34
Figure14.ParticipantsLearnaboutTypicalLowCostSolutionsatHoustonWorkshop.............35
Table10.SummaryEvaluationforHoustonWorkshop...............................................................36
Figure15.
Participants
in
Atlanta
Workshop
Discuss
National
Bottleneck
Case
Studies
.............
37
Table11.SummaryEvaluationforAtlantaWorkshop................................................................. 37
Figure16.InstructorsfortheAtlantaWorkshop.......................................................................... 38
Table12.SummaryEvaluationforAustinWorkshop................................................................... 39
Figure17.VideoFeedforFlexibleDesignWorkshopAllowingRemoteSpeakerParticipation...40
Figure18.ScreenCaptureofPowerPointSlidesDisplayedtoMinneapolisParticipants............41
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Executive SummaryThisreportsummarizestheenhancementandpilotdeliveryofaFreewayBottleneckWorkshop
designedtoteachparticipantshowtodeveloplowcostsolutionstoimprovebottleneckson
freewayfacilities.Studieshaveshownthatimplementingrelativelyminorimprovementson
existingfreeways
to
remove
bottlenecks
produces
significant
operational
benefits
(typical
benefitcostratiosfrom3:1to400:1)andsafetybenefits(averagecrashreductionof
approximately35percent). Thisprojectenhancedandimprovedanexistingworkshopby:(1)
gatheringfurtherdataonimplementedbottleneckremovalsbothinTexasandthroughoutthe
U.S.toaddtothecasestudydatabase;and(2)improvingthecommunicationsaspectofthe
workshopthroughbettergraphics,video,andoverallprofessionalappearance.
TheenhancedFreewayBottleneckWorkshopwaspresentedtoenthusiasticparticipantsin
Atlanta(Georgia),Austin,Houston,andSanAntonio.Eachhalfdayworkshopallowed
participants
from
various
disciplines
(design,
operations,
and
planning)
and
agencies
(city,
county,state,andfederal)tolearnaboutbottleneckidentification,causes,lowcostsolutions,
analysisandevaluation,casestudies,andguidelinesforsuccessfulprojects.Workshop
participantsalsohadtheopportunitytoworkinteamstoanalyzearealworldfreeway
bottleneckandtodiscussopportunitiesforbottleneckremovalintheirmetropolitanarea.The
workshopevaluationshowedthatalmost91percentofparticipantsratedallworkshop
elements(e.g.,modules,instructors,workbooks,etc.)aseitherexcellentorverygood.
Thefinalcomponentoftheprojectdevelopedawebsite(http://www.bottleneckworkshop.org)
and
educational
module
for
university
students
and
professors
that
will
continue
the
technologytransferaspectofthiswork.Thelongtermimplicationsofthisprojectareelevated
awarenessoftheextremelyhighbenefitsrelativetocostsanddevelopmentofprofessional
capacitytorecognizeopportunitiesandtoanalyzeandselectappropriatemeasuresfor
successfulfreewaybottleneckremovalprojects.
Thetransportationprofessionneedsaboostofconfidenceamidsttheeverpresentfunding
challenges.Foryears,transportationleadershavebeensayingwellneverbuildourwayoutof
congestion,whichmakestheprofessionirrelevantintheeyesofthetravelingpublic.Infact,
somecongestionisunnecessary,andrelievingitwithlowcostimprovementscanenhanceour
imageasnecessaryprofessionals.Implementingminorimprovementsonexistingfreewaysin
ordertoremovebottleneckstypicallyachieveshighbenefitsyetisnotroutinelydonebymany
agencies.TheenhancedFreewayBottleneckWorkshopisnowaresourcethatcanbeusedto
trainandenergizetransportationagenciesandtheirpartnerstomakelowcostbottleneck
removalapartoftheirnormalroutineforimplementingprojectsthatsafelyandreliably
mitigatetrafficcongestiononfreeways.
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Introduction: Overview of ProblemProvidingsafeandefficientroadwaysaretwoofthekeyobjectivesofanytransportation
agency.Manyagenciesarecurrentlystrugglingwithfundingshortfallsandareunableto
improvetheroadwaysysteminordertokeepupwiththepaceofgrowthanddevelopment.
Projectsthat
can
improve
both
the
safety
and
efficiency
of
the
roadway
system
without
expenditureofmajorresourcesshouldbehighlydesirable.Onetypeofprojectthatisgetting
moreattentionnationwideislowcostfreewaybottleneckremovalprojectsthatcanbequickly
implemented.Theseprojectsmitigatecongestionandimprovetravelreliabilityandsafetyby
reducingcrashrates.Bottleneckimprovementstypicallyinvolvesolutionssuchas:
restripingmerge/divergeareastobetterservedemand,
convertingashortsectionofshouldertotravellanes,
modifyingweavingareasorramps,and
addingauxiliary
lanes.
TheTexasTransportationInstitute(TTI)hasalonghistoryofresearchandevaluationofthe
effectsofrelativelysmall,lowcostgeometricandoperationalimprovementsatfreeway
bottlenecklocationsinTexas.Bottleneckevaluationshaveprimarilybeenperformedunder
interagencycontractswiththeTexasDepartmentofTransportation(TxDOT)inDallas,Fort
Worth,andElPasodatingbackto1986.OtherTTIurbanoffices(Austin,Houston,andSan
Antonio)haveperformedsimilarevaluationsofbottleneckremovalprojects.Thiswealthof
realworldprojectexperienceledtothedevelopmentofabasictrainingworkshopin2003.This
currentproject,
funded
by
the
University
Transportation
Center
for
Mobility
at
Texas
A&M
University,tookthisbasicworkshopandperformedaseriesofenhancements.Thisfinalreport
summarizesthepilotdeliveryofanenhancedFreewayBottleneckWorkshopdesignedtoteach
participantshowtodeveloplowcostsolutionstoimprovebottlenecksonfreeways.
Summary of Texas Transportation Institute Bottleneck Research
Thissectionprovidesasummaryofthemorethan20yearsofexperiencebyTTIonthesubject
oflowcostfreewaybottlenecks.In1992,Waltersetal.producedaresearchreportforTxDOT
entitledMethodologyforAssessingtheFeasibilityofBottleneckRemoval(1).Thisresearchwas
one
of
the
first
to
advocate
that
the
constriction
to
traffic
flow
at
bottlenecks
can
often
be
removedthrougharelativelylowcostimprovementtoashortsectionoffreeway,within
existingrightofway(ROW),perhapsrequiringonlyaconversionofashouldertoadrivinglane
and/oraslightnarrowingoflanes.InadditiontotheTxDOTreport,theresultsofthisstudy
werealsopublishedinTransportationResearchRecord1360(2)andthecompendiumof
technicalpapersfromthe1992InstituteofTransportationEngineers(ITE)annualmeetingin
Washington,D.C.(3).Asfarbackas1978,theTTIHoustonofficeperformedresearchtotestthe
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conceptofincreasingroadwaycapacityonurbanfreewaysbyrestripingthemainlinepavement
tocreatenarrowerlanewidthsandencroachingontheshouldertocreateadditionallanesfor
travel(4).Thisresearch,andasubsequent1983study(5),foundthatlowcostshoulder
conversionsandlanerestripingcanproducemajortrafficoperationsbenefitswithsignificantly
improved
crash
rates.
In1996,Waltersetal.addressedtheenergyandairqualitybenefitsoffreewaybottleneck
improvements(6).Thisresearchinvestigatedtherelationshipsbetweentrafficoperating
characteristicsandenvironmentalfactorssuchasfuelconsumptionandemissions.Thetotal
reductioninfuelusagerangedfrom0to5.2percentforbottleneckremovalprojectsincluded
inthestudy,withanaveragereductionof2.2percent.Attemptstoquantifyairqualitybenefits
werelesssuccessful,andfurtherresearchwasrequired.
In1997,Waltersetal.focusedtheirresearchonenhancingtheunderstandingandapproachto
bottleneckimprovementsinthreedistincttasks:
1. observationofdrivingbehaviorsincongestion,
2. refinementoftheanalyticalmethodologytoevaluatebottlenecks,and
3. improvementofthemethodologyusedtoestimatetheirbenefits(7,8).
