Publications Search Results

Efficient freight movement is a fundamental underpinning of our nation's economic strength. Enabling transportation professionals to improve their skills and knowledge to fully integrate freight movement into our transportation system's development and operations is the objective of the Federal H

The Central Florida Expressway Authority (CFX) has successfully deployed a TAPCO WWD detection system on SR 528 at the SR 520 EB off-ramp. CFX has four other systems planned for construction on SR 408 in Orlando within the next 60 days. Its system utilizes radar and wide-angle camera technology t

The Work Zone Operations Best Practices Guidebook (Third Edition) provides an easily accessible compilation of work zone operations practices used and recommended by various States and localities around the country for effectively managing work zones and reducing the impacts of work zones on mobi

The document has been developed to serve as a desk reference on integrating demand management into the transportation planning process. The desk reference is organized around two fundamental aspects of transportation planning – policy objectives and scope of the planning effort. The report discus

This report documents several case studies of how agencies used work zone intelligent transportation systems (ITS) to mitigate safety and mobility issues in work zones. The report illustrates how to apply a systems engineering-based decision-making process to designing, selecting, and implementin

The document has been developed to serve as a desk reference on integrating demand management into the transportation planning process. The desk reference is organized around two fundamental aspects of transportation planning – policy objectives and scope of the planning effort. The report discus

Traffic incidents are a major source of congestion in both urban and rural areas. Nationally, roughly 25 percent of total congestion is due to traffic incidents. Further, traffic incidents create unexpected congestion – congestion that occurs in times and places where travelers don’t expect

The use of Dynamic Traffic Assignment (DTA) in transportation modeling is an emerging analysis approach around the world. The benefits of applying DTA in transportation analysis increase with network size and level of congestion. This guidebook presents principles and direction that can be consis

April 2015 NOCoE Newsletter

The use of Dynamic Traffic Assignment (DTA) in transportation modeling is an emerging analysis approach around the world. The benefits of applying DTA in transportation analysis increase with network size and level of congestion. This guidebook presents principles and direction that can be consis

This guide is intended to introduce you to systems engineering and provide a basic understanding of how it can be applied to planning, designing, and implementing intelligent transportation systems (ITS) projects. The guide leads you step by step through the project life cy

Due to the growth of metropolitan areas and tightening of fiscal belts, the need for effective and financially viable freeway management tools is unprecedented. This primer poses ramp metering as a potential tool to address commonly occurring congestion and safety issues. Despite initial oppositi

Travel time to a destination is a key piece of information that motorists want and need. It is vital for travelers to make good decisions about which route to take and whether to divert from their planned path. Technology now makes it feasible to provide drivers with real-time information about h

The purpose of this effort was to conduct a border-wide assessment of the use of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) technologies and operational concepts at and near land border crossings between the U.S. and Mexico. The work focused on tolling, traffic management and operations, and safety

This primer explores the types of institutional issues that are commonly encountered with priced roadway lanes and parking pricing programs. These include the upfront challenges of establishing leadership, meeting legislative requirements, and setting an organizational structure. Once these chall

This report documents the FHWA Operations Performance Measures and Management (OPMM) Program Road Map covering the 5-year period from 2014 through 2018. The Program Road Map aligns with the following FHWA OPMM Program goals:

This investigation provides an informational foundation for operations asset management. Identifying the operations assets will establish a base line from which analytical capabilities; and data, information, and performance measure needs can be identified. The information will a

The goal of this Freight and Land Use handbook is to provide transportation and land use planning practitioners in the public and private sectors with the tools and resources to properly assess the impacts of land use decisions on freight movements, as well as the impacts of freight development a

The purpose of this project and the resulting report was to identify, review, and synthesize information on current and potential future efforts in real-time travel time on arterials. There were four main objectives: a) identifying, reviewing, and synthesizing available and emerging technology (b

The purpose of this report is to define the elements of a comprehensive signal system asset management system (SSAMS). It builds on the results of a state-of-the-practice review of signal systems asset management, and lays the groundwork for investigating how a SSAMS could be used to evaluate alt

Transportation agencies have traditionally focused on building physical facilities such as highways, bridges, and transit systems. However, it has become increasingly difficult to build new highways or expand existing ones due to environmental impacts and the high cost of construction. Further, i

While several guidebooks, primers, and case studies have been developed focusing on integrating TSMO strategies into the planning process, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) have often faced challenges in advancing TSMO projects, programs, and activities for funding. This document discuss

Transportation professionals like you have important questions about the complex transportation challenges of planning for operations. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has developed a number of knowledge resources to help provide answers to planners, operators, public safety professional

