Interstate 80 Integrated Corridor Management Project

January 15, 2009 CTCDC Meeting

S. Sean NozzariDeputy District 4 Director, Traffic OperationsCalifornia Department of Transportation

Outline

Why are we here?

I-80 Integrated Corridor Management Project

• Active Traffic Management

Current Practices: Changeable Message Signs

Dialogue & Next Steps

Why are we here? Anticipated future strategies and approaches require dialogue;

California freeway system is maturing in urban areas;

There are significant advances in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technology;

There is increased motorist expectations;

Transportation safety and mobility carry equal weight in this era of climate change. ?

Safety & Security Growth Congestion Environment Economy Finance Social Equity Carbon Reduction Climate Change

Traffic Safety & Capacity Improvements Ridesharing, Rail & Transit Systems, TOD Developments Incident & Work Zone Management Intelligent Transportation Systems Traveler Information Systems Weigh-in-motion/Truck Climbing Lanes Electronic Toll Collection Alternative Fuels/Vehicles Weather Information Systems Multimodal Corridor Systems Management In-vehicle Information Systems Active Traffic Management, Smart Parking/Transit & BRT Vehicle Infrastructure Integration/Automated guidance Systems User Fees: HOT Lanes & Congestion Pricing Public Private Partnerships Transportation System Completion

Solutions: Past, Present, and Future

Presen

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Active traffic management strategies on freeways;

Uniformity as well as compliance and consistency of new systems and devices being deployed with applicable legislation, state/national standards, technical guidelines and practices;

Dialogue, input, and guidance from stakeholders.

Interstate 80 Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) project, in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, is one of the first of such future projects.

Future solutions require:

San Francisco Bay Area I- 80

The No. 1 most congested Corridor in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Pinole Valley - Richmond Parkway

Causes: High traffic demand Limited capacity & bottlenecks Physical and environmental

constraints prevent traditional roadway improvements

Independent arterial/freeway/transit management systems

Significant traffic delays Inconsistent flow of traffic Speed differentials Shockwaves High incident rates Inconsistent travel time Transportation corridor impacts

San Pablo Dam

Road - Cutting Blvd

Effects:

San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge

Central Av – Potrero Av

Bottleneck Areas:

Interstate I-80 ICM Project

San Francisco Bay Area I- 80 Current Speed Limits

Toll Plaza

50 MPH55 MPH65 MPH

I-80 Corridor stakeholders recognize that effective management of this corridor requires

new systems and strategies beyond traditional activities.

I-80 ICM Project Elements:

Traffic Surveillance & Monitoring

Incident Management Active Freeway Traffic

Management Systems Arterial Management Transit Management Traveler Information Commercial vehicle

operations

Active Traffic Management is: Proactive Management of Roadway System based on pre-defined

performance thresholds and effective communication with motorists in response to changing traffic conditions, relative to recurrent congestion, incidents, highway maintenance and construction activities, or special events by means of state-of-practice ITS technology including Adaptive Ramp Metering and Speed Harmonization.

Sign Gantries,

Changeable Message Signs (CMS) or

Lane Use Signals (LUS), and

Variable Speed Limit Signs (VSLS).

Speed harmonization is expected to help enhance mobility by reducing:

Effective communication with motorists is facilitated by:

Gaps in traffic flow,

Unnecessary lane changes,

Shockwaves,

and above all incidents.

Speed Harmonization via Roadside Variable Speed Limit Signs

R2-1

48”X60”

55

Mixed flow lanesHOV Lane

SPEEDLIMIT

55

CONCEPTUAL

ONLY

Effective Communication with Motorists via Sign Gantries

CONCEPTUAL

ONLY

Possible Applications:

Lane Closures/Detours (Incidents or planned work) Carpool Hours Travel Time BART/Transit Information Speed Limits Other

ATM Sign Gantries may be used for various scenarios:

LANECLOSED

LANECLOSED

LANECLOSED

MERGERIGHT

LANECLOSED

CONCEPTUAL

ONLY

LANECLOSED

LANECLOSED

LANECLOSED

MERGERIGHT

LANECLOSED

LANECLOSED

LANECLOSED

LANECLOSED

MERGERIGHT

LANECLOSED

R11- 3a W 8-5

Next Generation CMSs with full color and graphic capabilities can potentially allow sign and symbol messages on gantries:

Route Shield

Potential New CMS/Gantries Applications?

I-80 ICM Project is currently in the environmental assessment and preliminary engineering phase.

There is much work to be done in developing the respective systems and functional requirements, particularly with respect to speed harmonization.

It is, however, clear that the I-80 ICM project will take us beyond our current practices, particularly relative to real-time communication with motorists.

I-80 ICM Project Status:

Changeable Message Signing

Current Practices

Current Practices: Incident Management

Current Practices: Incident Management

Current Practices: Roadway Construction & Maintenance

Current Practices: Roadway Construction & Maintenance

Current Practices: Weather or Roadway Advisories

Current Practices: Commuter Travel Time Information & SMART Parking System

Current Practices: Toll Collection

Current Practices: Special Events

Current Practices: Law Enforcement & Motorist Education

Examples:

Amber AlertsDon’t Drink & DriveReport Drunk DriversHands Free Cell Phone UseNo Texting

Private Sector Practice: Outdoor Advertising

Note: This private practice is trictly outside the State Highway Right-of-way.

Refresh Time

Dialogue & Next Steps

Changeable Message Signs (CMS) To the extent possible, changeable message signs, which are traffic

control devices designed to display variable messages, shall conform to the principles, design and applications established and prescribed in the CA MUTCD for highway regulatory, advisory, and guide signs. CA MUTCD does not contain specifications for changeable message signs.