Drivingbehaviorsincongestion(e.g.,queuejumping,weavingincongestion,andshoulder
driving)wereobservedandvideotapedatseveralsitesonfreewaysinDallas.These
observationsfurtheredtheunderstandingoffreewayoperationsincongestedurbanareasand
helpedtorefinefuturebottleneckimprovements.Thestudyalsofoundthattraditionaltools
haveproveninadequateforanalyzinghighlycongestedtrafficflow.Severaladaptationstothe
useofFRESIMwereidentifiedandtested,andtheserefinementsallowforbetteranalysisof
congestionandbottleneckimprovements.Thefinalfindingofthestudywasthattheabilityto
fullyassessthebenefitbottleneckremovalprovidestothemotoristsremainsincomplete.In
somecases,benefitsduetothereductionindelaycanbeestimatedasanincreaseinspeed.
However,incaseswheresignificantlatentdemandispresentinthesystem,thebenefitsto
motoristsarenotaseasilymeasured.Speedsmaynotincrease,buthighervolumesindicate
thatdiversionfromlessattractiveroutesisoccurring.
In1999,CoonerandMiddletonconductedfurtherresearchtoevaluatetheuseofsimulation
modelsforcongestedDallasfreeways(9).TheCORSIM,FREQ,andIntegrationmodelswere
selectedforevaluationbasedonthestateofthepracticereview.Threedifferentfreeway
sectionswithbottlenecksthatcausedrecurrentcongestionwereselectedfortestingand
evaluationofmodelperformance.Beforeandafteroperationaldata(i.e.,speedsandvolumes)
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ateachofthesiteswereusedinanattempttocalibrateandvalidatethechosenmodels.
CoonerandMiddletondeterminedthatallmodelsperformedrelativelywellforuncongested
conditions;however,performancebecamesporadicandmostlyunreliableforcongested
conditions.Noneofthemodelswassuccessfullycalibratedandvalidatedforallofthetestsites;
however,
CORSIM
had
the
best
overall
performance.
In2000,Waltersetal.performedresearchtogainabetterunderstandingofroadwayfactors
andcharacteristicsofthedrivingenvironmentthatinduceirritationandcontributeto
aggressivedrivingandroadrage(10).Basedonresultsofaliteraturereview,focusgroups,and
telephonesurvey,WaltersandCooneridentifiedthreepromisingmitigationmeasuresand
performedanevaluationofeach:
1. freewaybottleneckimprovements,
2. useofphotogrammetrytoexpediteincidentclearance,and
3. thelatemergeworkzonetrafficcontrol(11).
Theevaluationofbenefitsofbottleneckimprovementsproducedthefollowingresults:
1. Feedbackfromcommutersrevealedthatamajorityrecognizedreducedaggressive
behaviors(e.g.,preventingmerge,cuttingacrosssolidlines,tailgating,etc.)and
commutetimeafterimprovementsweremadeatabottlenecklocationinDallas.
2. Almost50percentofthecommutersalsoindicatedanimprovementintheirpersonal
stresslevelaftertheimplementationofimprovements.
3. Operationaldatacollectedatthebottlenecksitesuchasincreasedvolumes,increased
speeds,anddecreasedqueuelengthssupportedthefeedbackfromcommutersurveys.
AnotherimportantaspectofbottlenecksonfreewayshasalsobeenaddressedbyTTI:screening
forpotentialbottleneckswhilefreewayimprovementsarebeingplannedanddesigned.This
aspecthasbeenaddressedinlongtermresearchprojectsandalsoviaparticipationinthe
MajorInvestmentStudy(MIS)processonnumerousfreewaycorridors.
Walterset.al.performedresearchinthemid1990stodevelopasystemplanningmethodology
inconjunctionwithTxDOT,NorthCentralTexasCouncilofGovernments,andDallasAreaRapid
Transit(12).Furtherresearchenhancedthemethodologyandproducedaspreadsheetbased
toolcalledtheSystemPlan(13).TheSystemPlanisacorridorandsystemanalysistoolthat
bridgesthegapbetweenregionalplanninganddetaileddesign.Itallowsfortheexaminationof
peakhourpersonmovementfordifferentfacilitytypes(e.g.,generalpurposeversushigh
occupancyvehicle[HOV]lanes)withinacorridorandestimatesassociatedpubliccostssuchas
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ROW,construction,operation,congestion,andenvironmentalcosts.Theobjectiveofthe
SystemPlanistofindthelowesttotalpubliccostalternative.Thepeakhourcapabilityis
importantforscreeningpotentialbottlenecks.
TTI
has
worked
closely
with
TxDOT
during
the
MIS
process
on
numerous
freeways
to
ensure
thatadequateinformationisavailabletothedesignteamregardingexistingandprojected
futurepeakhourdemandvolumesbydirection.Useofthestandard24hourprojectionsand
genericKfactorsanddirectionalsplitstoarriveatpeakhourvolumescanleadtounder
designedmergesandweavingareas(14).
Previous TxDOT Freeway Bottleneck Workshop
TTIstafftookallofthebottleneckresearchandprojectcasestudiesanddevelopedabasic
workshoptoteachtotransportationprofessionalsintheDallasFortWorthmetropolitanarea
inTexas(Figure1).Theworkshopwastaughtonthreedifferentoccasionsandreceivedpositive
evaluationsfromtheapproximately70participants.Eventhoughtheevaluationswere
primarilypositive,therewasareasonableamountoffeedbackindicatingthatthecourse
materialsneededtobepolishedandenhancedtomaketheworkshopmoreprofessionaland
successful.
Figure1.PhotographofPreviousFreewayBottleneckWorkshop(Dallas,May2007).
Project Approach: Objectives
Theresearchteamdevelopedthreeprimaryobjectivestoguidetheproject:
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1. expandthestateofthepracticeonimplementationofsuccessfulfreewaybottleneck
removalprojectsbysynthesizingavailabledataandanecdotalinformationfrom
agenciesacrossthenation,
2. developanenhancedfreewaybottleneckworkshopthatisrelevantandappealing,and
3. educate
and
increase
awareness
of
existing
and
future
transportation
professionals
on
thebenefitsofbottleneckremovalprojects.
Project Methodology: Tasks
Theresearchteamdevelopedtheprojectworkplantofulfilltheprimaryobjectiveslistedinthe
previoussection.Theworkplanconsistedofninetasks:
1. performingastateofthepracticeliteraturereviewonfreewaybottleneckremovals,
2. developingaprojectwebsite,
3. planningforpilotworkshops,
4. enhancingtheexistingfreewaybottleneckworkshop,
5. conductingpilotworkshopsinTexas,
6. conductingapilotworkshopinanationalvenue,
7. developingafundingplanandsupportfornationalworkshopdelivery,
8. producingafreewaybottleneckeducationalmoduleforuniversityprofessors,and
9. preparingthefinalreportdocumentingtheprojectresults.
State-of-the-Practice Literature Review: Summary of FindingsThesubjectoffreewaybottleneckanalysisandremovalhasnotreceivedasignificantamount
ofpublishedattention,outsideofstudiesconcentratingontheoreticalaspectsofbottleneck
formation,flowrates,andshockwaveanalysis.Inthelast10years,thefocushasshiftedfrom
thetheoretical/academicanalysissidetothemorepracticalsidefocusedonlowcostremoval
strategiesforfreewaybottlenecks.
Theresearchteamperformedastateofthepracticeliteraturereviewtogatherandsynthesize
availablefreewaybottleneckremovalexperiencesandcasestudiestopotentiallyaddtothe
enhancedworkshopmaterials.Researchersusedavarietyofmethodstogatherthis
information,includingtelephoneinterviews,emailandwebbasedsurveys,andInternet
searches.
Overview of Key Federal Initiatives
Thissectionhighlightsseveralofthekeynationalprogramsandreportswiththepractical,low
costfreewaybottleneckremovalfocus.
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Localized Bottleneck Removal ProgramInMay2006,theU.S.DepartmentofTransportation(USDOT)announcedtheNationalStrategy
toReduceCongestionofAmericasTransportationNetwork(a.k.a.,theCongestionInitiative).
Thegoalistomakemeaningfulandneartermreductionsincongestion.Workingthroughthe
federalaidapportionmentandSafe,Accountable,Flexible,EfficientTransportationEquityAct:
ALegacyforUsers(SAFETEALU)processes,theFederalHighwayAdministration(FHWA)andits
statepartnersareengagedinmanyprogramsrelatedtocongestionimpact.Afewofthemany
mitigationeffortsthatFHWAisengagedininclude:
tollingandpricing;
HOVlegislationandenablement;
urbanpartnerships;
freightspecificanalysis;
special
events;
workzonecongestionmitigation;
trafficincidentdelaymitigation;and
otherdriverbehaviorsolutionssuchasridesharingincentives,carsharing,and
telecommuting.