The intent of this primer is to inform and guide TIM professionals and transportation planners to initiate and develop collaborative relationships and advance TIM programs through the metropolitan planning process. The primer aims to inspire planners and TIM professionals to create transportation

The Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA's) Operations Performance Measurement Program (http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/perf_measurement) sponsored a Peer Exchange Workshop titled “the Perfect World of Measuring Congestion” held in Washington, D.C. on December 17-18, 2013. The focus of the workshop

This memo presents a synthesis of existing practice, based on collection of structured information from state and local agencies with signal system management responsibilities. One hundred twenty agencies were contacted and asked to fill out a data collection instrument placed on the web. The ins

This report highlights several case studies where operational strategies have been successfully implemented. The first two case studies identify how reporting and monitoring can improve stakeholder decision making. Proactive reporting and monitoring ensure that transportation improvements are des

Mitigating Traffic Congestion: The Role of Demand-Side Strategies articulates a framework for understanding contemporary efforts to manage demand and improve the performance and efficiency of transportation systems. The document provides extensive examples of programs already underway in a variet

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance on implementing ITS in work zones to assist public agencies, design and construction firms, and industry, including developers, manufacturers, distributors, packagers, and providers of devices, systems, and programs. Work zone ITS is one possibl

This publication provides mid-level managers at transportation and other stakeholder agencies with the resources they need to explain the benefits of traffic incident management (TIM) and TIM cost management and cost recovery to executive leadership. It also provides the same mid-level managers w

Work Zone Traffic Analysis (WZTA) is the process of analyzing the work zone traffic impacts and related impact mitigation strategies of construction, maintenance, or rehabilitation projects. The purpose of this document is to provide guidance on work zone traffic analysis applications and decisio

order to assist transportation agencies to better assess and mitigate perceived and potential equity impacts of road pricing projects on local communities, commuters, and system users, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) developed a “Guidebook for State, Regional, and Local Governments on A

The purpose of this guide is to provide a useful resource for practitioners in understanding the analytical methods involved in conducting and developing a work zone traffic analysis.

In order to assist transportation agencies to better assess and mitigate perceived and potential equity impacts of road pricing projects on local communities, commuters, and system users, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) developed a “Guidebook for State, Regional, and Local Governments o

The workshop was designed to maximize participation by using a sequence of moderated panels followed by an interactive discussion involving all attendees. Most sessions were designed to limit presentations to only key points in order to maintain a discussion panel format. Panelists helped direct

The potential for probe data to improve work zone performance measurement is significant; but, implementation is not easy. Commercial probe data providers have focused on probe data products for normal traffic management operations and have little experience with the data needs specific to work z

The DXFS has been developed to assist the following groups of users to specify and then develop an RTSMIP implementation:

The DXFS has been developed to assist the following groups of users to specify and then develop an RTSMIP implementation:

The Road Weather Management Benefit Cost Analysis Compendium (RWM Compendium) is a companion to the broader Transportation Systems Management and Operations Benefit Cost Analysis Compendium (TSMO Compendium). Both documents are additions to the series of reference documents and tools developed by

This paper is a deliverable on a technical support task for the FHWA Office of Operations. The objective of the task is to develop white papers on emerging and current topics of interest to the Office. Topics for white papers were primarily identified and prioritized based on internal listening s

Performance measures quantify how a particular work zone or several work zones together are affecting traveler safety and mobility. In addition, performance measures can help agencies and contractors assess if and how their work zone safety and mobility policies, processes, and procedures are wor

The rapid advancement and proliferation of technology continues to present TMC operators with both great challenges and great opportunities. Already, most TMCs have developed from primarily having a monitoring role into one requiring much more decision-making and proactive control, often involvin

Through the assistance of the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Office of Freight Management and Operations, a peer exchange was conducted in Baltimore January 12-13, 2011. Attendees included members of the MDOT Freight Intermodal Advisory Committee (including member organizations: State Hi

This document “sets the stage” for agencies and contractors on how to get started on a work zone safety and mobility performance measurement program. It explains the difference between measures that represent project-level impacts and those that represent agency program-level impacts. The primer

The document has been developed to serve as a desk reference on integrating demand management into the transportation planning process. The desk reference is organized around two fundamental aspects of transportation planning – policy objectives and scope of the planning effort. The report discus

This report compiles information received through a survey and interviews with transportation agencies throughout North America to understand the uses of RCRSs and to identify industry practices that have delivered benefits to the agencies operating RCRSs. A total of 49 Current RCRS Industry Prac

The purpose of this study was to identify how safety and public service announcement (PSA) messages influence driver behavior and to ultimately assist the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), transportation management centers (TMCs), state agencies, and local transportation partners in opti