CMSs currently deployed in California are highly effective in real-time communication of roadway, traffic conditions, detour, or traveler information to motorists.

Next generation CMSs with full color and graphics capability and enhanced resolution allow enhanced communication with motorists through increased displays of MUTCD standard and uniform messages or symbols on changeable message signs, helping better meet motorist expectations.

Dialogue & Next Steps (continued)

Variable Speed Limit Signs (VSLSs)

CVC 22355 authorizes Caltrans to use VSLSs.

The speed limits displayed on these signs are enforceable.

Before VSLSs are implemented for corridor mobility applications, an appropriate engineering analysis is needed (in lieu of the traditional engineering & traffic surveys used for safety applications).

Appropriate documentation for use of VSLSs is to be developed in cooperation with the California Highway Patrol and regional/local stakeholders.

Thank you!

(Discussion & Questions)

Supporting Slides

California Vehicle Code (CVC) Variable Speed Limits Uniform Standards Engineering Traffic Survey (E&TS) NCHRP Legal Research Digest

California Vehicle Code (CVC)

The California Vehicle Code (CVC) establishes the authority for the Department of Transportation to establish speed limits, and in particular provides the authority to use VSLS on freeways. The authority to install and operate VSLS is covered in section 22355

Variable Speed Limits – CVC 22355

 Whenever the Department of Transportation determines upon the basis of an Engineering and Traffic Survey (E&TS) that the safe and orderly movement of traffic upon any state highway which is a freeway will be facilitated by the establishment of variable speed limits, the department may erect, regulate, and control signs upon the state highway which is a freeway, or any portion thereof, which signs shall be so designed as to permit display of different speed limits at various times of the day or night. Such signs need not conform to the standards and specifications established by regulations of the Department of Transportation pursuant to Section 21400, but shall be of sufficient size and clarity to give adequate notice of the applicable speed limit. The speed limit upon the freeway at a particular time and place shall be that which is then and there displayed upon such sign. Amended Ch. 78, Stats. 1973. Effective January 1, 1974

Uniform Standards

22355 refers to section 21400, which is included in next slide for information. 22355 specifically states the signs do not need to comply with 21400.

Uniform Standards – CVC 21400  The DOT shall, after consultation with local agencies and public hearings, adopt

rules and regulations prescribing uniform standards and specifications for all official traffic control devices placed pursuant to this code, including, but not limited to, stop signs, yield right-of-way signs, speed restriction signs, railroad warning approach signs, street name signs, lines and markings on the roadway, and stock crossing signs placed pursuant to Section 21364.

The DOT shall, after notice and public hearing, determine and publicize the specifications for uniform types of warning signs, lights, and devices to be placed upon a highway by any person engaged in performing work which interferes with or endangers the safe movement of traffic upon that highway.

Only those signs, lights, and devices as are provided for in this section shall be placed upon a highway to warn traffic of work which is being performed on the highway.

Any control devices or markings installed upon traffic barriers on or after January 1, 1984, shall conform to the uniform standards and specifications required by this section. Amended Ch. 291, Stats. 1983. Effective January 1, 1984.

Engineering Traffic Survey (E&TS)

Section 22355 provides that the determination of the need for VSLS must be on the basis of “an engineering and traffic survey”. This is defined in the CVC by section 627 and is reproduced in next slides

Engineering Traffic Survey (ETS) - 627

(a) "Engineering and traffic survey," as used in this code, means a survey of highway and traffic conditions in accordance with methods determined by the Department of Transportation for use by state and local authorities.

(b) An engineering and traffic survey shall include, among other requirements deemed necessary by the department, consideration of all of the following:

(1) Prevailing speeds as determined by traffic engineering measurements.

(2) Accident records.

(3) Highway, traffic, and roadside conditions not readily apparent to the driver.

(c) When conducting an engineering and traffic survey, local authorities, in addition to the factors set forth in paragraphs (1) to (3), inclusive, of subdivision (b) may consider all of the following:

Engineering Traffic Survey (E&TS) Cont’d (1) Residential density, if any of the following conditions exist on the

particular portion of highway and the property contiguous thereto, other than a business district:

(A) Upon one side of the highway, within a distance of a quarter of a mile, the contiguous property fronting thereon is occupied by 13 or more separate dwelling houses or business structures.

(B) Upon both sides of the highway, collectively, within a distance of a quarter of a mile, the contiguous property fronting thereon is occupied by 16 or more separate dwelling houses or business structures.

(C) The portion of highway is longer than one-quarter of a mile but has the ratio of separate dwelling houses or business structures to the length of the highway described in either subparagraph (A) or (B).

(2) Pedestrian and bicyclist safety.

Amended Ch. 466, Stats. 1982. Effective January 1, 1983.Amended Sec. 1, Ch. 45, Stats. 2000. Effective January 1, 2001.

NCHRP Legal Research Digest NCHRP Legal Research Digest, March 2002-Number 47 was

devoted to “Judicial Enforcement of Variable Speed Limits”. According to that report, “the only statutory provision that was found in any state’s laws specifically related to a ‘variable speed limit’ was Section 22355 of the California Vehicle Code. This section allows the DOT, on the basis of an engineering and traffic study that shows the ‘safe and orderly movement of traffic’ will be facilitated, to ‘erect, regulate and control signs…so designed as to permit display of different speed limits at various times of the day and night.’ The speed limit on the freeway ‘at a particular time and place shall be that which is then and there displayed upon such sign.’”

The researchers reported no “…known court challenges to enforcement of the existing ‘variable’ speed laws”.