WithintheOfficeofOperations,theLocalizedBottleneckReduction(LBR)Programservesto
bringattentiontotherootcauses,impacts,andpotentialsolutionstotrafficchokepointsthat
arerecurringevents,onesthatarewhollytheresultofoperationalinfluences(15).TheLBR
website
(http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/bn/index.htm)
contains
a
wealth
of
good
information
includingaBottleneckImpactMatrixtableandasamplingofsuccessfuleffortsnationwideasto
howtheyhaveattackedabottleneckproblem.
Bottleneck PrimerInJune2009,FHWApublishedasecondeditionofadocument,TrafficBottlenecks:APrimer
FocusonLowCostOperationalImprovements,whichexplorestheopportunityfornearterm
operationalandlowcostconstructionopportunitiestocorrectbottlenecks(16).Theprimeris
intendedtobeaworkinprogressthatisupdatedbasedonfeedbackreceivedviatheLBR
Programwebsite.Itprovidesanexcellentoverviewofthesubjectofbottlenecksbyaddressing
thefollowingtopics:
understandingbottlenecks,
whatFHWAisdoing,
identifyingandassessingbottlenecks,
howbottlenecksdisperse,
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understandingmergingatrecurringbottlenecks,
mergeprinciples,
lowcostbottleneckimprovementstrategies,
evaluatingbottleneckimprovementeffectiveness,
potentialissues
with
bottleneck
treatments,
examplesofhowagenciesaredealingwithbottlenecks,and
planningandprogrammingbottleneckimprovements.
AccordingtotheFHWAestimatesofthesourcesoftrafficcongestion,40percentofcongestion
iscausedbyinadequatephysicalcapacityalsocommonlyknownasbottlenecks.Bottlenecks
arethebiggestsourceaccordingtoFigure2.
Figure2.SourcesofTrafficCongestion(16).Source:http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/congestion/describing_problem.htm.
Oneoftheotherexcellentgraphicsprovidedintheprimerisaflowchartthatliststhevarious
typesoffreewaybottleneckcauses(seeFigure3).Thisgraphicindicatesthatfreeway
bottlenecksareeitherprimarilycapacityrelatedordemandrelated,withspecificcausesunder
thosetwobroadcategories.
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Figure3.TypesofFreewayBottlenecks(16).
NCHRP 3-83 ProjectTheNationalCooperativeHighwayResearchProgram(NCHRP)hasrecentlysponsoredaproject
concentratingonthesubjectoffreewaybottlenecksentitledLowCostImprovementsfor
RecurringFreewayBottlenecks.Thisprojectisstillongoing;however,aninterimreport
publishedinDecember2006isavailableonloanfromNCHRP(17).Theprimaryproductofthis
nationalresearcheffortwillbeatechnicalguidethatoutlinesthebottleneckprojectprocess,
illustratesitsusethroughcasestudies,andaidsintheselectionofanalysistools.Thetechnical
guideshouldalsodiscussthecompositionoftheprojectdevelopmentteam,theproper
documentationofdesignexceptions,andotherinstitutionalissuesassociatedwith
implementingthebottleneckprojectprocess.
Overview of Key State and Local Initiatives
Thissectionhighlightsseveralofthekeystateandlocalprogramsandreportswiththe
practical,lowcostfreewaybottleneckremovalfocus.
Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
TheMinnesotaDepartmentofTransportation(MnDOT)monitorstrafficcongestiononthe
Minneapolis/St.Paulfreewaysystem,producinganannualreport(18).MnDOTrecently
conductedaCongestionManagementPlanningStudytosetthegroundworkforthe
developmentofacomprehensiveCongestionManagementPlanandrecommendalistof
specificcongestionmitigationprojectsforimplementationinthenext10yearprojectcycle
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(19).Amongtheseprojectsweresmallerscaleinvestmentsintargetedareaswherecapacity
improvementswouldhavesignificantbenefits.Threeofthesebottleneckremovalprojectshave
beenrecentlycompleted,andtheyhavesuccessfullyreducedcongestiononover19milesof
freeway(seeTable1,Figure4,Table2,andTable3)(19,20).Additionally,MnDOTestimates
that
the
projects
resulted
in
an
annual
reduction
of
over
1.2
million
hours
of
congestion,
worth
about$16millioninyearlytraveltimebenefits.Overtheestimatedprojectservicelives,the
combinedtraveltimebenefitexceeds$148million.Whencomparedtothe$20.2millionoutlay
forthethreeprojects,thebenefitsgreatlyoutweighthecosts(7.4benefitcostratio).
Table1.DescriptionsofMinneapolisAreaBottleneckRemovalProjects(15).
Project ProblemStatement ActionTaken DesiredOutcome
#1
I394
Thesectionofwestbound(WB)I394from
eastofMN100exittoUS169hasbeen
congestedsinceopeningin1994.The
mergingandweavingtrafficreducedthe
functionalityof
this
segment
to
asingle
lanefreeway,withPMcongestionbeinga
persistentproblem.Theroadwayhasbeen
studiedextensively,andanauxiliarylane
hasbeenconsideredforanumberofyears.
Recentchangesinthedevelopmentofthe
HOV/highoccupancytoll(HOT)lanemade
itimperativetoaddanauxiliarylane.
MetroDistrictagreedtoaddition
ofanauxiliarylanestartingatthe
LouisianaBridgeandendingatthe
US169exit.Thisadditionallane
providedthe
capacity
necessary
toallowformergingandweaving
trafficinthenewlaneopeningup
thecenterlaneforthroughtraffic.
Theadditionaltraffichadenough
throughputcapacitytoeliminate
congestion,reducingcrashes.
Therationalebehindthe
projectwasreducing
congestioninthe
LouisianaAvenuearea,
whichin
turn
would
reducecrashes.Amodest
increaseof1,0001,500
additionalvehiclesduring
thefourhourpeakperiod
wasexpected.
#2
I94
WBI94inthevicinityofCenturyAvenue
andMcKnightRoadnear3MCorporation
headquartershasbeenplaguedwith
congestionformanyyears.Thissectionof
I94wasafourlanedividedsectionof
interstate
freeway
in
between
two
six
lane
dividedsections.Themorningcommute
intoSt.Paulwasstalledatthislocationasa
resultofseverecongestion.Theroadway
alsohadacongestioninducedcrashissue.
MetroDistrictconvertedthefour
lanetoasixlanesectionto
increasetheexistingcapacityand
throughputandtoreduce
crashes.Further,theMcKnight
Road
interchanges
were
reconfiguredtocorrect
substandardrampentrances.
Constructionwascompletedin
thefallof2005.
Theoutcomeofthe
projectwastoreduce
congestioninthe
immediatearea,thus
reducingcrashes.The
localized
outcome
was
not
expectedtohaveamajor
increaseintraffic
throughputbecauseof
downstreambottlenecks.
#3
TH100
ThesectionofTrunkHighway(TH)100
from36thStreettoI394wasthelast
remainingsegmentoftheoriginal1937
construction.Theroadsegment,afour
lanesectionoffreeway,issandwiched
betweentwosixlanesegments.Theolder
portionoftheroadwaycausedcongestion
duringboththeAMandPMpeakperiodsin
bothnorthbound(NB)andsouthbound(SB)
directions.ArecentMnDOTstudystatesthatthispartofTH100iscongestedforthe
longestamountoftimeperday.Also,
recentstudiesindicateseveralsubstandard
rampscauseanunacceptablenumberof
correctablecrashes.
MetroDistrictconverted
shouldersofthisroadsegmentto
generalpurposelanes.These
laneswereusedtoincrease
existingcapacityandthroughput
untilthefuturefullbuildproject
canbeaccomplished.Theexisting
interchangeswouldthenbe
reconfiguredtocorrect
substandardrampentrances.Constructionwascompletedin
thefallof2006.
Itwasexpectedthatthis
temporaryimprovement
wouldincrease
throughputto3,0004,500
additionalvehiclesduring
thepeakperiodand
substantiallyreducethe
intensityanddurationof
congestion.Twoother
benefitswerelikely:bypassreliefforthe
I35W/TH62
reconstructionand
reducedtrafficonthe
localroadsystemwith
improvedoverallsafety.
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Figure4.MapofMinneapolisAreaBottleneckRemovalProjects(20).Table2.CostandTravelTimeBenefitofMinnesotaBottleneckRemovalProjects(19).