The benefits of successfully implemented operational strategies can include less travel time, more reliable travel times, less fuel consumed, fewer emissions, and increased safety, to name a few. These improvements benefit the movement of people and goods on the highway system. The

Freight Facts and Figures 2012 2012 is a snapshot of the volume and value of freight flows in the United States, the physical network over which freight moves, the economic conditions that generate freight movements, the industry that carries freight, and the safety, energy, and environmental imp

This report examines programs in use by states allowing low-emission and energy efficient vehicles to use HOV, HOT, and managed lanes without meeting the vehicle-occupancy requirements. Information is presented on the enabling legislation, the program elements, use of the programs, and impacts of

This brochure describes two case studies for applying simulation models in combination with travel demand models: 1) the traditional approach performing these adjustments outside of the travel demand model; and 2) advanced approach that makes many of the demand adjust

Active management of transportation and demand can include multiple approaches spanning demand management, traffic management, parking management, and efficient utilization of other transportation modes and assets. Some example approaches are included in the table. Evaluating and Recommending Dyn

Active management of transportation and demand can include multiple approaches spanning demand management, traffic management, parking management, and efficient utilization of other transportation modes and assets. An agency can deploy a single ATDM approach in order to capitalize on a specific b

This case study summarizes an effort involving the use of archived data for operations planning conducted by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) in the San Francisco Bay Area.  

Project Purpose:

A research project sponsored by FHWA was to develop new and/or updated methodologies, data sets, and content for the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) that would better reflect the demand and traffic flow behavior that result from the application of Active Transportation an

Freight Facts and Figures 2011 is a snapshot of the volume and value of freight flows in the United States, the physical network over which freight moves, the economic conditions that generate freight movements, the industry that carries freight, and the safety, energy, and environmental implicat

The purpose of this technical memorandum is to identify key aspects of the FHWA Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule (the Rule) and how they might apply to design-build (DB) projects in a different manner than they apply to design-bid-build (DBB) projects. The Rule was originally designed for DBB p

Many agencies use intelligent transportation system (ITS) devices to monitor traffic flow and detect disruptions on transportation networks. These devices can measure average speed, occupancy, and travel time, which can be used to determine performance of the system and provide traveler informati

Research was conducted to explore and identify the issues with and approaches to applying the Rule to design-build projects and how this affects the project development process. In-depth research was done through two case study sites to further examine the issues and identify successes, challenge

How transportation agencies can benefit from MUTCD P2P: The FHWA Peer network provides access to valuable guidance and information as well as input from people who share a similar background and have faced the same challenges. The list of benefits is long, but here are just a few that you can exp

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Operations sponsored a research project to develop new and updated methodologies, data sets, and content for the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) that will better reflect the demand and traffic flow behavior that results from the application of Act

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Operations sponsored a research project to develop new and updated methodologies, data sets, and content for the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) that will better reflect the demand and traffic flow behavior that results from the application of Act

FHWA’s Localized Bottleneck Reduction Initiative (LBR) program focuses attention on mitigating the operational causes of recurring congestion “hot spots” (i.e., traffic bottlenecks) at ramps, merges, lane drops, intersections, weaves, etc. One of the efforts of the LBR program is to encourage age

The primary objective of this research was to identify significant environmental (i.e., weather) variables that may contribute to snow and ice buildup on LED traffic signal lenses. If a subset of variables can be identified that may predict the potential occurrence of snow and/or ice buildup on L

Traffic incident management (TIM) is a planned and coordinated program to detect and remove incidents and restore traffic capacity as safely and as quickly as possible. Over time, various tools and strategies have been developed and implemented in an effort to improve overall TIM efforts. The nat

Traffic incident management (TIM) is a planned and coordinated program to detect and remove incidents and restore traffic capacity as safely and as quickly as possible. Over time, various tools and strategies have been developed and implemented in an effort to improve overall TIM efforts. The nat

As part of the effort to encourage major metropolitan safety/service patrols to transition to Full Function Safety/Service Patrols (FFS/SP) and to establish consistency among these programs, the FHWA has published the Full Function Safety/Service Patrol Handbook, developed training standards, and

The objectives of this outreach initiative are to:

More and more, transportation system operators are seeing the benefits of strengthening links between planning and operations. A critical element in improving transportation decision-making and the effectiveness of transportation systems related to operations and planning is through the use of an

An objectives-driven performance-based approach to planning for management and operations includes the following elements conducted in collaboration with operating agencies and other stakeholders within the region:

This guidebook provides information on how to create an objectives-driven, performance-based congestion management process. While the focus of this guidebook is on the CMP, the principles of objectives-driven, performance-based planning can also be applied to other aspects of regional concern (sa

The purpose of this document is to develop guidelines for the creation, implementation, and operation of a Virtual TMC. These guidelines identify the recommended processes, procedures, roles, and responsibilities for planning, implementing and operating a Virtual TMC. This report also presents ca

This document is the second of two reports that explore the potential for the use of rural Interstate Highway corridor rights-of-way for the deployment of fiber optic cable and/or wireless communication infrastructure, across multiple States linked by the Interstate Highway system.  The firs

The objective of this handbook is to provide direction, guidance, and recommended practices for test planning, test procedures, and test execution for the acquisition, operation, and maintenance of transportation management systems and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) devices.

