ATDM Active Traffic & Demand Management

Robert SheehanOffice of Operations

Outline

ATDM Program history– Lessons from scan toursIntegrated Corridor Management– Program– AMS updateATDM program– Research– Issues

ATDM

Proactive management of transportation demand and roadway capacity.Aggressive approach, integrating concept of balancing supply and demandAddressing traffic congestion before breakdown is ATDM’s fundamental tenet

Trips to Europe

Search for technology, found philosophyJune 2005 Managing Travel Demand International Scan – A new way to think about travel, one that attempts to

influence travelers pre-trip and provide improved options of the travelers en-route

2006 Managed Lanes/ATM International Scan– Innovative ATM practices were being deployed

outside the U.S and generated mobility and safety benefits

Integrated Approach to Transportation Management

Active approach to Transportation Operations

Informing

Guiding

Knowing Predicting

Re-Active

Pro-Active

Moving the State of Practice

SEPARATED

HISTORICAL

REACTIVE

STATIC ASSIGNMENT

PLANNING THEN OPERATIONS

CURRENT FUTUREINTEGRATED

REAL TIME

PROACTIVE/PREDICTIVE

DYNAMIC ASSIGNMENT

PLANNING & DESIGN WITH OPERATIONS

Active Management is not new

Standard of practice in other industries– IT/Telecommunications

• Bandwidth control and allocation on a continuously dynamic basis

– “Smart Grid”• Electrical load monitoring, balance, and distribution

– Stock market

Integrated Corridor Management

Integrated Corridor Management

Joint, multi-modal management Optimize use of existing infrastructureCorridor managed as a systemUtilize spare capacity

Arterial Systems

Freeway Systems

BusSystems

Rail Systems

ICM Context

Achieve load balancing across the networks– Facilitate mode shifts– Facilitate route shifts– Facilitate departure/arrival shifts

Respond to events with coordinated multi-agency actionsOptimize performance at a corridor level– Improve utilization of existing infrastructure– Reduce travel delays

“ICM is about management of a corridor. Management implies more than monitoring. Management

implies planning for, and responding to what is happening.”

ICM Program

Foundational research, e.g. Generic ConOpsTest corridor analysisAMS methodologySite specific ConOps & SRS, 8 locationsAMS phase, 3 locationsDemo. Phase, 2 locations

ICM Pioneer Sites

Seattle

Montgomery County

Minneapolis

DALLAS

San Antonio Houston

Oakland

SAN DIEGO

3 Stages for the Pioneer Sites:

• Stage 1 – Concept of Operations, Sample Data, and Requirements

• Stage 2 – Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation• Stage 3 – Demonstration and Evaluation

Achieving Success in the ICM Program

Success of the ICM Program will be defined by the ability of future locations to implement ICM using the Pioneer Site examples of Concept of Operations (ConOps) and System Requirements Specification process (SyRS), modeling methodology, and institutional cooperation to achieve improved corridor performance.

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ICM Status Update

ICM AMS - A Process for Continuous Improvement

ArchivedData

ComprehensiveSituationalAwareness

Modelingand

Simulation

TrustedModels

SubstantiveAlternatives

Analysis

PerformanceMeasurement

ICM AMS Framework

Macroscopic Travel demand models– Analysis of regional travel patterns

and mode shiftMesoscopic simulation models

– Analysis of regional diversion, traveler information, tolling, HOT lanes, and congestion pricing

Microscopic simulation models– Analysis of traffic control strategies;

e.g. ramp metering and arterial traffic signal coordination

Overall Trends in AMS Results

AMS is able to analyze …– individual and combination effect of ICM

strategies …– under different operational conditionsICM helps improve the reliability of travel timeICM strategies produce more benefits – At higher levels of travel demand, and– During non-recurrent congestion

Lessons-Learned – Data and Models

Improved existing analysis tools– Developed new software modules for analysis of

multi-modal assignment (transit), congestion pricing, HOT lanes, …

Recognized the need for improved model calibration methods– Introduced and tested “incident day” model calibration

criteria and methods– Introduced and tested transit and park-and-ride model

validation criteria and methods

Active Traffic and Demand Management

Active Traffic and Demand Management

Vision– ATDM becomes a mainstream operational

philosophy for transportation agenciesObjectives– Increase awareness and conduct outreach – Provide clear picture of purpose and benefits– Develop tools– Provide technical resources

ATDM Philosophy

Active Traffic Management implies a pro-active approach for dynamically managing and controlling traffic demand and available capacity of transportation facilities, based on prevailing traffic conditions, using one or a combination of real-time and predictive operational strategies. When implemented together and alongside traditional traffic demand management strategies, these operational strategies help to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the transportation facility and result in improved safety, trip reliability and throughput. A truly Active Management philosophy dictates that the full range of available operational strategies be considered; including the various ways these strategies can be integrated together and among existing infrastructure, to actively manage the transportation system so as to achieve system performance goals. This includes traditional traffic management and ITS technologies as well as new technologies and nontraditional traffic management technologies used in other parts of the world.

ATDM philosophy

Pro-active approachDynamic management and controlTransportation demand & available capacityFull range of strategies consideredPerformance driven

Is Speed Harmonization ATDM?

VSL, lane control, queue warning are the controls and technologies to manipulate the parameters of the system

ATDM Research

Following similar path as ICMHigh level ConOps and SysReqUser needsData needsAMS frameworkEnabling technology and concepts

ATDM Operational Concept

Strategic Areas and interactionStakeholdersPerformance measures & objectivesTypes of controlsRange and degree of controlEnabling technologiesSpatial and temporal aspects

System control

Where can we interact with the system and its entities– Trip time– Mode(s) choice– Route(s) choice– Capacity availability – Lane use– Speed– Service rate

Types of controls

Physical– access control, hard shoulder

Operational– Speed control, dynamic information,

Financial/pricing– HOT, managed lane, cordon,

Institutional– Integrating demand management into

long-range plans

Spatial and Temporal parameters

Space– Control can be applied at targeted locations or

broad areasTime

ATDM Modeling Framework

Cohesive effort to bring results from projects together to provide actionable guidance, algorithms, models, or requirements. Research effort to model– Real-time management– Predictive control– Supply/control aspects– Demand/traveler behavior aspects– Environmental-related aspects– Safety-related aspects

ATDM Modeling Framework

Can existing tools replicate ATDM concepts?Can tools run faster than real-time, with predictive capabilities?Can simulation tools be integrated to capture the details of vehicle movement and traveler choices? Can tools use emerging data sources?

ATDM challenges

Institutional, Operational, TechnicalEducation, outreachApply research to deployment pathTranslate for managers and policyManaging at the margin?

Contributing FactorsData ProcessingPredictive modelingEnhanced controlsEnabling technologyTime for responseCommunicationsHuman factorsDiver behaviorDriver/traveler interaction

Traffic control devicesRegulatory vs. advisory messagesTraveler complianceSafety ImpactsDeployment issuesInfrastructure RequirementsPerformance objectives, e.g. safety, mobility, productivity

FHWA Contacts

John Halkias, Office of Operations, John.Halkias@dot.gov

Bob Sheehan, Office of Operations, Robert.Sheehan@dot.gov

Jessie Yung, Office of Operations, Jessie.Yung@dot.gov

Greg Jones, Operations Resource Center, GregM.Jones@dot.gov

Dale Thompson, Office of Operations R&D, Dale.Thompson@dot.gov