Project
Project
Cost
(Millions)
Reductionin
AnnualHours
ofDelay
Estimated
AnnualTravel
TimeBenefit
(Millions)
Project
ServiceLife
(Years)
EstimatedTravel
TimeBenefit
overProject
ServiceLife
(Millions)
Estimated
TravelTime
BenefitCost
Ratio
I394 $2.6 87,000 $1.1 20 $21.6 8:1
I94 $10.5 139,000 $1.7 20 $34.6 3:1
TH100 $7.1 1,063,000 $13.2 7 $92.3 13:1
TOTAL $20.2 1,289,000 $16.0 $148.5
Table3.OtherBenefitsofMinnesotaBottleneckRemovalProjects(19).
ProjectPeakPeriod
FlowIncrease
Decreasein
Milesof
Congestion
Increasein
PeakPeriod
Speeds
PreliminarySafetyImpacts
I394 4,650 6.0 30mphinPM60%reductionofpropertydamage
crashes,nochangeininjurycrashrate
I94 3,200 2.540mphinAM
25mphinPM
Modestreductioninnumberof
mainlinecrashes
TH100 14,450 10.7545mphinAM
30mphinPM
30%reductionofpropertydamage
crashes,70%reductionininjurycrashes
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Phoenix, Arizona
TheArizonaDepartmentofTransportation(ADOT)andtheMaricopaAssociationof
Governments(MAG)haveteamedtogethertoimplementlowcostbottleneckprojectsin
Phoenix.MAGsponsoredafreewaybottleneckstudyusingdataobtainedfromanaerialsurvey
ofregionalfreeways(21).Thestudypurposewastoidentifyandanalyzebottlenecks,to
evaluatefreewaylevelofservice(LOS),andtorankimprovementprojects.AccordingtoADOT,
mostofthebottleneckremovalprojectsinthePhoenixmetropolitanareahavebeeninthe
formof(22):
auxiliarylanesbetweencloselyspacedinterchangesthroughrestripingandlowcost
widening;
wideningofexitsfromsingletoduallanetoimprovestorageapproachingthecross
street;
implementationofintelligenttransportationsystems(ITS)(rampmetersanddynamic
messagesigns)toimprovetrafficflow;
eliminationofmainlinefreewaylanedropswherepossiblevialaneextensionsto
providebetterlanebalancingthroughrestripingandmainlinewidening;and
HOVlaneimplementationtoimprovecorridorcapacity,therebyeasinggeneralpurpose
lanecapacity.
ADOTdidnotcollectbeforeandafterdataorcalculateanybenefitcostratiotoevaluatethe
performanceofthesebottleneckremovalprojects.However,anecdotalinformationindicates
thatmanyoftheseprojectshaveyieldedgoodresults,particularlytheauxiliarylaneprojects
thathavesmoothedoutmainlinefreewayflowsinmanysegments.
Austin, Texas
TheTxDOTAustinDistrictusedacollaborativeapproachtoidentify,analyze,andevaluate
bottleneckremovalprojectsintheirjurisdiction(23).Abottleneckcommitteeconsistingof
engineersandplannersfromthedepartmentoftransportation,universityresearchcenters,
FHWA,city,andmetropolitanplanningorganization(MPO)helpedtoimplement10bottleneck
removalprojectsonI35,eightonLoop1(MOPAC),andtwoonUS183.Table4providesbasic
descriptionsforsevenprojectsincludingtheirlocationandimplementedimprovements.
Dallas-Fort Worth and El Paso, Texas
TheTxDOTdistrictsinDallas,FortWorth,andElPasoallutilizedinteragencycontractsto
identify,analyze,andevaluatebottleneckremovalprojectsintheirjurisdiction.Thefollowing
subsectionsprovidedetaileddescriptionsoftwocasestudybottleneckremovalprojectsand
summarytablesshowingoperationalandsafetybenefitsforanadditional11projects.
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Table4.SummaryofSevenBottleneckRemovalProjectsinAustin,Texas.
ProjectLocation ImplementedImprovements
I35NBat
ParmerLane
AddedsupplementallanefromtheParmerLaneentrancetotheDessauexitand
thenextendedtoWellsBranch.
I35SBat
WellsBranch
ClosedDessauRoadentrancetoSBI35andaddedauxiliarylanefromtheWells
Branchentrance
to
the
Parmer
Lane
exit.
I35NBat
US183
AddedauxiliarylanefromUS183toBrakerLaneexitramp.
I35SBat
US183
BeganafourthmainlaneforSBI35attheRundbergentrance(ratherthanthe
US183directconnector)andextendedtheauxiliarylanefromtheUS183frontage
entrancetotheUS290exitupstreamsothatitbeganattheUS183direct
connector.TheUS183entrancefromtheSBI35frontageroadwasclosedinorder
tofacilitateflowalongtheauxiliarylane.
I35SBat
Riverside
AddedauxiliarylanefromRiversideentrancetoOltorfexit.
Loop1SBatFar
West
AddedanauxiliarylanefromFarWestBoulevardentrancetotheRM2222
(Northland)exit
ramp.
Loop1atLoop
360
RealignedtheSBLoop1mainlanessothatalanedropwouldoccurattheLoop360
East(lefthand)exitratherthanattheLoop360West(righthand)exitramp.
UpstreamofthislanedroparethehighvolumeBeeCavesentrancerampandthe
relativelylowvolumeBartonSkywayentranceramptoSBLoop1.
CaseStudyNumber1
ThelocationofthiscasestudyisintheTxDOTFortWorthDistrict,inArlington,onNBSH360,a
sixlanefreewaywithintermittentauxiliarylanes.MorningNBtrafficishighapproachingI30,
wheresignificantvolumesinterchange.Justoveramilesouthofthisinterchangetherewasa
shortweave
(1,000
feet)
on
an
auxiliary
lane
between
Abram
and
Division
(SH
180),
afour
lane
highwaywithsignals.TrafficvolumeontheNBentrancerampatAbramwasveryheavy,andit
wasunderconsiderationforrampmetering,alongwithfourotherNBentranceramps
upstreamonSH360.TheexittoDivisionhadsharpcurvatureandasignalthatfrequently
blockedtheramp.Trafficqueuedbadlyhere,andTxDOTfearedthatanyrampmetering
schemewasduetobeunpopularandoflimitedusefulness,meteringtrafficintoabottleneck.
ThetophalfofFigure5showsthelayoutinthebeforecase,alongwithAMpeakhourvolumes.
NotshownisthattheRandolMillexitwaspartofanXrampconfigurationsothattrafficexiting
therecouldgetbacktothefreewaywithoutgoingthroughasignal,andtheentrancerampat
thatpoint
enjoyed
alane
addition
that
lasted
until
the
I30
exit.
Thus
the
bottleneck
was
clearly
definedatthelanedroptoDivision.TxDOTelectedtoextendtheauxiliarylanetotheRandol
Millexit,thuseffectivelyaddingtheuseofafourthlanetothisbottleneckedsection.This
requireduseoftheoutsideshoulderunderDivisionbecausetherewasnoinsideshoulder.
Despitesomesafetyconcerns,TxDOTdecidedtoimplementthe700footauxiliarylaneona
trialbasis;thecostwasonly$150,000;acontractorwasalreadyworkinginthearea,installing
fiberopticcablefortheITSsystem,knownasTransVISION.
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Before Study Lane Layouts and Volumes
ABRAM ENTRANCE
DIVISION
EXIT
RANDOL MILL
EXIT
(AM Peak Hour)
60661827
340
7553
766
6787
7893
After Study Lane Layout and Volumes
ABRAM ENTRANCE
DIVISION
EXIT
RANDOL MILL
EXIT
(AM Peak Hour)
6632
(+350)8243
1611
340
7903
9256978
Figure5.NBSH360atDivision(SH180):BeforeandAfterDiagrams.
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Thisimprovementwascompletedintwomonths,andinitialsummertimedatacollection
showedanextremelyhighbenefit.Datawerecollectedagainafterschoolstartedagaininthe
fall,asshowninthebottomhalfofFigure5,alongwiththenewlanelayout.Inthiscase,the
improvedspeedswereonlyobservedupstreamasfarasthetopofthebridgeoverAbram,
which
creates
a
blind
vertical
curve
with
drivers
slowing
down
expecting
congestion
on
the
otherside.However,speedsthroughthebottleneckimprovedsignificantly,andvolumes
increasedaswell.Theoveralldelaybenefitswerecalculatedas$200,000peryear,meaning
thattheimprovementagainpaidforitselfinayear.However,anothersignificantbenefitwas
improvedsafety.Comparingtwoyearsofbeforedatawithtwoyearsofafterdata,aninjury
crashreductionof76percentwassustainedinthissectionaftertheimprovement.Inthiscase,
lossoftheoutsideshoulderovertheshortsectionwasoverbalancedbytheimprovedtraffic
operations.
CaseStudyNumber2
ThelastcasestudytobeexaminedwasinElPaso,Texas,withintheinterchangebetweenI10
andUS54,whichaccessestheborderofMexico,atJuarez.AsshowninFigure6,therampfrom
SBUS54joinedwiththerampfromNBUS54,andthetwoenjoyedalaneadditiononto
eastbound(EB)I10.Althoughbuiltasatwolaneramp,theUS54SBtoEBrampwasstriped
foronelane,andtrafficqueuingwasextensiveontheSBmainlanesduringboththemorning
andtheeveningpeakperiods.Inaddition,EBI10wasexperiencingslowdownsthatseemed
worsethanthevolumesbeinghandledwouldsuggestshouldbethecase.Queuejumpingwas
occurringupstreamofthelowvolumeexittoRaynolds,withtrafficcuttingintoI10atthelast
minuteatthelanedrop.
TxDOTimplementedtwoimprovements:first,thelaneadditionattheEBUS54entrancewas
expandedtoallowittobeatwolaneaddition,withtheauxiliarylaneexitingatthePaisano
exit.ThisrequiredconvertingtheinsideshoulderonI10toatravellaneforashortdistance.
Thetwolaneentrancethenallowedthetwolanerampfromthenorthtoberestripedtothe
originallyintendedtwolanes.Thesecondimprovementwastostripeouttheoutsidelaneon
I10attheUS54exit,forcingalanedroptoservethetwolaneramptothenorth.Thisallowed
alaneadditionattheCopiaentrance,withthatlanedroppingattheRaynoldsexit.
TherehadbeensomeconcernthataweavingproblemmightbesetupbetweenEBI10traffic
exitingtoPaisanoandtheentrancerampfromUS54.However,sincemicrosimulation
indicateditcouldworkadequately,TxDOTdecidedtoproceedwithimplementation,andifa
problemdeveloped,trafficwishingtoaccessPaisanofromthewestwouldbesignedtotakethe
Raynoldsexit.
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COPIA ENT
PAISANO EXIT
TO NB US 54
TO SB US 54 FROM NB US 54
FROM SB US 54
RAYNOLDS
EXIT
4001 (5564)4059 (5045)
280 (880) 338 (361)
300 (364)
6330 (7523)
AM Peak Hour
(PM Peak Hour)
1873 (1450)
456 (509)
4339 (5925)
Before Study Lane Layout and Volumes
After Study Lane Layout and Volumes
COPIA ENTRANCE
PAISANO EXIT
TO NB US 54
TO SB US 54 FROM NB US 54FROM SB US 54
RAYNOLDS EXIT
+1447(+619)
2062 (1386)
609 (618)
AM Peak Hour Traffic
(PM Peak Hour Traffic)
5106 (6138)5033 (5500)
485 (987) 412 (349)
328 (357)
5518 (6487) 7777 (8142)
+1179(+562)
+974(+455)
+189(-64)
+1105
(+574)
Figure6.EBI10atUS54inElPaso:BeforeandAfterDiagrams.
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Thecostfortheimprovementwas$530,000,accomplishedin1997.Figure6showsthe
improvedlaneconfigurationandtheresultingvolumes,bothmorningandeveningpeakhours.
Subsequentevaluationdeterminedtheresultingoperationswereclearlybeneficial.Queuing
disappearedontheSBUS54approach,andspeedspickeduponI10aswell,duringbothpeak
periods.
As
shown
in
Figure
6,
main
lane
volumes
increased
on
I
10,
even
though
a
main
lane
wasstripedout,sinceithadmainlybeenusedasaqueuejumpinglane,tothegreatirritation
ofmotoristsinterviewed.Additionally,injurycrashratesdeclinedsubstantiallyonUS54and
wereslightlyreducedonI10.Overallannualbenefitswereestimatedat$1.3million.
SummaryTablesforDallasFortWorthandElPasoBottleneckRemovalProjectEvaluations
Table5showstheoperationalevaluationof13bottleneckremovalprojectsimplementedinthe
DallasFortWorthandElPasoareaswithbenefitsinrecurrentdelayreductionandtheresulting
benefitcost(BC)ratios.Table6showscomparisonsofbeforeandaftercrashratesby
movementforthesesameprojects.Site5lackscrashstatisticsbecauseitwasthelastone
implemented,andinsufficientaftercrashdatawereavailableforaworthwhilecomparison.
Table5.OperationalEvaluationSummaryof13BottleneckProjectsinTexas.
Site DistrictFreeway(s)
andLimits
Improvement
Type
Annual
BenefitCost
BC
Ratio**
1* FTWNBSH360@
Division(SH180)
Shoulderconversion(outside)+auxiliary
laneaddition$200,000 $150,000 10:1
2* ELPEBI10@
US54
Restriping+rampmodification+
auxiliarylaneaddition
$1.3
million$530,000 20:1
3 DALEBI30,
I35EtoI45
Rampreversal(exitconvertedto
entrance)+auxiliarylaneaddition$700,000 $660,000 9:1
4 DAL NBI35E,I30toDallasNorthTollway
Shoulderconversion
(inside)
+auxiliary
laneadditions$600,000 $130,000 37:1
5 DALEBSH190to
SBUS75Restriping+rampmodification $500,000 $11,000 374:1
6 DALNBI35Erampto
DallasNorthTollwayRestriping+rampmodification $300,000 $20,000 132:1
7 DALNBSBI35E,
Loop12toI635
Shoulderconversion(inside)+removalof
twoinsidemerges
$11.0
million
$1.9
million47:1
8 DALWBI30rampto
SBI35ERestriping+rampmodification $200,000 $5,000 324:1
9 FTWEBI20to
NBSH360
Restriping+rampmodification+removal
ofthroughlaneinsideinterchange$500,000 $10,000 400:1
10 FTWSBSH360to
WBI20
Restriping+rampmodification+removal
ofthrough
lane
inside
interchange
$30,000 $8,000 32:1
11 FTWSBSH360@
Division(SH180)Rampclosure+auxiliarylaneaddition
$1.0
million$440,000 18:1
12 DALEBI635to
NBUS75
Restripingandwideningleftsideramp
fromonetotwolanes
$3.6
million
See
#13See#13
13 DALSBUS75to
WBI635
Shoulderconversion(inside)onI635to
allowrampfromUS75itsownlane
$3.8
million
$2.45
million24:1
* Thesetwositesaredescribedindetailinthisfinalreport.
** TheBCratioisbasedon10yearprojectlifewitha4percentdiscountrate.
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Table6.SafetyEvaluationSummaryof13BottleneckProjectsinTexas.
Site DistrictFreeway(s)
andLimitsCrashRateChange(a)/100MVMT SafetyBenefit
1 FTWNBSH360@
Division(SH180)SH360(NB)72.8to17.7 NB(+76%)
2
ELP
EBI10@
US54
US 54(SB)61.9to28.4 SB(+54%)
I10
(EB)51.7
to
48.7 EB
(+6%)
3 DALEBI30,
I35EtoI45
I30(EB)93.0to64.5(b) EB(+31%)
I30(EB WEAVE)(c)36.2to20.7 EB(+43%)
I30(EB WEAVE)(d)
12.9to5.2 EB(+60%)
4 DALNBI35E,I30to
DallasNorthTollwayI35E(NB)112.1to72.2 NB(+36%)
5 DALEBSH190to
SBUS75Noafterdataforanalysis Notapplicable
6 DALNBI35Erampto
DallasNorthTollwayNotonstatesystem Notapplicable
7 DALNBSBI35E,
Loop12toI635
I35E(NB)84.0(e) to78.2(
f) NB(+7%)
I35E(SB)66.4(g) to43.8(
h) SB(+34%)
8
DAL
WBI30rampto
SBI35E I30(WB)84.1to68.3 WB(+19%)
9 FTWEBI20to
NBSH360I20(EB)51.2to45.0 EB(+12%)
10 FTWSBSH360to
WBI20
SH 360(SB)65.9to30.3 SB(+54%)
I20(WB)35.9to34.1 WB(+5%)
11 FTWSBSH360@
Division(SH180)SH360(SB)48.6to16.2 SB(+67%)
12 DALEBI635to
NBUS75I635(EB)19.5to25.6 EB(31%)
13 DALSBUS75to
WBI635I635(WB)78.6to30.8 WB(+61%)
NOTES:CrashRate=(numberofcrashes)/((vehiclemilesoftravel)/(100106)).
CrashRate
Change:
(a)The
construction
year(s)
may
consist
of
one
or
two
calendar
years
depending
on
whether
constructionoverlappedtwocalendaryears.(b)Dataincludeallvehicles.(c)Dataincludealltrucktypesinweavesectiononly.
(d)Dataincludeonlysemitrailertrucktypesinweavesectiononly.(e)Thefirstnumberistheaverageofthethreecalendaryearsbefore constructionimplementation.
(f)Thesecondnumberistheaverageofthethreecalendaryearsafterconstructioncompletion.(g)Thefirstnumberistheaverageofthetwocalendaryearsbefore constructionimplementation.Thisappliestoallotherlocationsinthetable.
(h)Thesecondnumberistheaverageofthetwocalendaryearsafterconstructioncompletion.Thisappliestoallotherlocationsinthetable.
CrashdatawereobtainedfromtheTexasAccidentDataFilesfortheyears1989to2001.
FTW=FortWorthDistrict,TxDOT
ELP=El
Paso
District,
TxDOT
DAL=DallasDistrict,TxDOT
MVMT=millionvehiclemilestraveled
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whatabottleneckis,
whybottlenecksareoutthere,
commonbottleneckcauses,
projectdescription,
typicallow
cost
solutions,
bottleneckanalysismethodology,and
bottleneckreferences.
Information Exchange
Theprojectteamalsoincludedseveralwebsitefeatureswherevisitorscaninteractwith
membersoftheprojectteam.Thefirstinteractivefeatureallowssitevisitorstosharetheir
experiencesaboutsuccessfullowcostfreewaybottlenecktreatments.Thesecondinteractive
featureletssitevisitorscontactthewebmasteriftheyhaveanyquestionsorcomments.
Freeway Bottleneck Workshop Enhancement: Summary of FindingsThisportionofthefinalreportdocumentsthedevelopmentofanenhancedfreewaybottleneck
workshop.Anexistingfreewaybottleneckworkshoputilizedahalfdayformatwitha
PowerPointslideshowandcorrespondingparticipantnotebook.Evaluationsofthisworkshop
showedgenerallygoodacceptanceofthetechnicalcontent;however,participantsdesiredthe
additionofmoreinteractiveelements.Theprojectteamdecidedtofocusonthreeprimary
enhancements:
1. additionof
national
freeway
bottleneck
removal
experiences
to
Texas
case
studies;
2. upgradingoftheparticipantnotebooks:
a. inclusionofkeyhandoutsand
b. inclusionofacompactdisc(CD)containingalloftheworkshopmaterials
(PowerPointslideshow,supportingreferencedocuments,andcasestudydata);and
3. additionofinteractiveelementsandbetterdesignofgroupexercises.
Inadditiontothesethreeprimaryenhancements,researchersformattedtheworkshoptobe
consistentwithadulttrainingguidelinesforworkshopssponsoredbytheNationalHighway
Institute(NHI).
NHI
typically
divides
workshops
into
distinct
modules
that
include
learning
outcomesandreviewstodeterminethattheoutcomeshavebeenadequatelycoveredandare
understoodbyparticipants.Table7providestheNHIstyledesignfortheenhancedFreeway
BottleneckWorkshop,whichincluded10modules.Table8showsanexampleofthelearning
outcomesandreviewquestionsforModule2,BottleneckIdentification.
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Table7.EnhancedFreewayBottleneckWorkshopCourseDesign.
Module Description Timeframe
Welcome ParticipantandInstructorIntroductions 9:009:20AM
1 CourseOverview 9:209:25AM
2 BottleneckIdentification 9:259:45AM
3
BottleneckCauses
9:45
9:55
AM
BREAK(10minutes)
4 LowCostSolutions 10:0510:20AM
5 BottleneckAnalysisandEvaluation 10:2010:35AM
BREAK(10minutes)
6 BottleneckCaseStudies 10:4511:30AM
7 WorkingLunch/GroupProblemSolving 11:3012:00PM
8 LocalBottlenecks 12:0012:15PM
9 GuidelinesforSuccessfulProjects 12:1512:45PM
10
Course
Review
12:45
12:50
PM
WrapUp CourseEvaluationandFeedback 12:501:00PM
Table8.ExampleLearningOutcomesandReviewQuestionsfromModule2.
LearningOutcomes:Atthecompletionofthisworkshopmodule,youwillbeableto:
1. Definewhatabottleneckis
2. Relatethetwotypesoftrafficcongestion
3. Understandthecontributionofbottleneckstotrafficdelays
ModuleReview
1. Listthetwotypesoftrafficcongestion:___________________and_______________________
2. Bottlenecksare
__________________
congestion
3. Whatpercentageofdelayisestimatedtobecausedbybottlenecks
Theprojectteamdesignedtheworkshopforahalfday,atotaloffourhours.Course
participantswereprovidedwithcertificatesofcompletionattheendoftheworkshop.Course
completionprovidestheparticipantswiththreeprofessionaldevelopmenthours,whichcanbe
usedtofulfillcontinuingeducationrequirements.
Addition of National Bottleneck Removal Experiences
Theproject
team
gathered
information
from
several
states
outside
of
Texas
regarding
experienceswithlowcostfreewaybottleneckremovalprojects.InformationfromtheFlorida
andMinnesotaDepartmentsofTransportationwassynthesizedforinclusionintheworkshop
materialsinordertocomplementtheexistingTexasbasedinformation.
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Upgraded Participant Notebook
Theprojectteamdevelopedanupgradedparticipantnotebookastheprimarydeliverablefor
workshopparticipants.Eachparticipantworkbookcontainedthefollowingitems:
1. cover(seeFigure8);
2. workshopagenda;
3. evaluationform;
4. freewaybottleneckanalysismethodologyhandout;
5. CDwithsupportingreferencematerials;and
6. workshopslides,printedtwoperpage(seeFigure9).
Theparticipantworkbookscontainedapproximately65colorpageswiththemoduleslides
presentedbythecourseinstructors.
Figure8.ExampleofParticipantNotebookCover.
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Figure10.ExampleSiteLayoutforGroupProblemSolvingExercise.
Theinstructorsprovidedparticipantswithlunchduringthegroupproblemsolvingexercise
moduleinordertofurtherstimulatediscussionandinteractionastheyweredeveloping
potentialsolutions(Figure11).Eachofthefourgroupsnominatedaspokespersonthat
presentedthegroupsfindingsandassessmentofpotentiallowcostbottleneckimprovements.
Figure11.InteractiveGroupProblemSolvingoverLunch.
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Local Bottleneck Module
Theprojectteamalsoaddedamoduletotheworkshoptoallowparticipantstodiscusslocal
freewaybottlenecksintheirmetropolitanregion.Thismodulewasdesignedforparticipantsto
beabletofirstdiscusswheretheyhadsuccessfullyimplementedlowcostimprovementsto
removefreewaybottlenecks.Secondly,thecourseinstructorsfacilitatedadiscussionofsites
wherebottlenecksstillexistthathavethepotentialforlowcostimprovements.Themodule
instructorusedamapofthelocalfreewaysystemseeFigure12foranexampletofacilitate
theparticipantinteractionduringthisworkshopmodule.
Figure12.ExampleofFreewayMapUsedtoFacilitateDiscussionofLocalBottlenecks.
Pilot Workshops: Summary of FindingsTheUniversityTransportationCenterforMobility(UTCM)atTexasA&MUniversitysponsored
thedeliveryoftheenhancedFreewayBottleneckWorkshop.Theprojectteampresentedthe
FreewayBottleneckWorkshoptoenthusiasticparticipantsinfourlocations:
1. SanAntonio,Texas;
2. Houston,Texas;
3. Atlanta,Georgia;and
4. Austin,Texas.
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Eachhalfdayworkshopallowedparticipantsfromvariousdisciplines(design,operations,and
planning)andagencies(city,county,state,andfederal)tolearnaboutbottleneckidentification,
causes,lowcostsolutions,analysisandevaluation,casestudies,andguidelinesforsuccessful
projects.ThefollowingsubsectionssummarizeeachofthefourFreewayBottleneckWorkshops
conducted
during
this
project.
San Antonio Workshop
TheprojectteamconductedthefirstpilotworkshopinSanAntonio,Texas,onAugust13,2009,
attheTxDOTTransGuideTransportationManagementCenter(seeFigure13).Twentysix
professionalsattendedthisworkshoprepresentingfourdifferentagencies.Table9summarizes
theevaluationoftheSanAntonioFreewayBottleneckWorkshopbasedonthe24completed
courseevaluationforms.Theevaluationformaskedparticipantstorateeachindividualcourse
module,theinstructors,workshoplength,interactivity,andtheparticipantworkbookbasedon
thefollowingscale:
excellent=5points,
verygood=4points,
average=3points,
fair=2points,and
poor=1point.
Theprojectteamusedthisratingscaletocalculateaverageratingsforeachindividual
workshop
element
and
a
total
for
the
overall
workshop
based
on
the
aggregate
of
all
elements.
TheSanAntonioFreewayBottleneckWorkshophadthefollowingperformancesummary:
highestratedmodule:tiebetweenModule6(BottleneckCaseStudies)andModule7
(WorkingLunch/GroupProblemSolving),
lowestratedmodule:Module1(CourseOverview),and
overallaveragerating=4.23
ThetwocourseinstructorsreceivedhighratingsfortheworkshopasindicatedinTable9.Over
90
percent
of
participant
ratings
for
this
workshop
were
either
in
the
excellent
or
very
good
categories.
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Figure13.ReviewofBottleneckCaseStudyatSanAntonioWorkshop.
Table9.SummaryEvaluationforSanAntonioWorkshop.
EVALUATIONFORMS(N=24)AVERAGE
RATINGWorkshopElementExcellent
(5points)
VeryGood
(4points)
Average
(3points)
Fair
(2points)
Poor
(1points)
Module1
3
15
5
1
0
3.83
Module2 5 16 3 0 0 4.08
Module3 8 13 3 0 0 4.21
Module4 8 12 4 0 0 4.17
Module5 7 15 2 0 0 4.21
Module6 9 13 2 0 0 4.29
Module7 9 13 2 0 0 4.29
Module8 2 17 5 0 0 3.88
Module9 7 15 2 0 0 4.21
Module10 4 16 4 0 0 4.00
Instructor1:CarolWalters 16 8 0 0 0 4.67
Instructor2:ScottCooner 16 8 0 0 0 4.67
Length 9 15 0 0 0 4.38
Interactivity 11 11 2 0 0 4.38
Participantworkbook 6 18 0 0 0 4.25
TOTAL 120 205 34 1 04.23
Percentage 33.3% 57.0% 9.4% 0.3% 0%
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Houston Workshop
TheprojectteamperformedthesecondpilotworkshopinHouston,Texas,onAugust19,2009,
attheTxDOTHoustonDistrictheadquarters(seeFigure14).Twentysixprofessionalsattended
thisworkshoprepresentingtwodifferentagencies.Table10summarizestheevaluationofthe
HoustonFreewayBottleneckWorkshopbasedonthe21completedcourseevaluationforms.
TheHoustonFreewayBottleneckWorkshophadthefollowingperformancesummary:
highestratedmodule:Module6(BottleneckCaseStudies),
lowestratedmodule:Module8(LocalBottlenecks),and
overallaveragerating=4.41.
ThetwocourseinstructorsreceivedhighratingsfortheworkshopasindicatedinTable10.
Almost93percentofparticipantratingsforthisworkshopwereeitherintheexcellentorvery
good
categories.
Figure14.ParticipantsLearnaboutTypicalLowCostSolutionsatHoustonWorkshop.
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Table10.SummaryEvaluationforHoustonWorkshop.
EVALUATIONFORMS(N=21)AVERAGE
RATINGWorkshopElementExcellent
(5points)
VeryGood
(4points)
Average
(3points)
Fair
(2points)
Poor
(1points)
Module1 8 10 3 0 0 4.24
Module2 9 11 1 0 0 4.38
Module3 9 12 0 0 0 4.43
Module4 12 9 0 0 0 4.57
Module5 12 8 1 0 0 4.52
Module6 15 5 1 0 0 4.67
Module7 10 10 1 0 0 4.43
Module8 8 6 6 1 0 4.00
Module9 10 10 1 0 0 4.43
Module10 8 12 1 0 0 4.33
Instructor1:ScottCooner 12 8 1 0 0 4.52
Instructor2:
Poonam
Wiles
1
3
8
1
0
0
4.17Length 7 12 2 0 0 4.24
Interactivity 14 6 1 0 0 4.62
Participantworkbook 10 10 1 0 0 4.43
TOTAL 147 137 21 1 04.41
Percentage 48% 44.8% 6.8% 0.3% 0%1Only12responseswerereceivedonevaluationformsforInstructor2.
Atlanta Workshop
TheprojectteamaccomplishedthethirdpilotworkshopinAtlanta,Georgia,onAugust25,
2009,at
the
StreetSmarts
corporate
headquarters
(see
Figure
15).
Thirty
eight
professionals
attendedthisworkshoprepresenting13differentagencies.Table11summarizestheevaluation
oftheAtlantaFreewayBottleneckWorkshopbasedonthe36completedcourseevaluation
forms.TheAtlantaFreewayBottleneckWorkshophadthefollowingperformancesummary:
highestratedmodule:Module7(WorkingLunch/GroupProblemSolving),
lowestratedmodule:Module5(BottleneckAnalysisandEvaluation),and
overallaveragerating=4.17.
Thetwo
course
instructors
received
high
ratings
for
the
workshop
as
indicated
in
Table
11.
This
workshopalsofeaturedathirdguestinstructor,MarshaAndersonBomar,whotaughttheLocal
Bottlenecksmoduleandprovidedlocalinsightthroughouttheday(seeFigure16).Over90
percentofparticipantratingsforthisworkshopwereeitherintheexcellentorverygood
categories.
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Figure15.ParticipantsinAtlantaWorkshopDiscussNationalBottleneckCaseStudies.
Table11.SummaryEvaluationforAtlantaWorkshop.
EVALUATIONFORMS(N=36)AVERAGE
RATING
WorkshopElement
Excellent
(5points) Very
Good
(4points) Average
(3points) Fair
(2points) Poor
(1points)
Module1 10 23 3 0 0 4.19
Module2 10 23 3 0 0 4.19
Module3 6 26 4 0 0 4.06
Module4 13 15 8 0 0 4.14
Module5 9 22 4 1 0 4.03
Module6 12 21 2 0 1 4.19
Module7 14 19 3 0 0 4.31
Module8 9 22 5 0 0 4.11
Module9 8 24 4 0 0 4.08
Module10
8
23
5
0
0
4.06Instructor1:CarolWalters 17 19 0 0 0 4.47
Instructor2:ScottCooner 14 22 0 0 0 4.39
Length 8 22 5 1 0 4.03
Interactivity 6 30 0 0 0 4.17
Participantworkbook 7 25 4 0 0 4.08
TOTAL 151 336 50 2 14.17
Percentage 28.0% 62.2% 9.2% 0.4% 0.2%
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Figure16.InstructorsfortheAtlantaWorkshop.
Austin Workshop
TheprojectteampresentedthefinalpilotworkshopinAustin,Texas,onNovember12,2009,at
theTxDOTAustinDistrictheadquarters.Thirtyprofessionalsattendedthisworkshop
representingeightdifferentagencies.Table12summarizestheevaluationoftheAustin
FreewayBottleneckWorkshopbasedonthe25completedcourseevaluationforms.TheAustin
FreewayBottleneckWorkshophadthefollowingperformancesummary:
highestratedmodule:tieModule4(LowCostSolutions)andModule6(BottleneckCase
Studies),
lowestrated
module:
Module
3(Bottleneck
Causes),
and
overallaveragerating=4.37.
ThecourseinstructorreceivedhighratingsfortheworkshopasindicatedinTable12.Almost91
percentofparticipantratingsforthisworkshopwereeitherintheexcellentorverygood
categories.
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Table12.SummaryEvaluationforAustinWorkshop.
EVALUATIONFORMS(N=25)AVERAGE
RATINGWorkshopElementExcellent
(5points)
VeryGood
(4points)
Average
(3points)
Fair
(2points)
Poor
(1points)
Module1 13 8 3 0 1 4.28
Module2 12 11 2 0 0 4.40
Module3 11 13 1 0 0 4.00
Module4 13 11 1 0 0 4.48
Module5 13 10 2 0 0 4.44
Module6 13 11 1 0 0 4.48
Module7 10 9 5 0 1 4.08
Module8 8 11 6 0 0 4.08
Module9 12 11 2 0 0 4.40
Module10 10 12 2 0 1 4.20
Instructor1:ScottCooner 16 9 0 0 0 4.64
Length
13
11
1
0
0
4.48Interactivity 10 14 1 0 0 4.36
Participantworkbook 13 10 2 0 0 4.32
TOTAL 167 151 29 0 34.37
Percentage 47.7% 43.1% 8.3% 0.0% 0.9%
National Workshop Delivery Plan: Summary of Findings
Oneofthefinalprojecttasksinvolvedthedevelopmentofadeliveryplanforofferingthe
enhancedFreewayBottleneckWorkshoponanationalscale.NeilSpillerparticipatedinthe
AtlantaworkshopandcurrentlyleadstheLocalizedBottleneckReductionProgramforFHWA.
FHWAsponsored
three
LBR
workshops
in
2008
to
bring
together
state
and
local
transportation
agencyrepresentativestodiscussprogramstoreducebottlenecks.Workshopswereheldin
Florida,Virginia,andWashingtonStateinAugustandSeptemberof2008.Thereispotential
synergybetweentheexistingLBRworkshopandtheenhancedFreewayBottleneckWorkshop
developedunderthisUTCMproject.
Target Sponsors
Theprojectteamdevelopedalistofpotentialsponsorstotargetforfundingoffuturedelivery
oftheenhancedFreewayBottleneckWorkshop.Targetsponsorsinclude:
1. FHWAOfficeofOperations,
2. AmericanAssociationofStateHighwayandTransportationOfficials(AASHTO),
3. NationalHighwayInstitute,
4. InstituteofTransportationEngineers,
5. individualstatedepartmentsoftransportation,and
6. MPOsinmediumtolargepopulationareas.
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Potential for Web-Based Delivery
TheprojectteamalsodiscussedthepotentialforwebbaseddeliveryoftheenhancedFreeway
BottleneckWorkshop.Webseminars/briefings,commonlyreferredtoaswebinars,are
becominganincreasinglypopularwayofdeliveringtrainingandtechnicalcontentto
transportationprofessionals.Webbaseddeliveryallowsformultiplejurisdictionstobe
involvedandreducestravelcosts.
TheprojectteampilotedanexecutivesummaryversionoftheenhancedFreewayBottleneck
WorkshopataFlexibleDesignWorkshopsponsoredbyMnDOTinJuly2009(24).Theobjective
oftheFlexibleDesignWorkshopwastoprovideparticipantswithanopportunitytolearnabout
experienceswithflexiblehighwaydesignpracticesformanagingcongestionfromnational
subjectmatterexperts.ThehourlongexecutivesummaryversionoftheenhancedFreeway
BottleneckWorkshopwasdeliveredusingwebbasedvideoconferencingsoftware.Workshop
participantsinMinneapolissawavideofeedwithcorrespondingPowerPointslidesandwere
allowedtointeractandaskquestions(seeFigure17andFigure18).Theprojectteambelieves
thesuccessfuldeliveryoftheexecutivesummaryversioninMinneapolisshowsthatwebbased
deliveryissomethingworthpursuing.Thesamepotentialsponsorslistedintheprevious
sectionwouldallstillbeapplicable.
Figure17.VideoFeedforFlexibleDesignWorkshopAllowingRemoteSpeakerParticipation.
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Figure18.ScreenCaptureofPowerPointSlidesDisplayedtoMinneapolisParticipants.
Educational Module: Summary of FindingsThefinaltaskinthisUTCMprojectinvolvedthedevelopmentofaneducationalmodulefor
universityprofessorstouseinundergraduate andgraduatelevelclassestoteachstudentson
freewaybottleneck
removal.
This
project
task
had
both
technology
transfer
and
educational
components,whichareimportanttotheoverallmissionoftheUTCMprogram.
Module Development
Severalmembersoftheprojectteamcollaboratedonthedevelopmentoftheeducational
module.Themodulewasdesignedtobeapproximatelyonehourinlengthandcontainone
casestudyexercisefromModule7oftheenhancedFreewayBottleneckWorkshop.
University Delivery
The
pilot
delivery
of
the
educational
module
is
planned
for
the
spring
2010
semester
at
the
UniversityofTexasatArlington.Thepilotdeliverywillbeevaluated,andthemoduleslides,
handouts,andscriptwillbemodifiedbasedonstudentandprofessorfeedback.Thefinal
versionoftheeducationalmodulewillbepostedonthebottleneckworkshop.orgwebsitefor
usebyprofessors.Initialpromotionoftheeducationalmodulewillbeaccomplishedbyane
mailtothefacultyadvisorsofthevariousInstituteofTransportationEngineers(ITE)student
chaptersintheU.S..
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Project Summary: Conclusions and Recommendations
Conclusions
ThisreportsummarizestheenhancementandpilotdeliveryofaFreewayBottleneckWorkshop
designedtoteachparticipantshowtodeveloplowcostsolutionstoimprovebottleneckson
freewayfacilities.Studieshaveshownthatimplementingrelativelyminorimprovementson
existingfreewaystoremovebottlenecksproducessignificantoperational(typicalbenefitcost
ratiosfrom3:1to400:1)andsafetybenefits(averagecrashreductionofapproximately35
percent).Thisprojectenhancedandimprovedanexistingworkshopby:(1)gatheringfurther
dataonimplementedbottleneckremovalsbothinTexasandthroughouttheUnitedStatesto
addtothecasestudydatabase;and(2)improvingthecommunicationsaspectoftheworkshop
throughbettergraphics,video,andoverallprofessionalappearance.
TheenhancedFreewayBottleneckWorkshopwaspresentedtoenthusiasticparticipantsin
Atlanta(Georgia),
Austin,
Houston,
and
San
Antonio.
Each
half
day
workshop
allowed
participantsfromvariousdisciplines(design,operations,andplanning)andagencies(city,
county,state,andfederal)tolearnaboutbottleneckidentification,causes,lowcostsolutions,
analysisandevaluation,casestudies,andguidelinesforsuccessfulprojects.Workshop
participantsalsohadtheopportunitytoworkinteamstoanalyzearealworldfreeway
bottleneckandtodiscussopportunitiesforbottleneckremovalintheirmetropolitanarea.The
workshopevaluationshowedthatalmost91percentofparticipantsratedallworkshop
elements(e.g.,modules,instructors,workbooks,etc.)aseitherexcellentorverygood.Thefinal
componentoftheprojectdevelopedawebsiteandeducationalmoduleforuniversitystudents
andprofessors
that
will
continue
the
technology
transfer
aspect
of
this
work.
The
long
term
implicationsofthisprojectareelevatedawarenessoftheextremelyhighbenefitsrelativeto
costsanddevelopmentofprofessionalcapacitytorecognizeopportunitiesandtoanalyzeand
selectappropriatemeasuresforsuccessfulfreewaybottleneckremovalprojects.
Recommendations
Thetransportationprofessionneedsaboostofconfidenceamidsttheeverpresentfunding
challenges.Foryears,transportationleadershavebeensayingwellneverbuildourwayoutof
congestion,whichmakestheprofessionirrelevantintheeyesofthetravelingpublic.Infact,
somecongestion
is
unnecessary,
and
relieving
it
with
low
cost
improvements
can
enhance
our
imageasnecessaryprofessionals.Implementingminorimprovementsonexistingfreewaysin
ordertoremovebottleneckstypicallyachieveshighbenefitsyetisnotroutinelydonebymany
agencies.TheenhancedFreewayBottleneckWorkshopisnowaresourcethatcanbeusedto
trainandenergizetransportationagenciesandtheirpartnerstomakelowcostbottleneck
removalapartoftheirnormalroutineforimplementingprojectsthatsafelyandreliably
mitigatetrafficcongestiononfreeways.
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8/8/2019 Freeway Bottleneck Removals Workshop
45/46
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8/8/2019 Freeway Bottleneck Removals Workshop
46/46
University Transportation Center for Mobility
Texas Transportation Institute
The Texas A&M University System
College Station, TX 77843-3135
Tel: 979.845.2538 Fax: 979.845.9761
utcm.tamu.edu