T

The purpose of this case study report is to describe how the good work zone planning, design, and management principles of the Rule were applied to two design-build projects, the US 285 Design-Build Project in Colorado and the I-85 Corridor Improvement Project in North Carolina, and how applicati

The Desk Reference contains more than 200 examples of customizable operations objectives that can be incorporated into transportation planning documents.

One-page fact sheets link these sample objectives to performance measures, data needs, M&O strategies, and possible safety impact

A safe, efficient, and reliable regional transportation system requires planning for and investing in strategies to manage and operate the existing multimodal transportation infrastructure. Although management and operations strategies address the causes of at least 60 percent of roadway congesti

New technologies and strategies are enabling transportation and emergency management agencies to work together so they can rapidly respond to emergency events, utilize limited resources in a cost-effective way, and improve safety for the traveling public.

The primary objective of this report is to present the concepts that transportation practitioners can use to:

This primer is focused on designing for operations; i.e., the collaborative and systematic consideration of management and operations during transportation project design and development. Effectively designing for operations involves the development and application of design policies, procedures,

This document helps accomplish the tasks of clarifying objectives, identifying needs and defining constraints by leading the reader through a series of questions. The outcome of selecting and tailoring the sample responses will be a set of clear and concise statements to formulate the required sy

This report begins with a background discussion and a review of the literature, particularly past assessments and focus on the Traffic Signal Report Card.

Following the literature review, the report develops case studies based on archetype agencies. These archetypes illustrate the diffe

This document is organized to provide guidance as a summary of the material that follows. The subsequent chapters provide detailed documentation of the work performed that lead to this guidance. It should be noted that some guidance is supported by results from interviews with a panel of experts,

In response to the 2005 and 2007 Traffic Signal Report Card, the FHWA initiated Regional Traffic Signal Operations peer reviews to take an in depth look at the practices and processes that guide traffic signal management. The outcome of the peer reviews are a list of observations and recommendati

Between May 2007 and September 2008, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) conducted multi-state workshops on Transportation Evacuation Preparedness and Response in four regions across the United States. The objectives of these workshops were to:

Develop the responsible agenci

This document is a guide for transportation professionals who are involved in the development, use, or maintenance of regional ITS architectures. The document describes a process for creating a regional ITS architecture with supporting examples of each architecture product. In its discussion of t

The purpose of this guidebook is to increase communication, collaboration, and cooperation among Transportation Management Centers (TMC) and emergency response agencies so they can effectively respond to a variety of situations ranging from a localized traffic incident to major regional events su

This synthesis report describes both US and European techniques in Active Traffic Management (ATM).  The primary focus of this synthesis is on European experience, which in some cases dates back a number of years. This report provides a compilation of lessons learned, experiences, operationa

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Office of Freight Management and Operations, developed the Urban Freight Cases Studies as a way to document notable practices in urban goods movement. These case studies provide information on freight-related initiatives that mitigate congestion and impr

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Office of Freight Management and Operations, developed the Urban Freight Cases Studies as a way to document notable practices in urban goods movement. These case studies provide information on freight-related initiatives that mitigate congestion and impr

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Office of Freight Management and Operations, developed the Urban Freight Cases Studies as a way to document notable practices in urban goods movement. These case studies provide information on freight-related initiatives that mitigate congestion and impr

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Office of Freight Management and Operations, developed the Urban Freight Cases Studies as a way to document notable practices in urban goods movement. These case studies provide information on freight-related initiatives that mitigate congestion and impr

Effective innovation in information technology (IT) may be the most important tool for the private and public sectors to respond to capacity constraints and congestion. Both sectors have been investigating and implementing new IT applications to help manage freight transportation, improve supply

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) works with its partners to evaluate potential technology solutions to improve the reliability, efficiency, and security of the freight transportation system. Technology evaluation is a complex process requiring analysis of many factors, including freight

This document provides guidance to state and local transportation personnel who wish to develop a formal program for mitigating congestion using localized and lowcost bottleneck treatments. It presents several templates for developing a localized congestion mitigation program, including docu

The FHWA Office of Operations initiated this project in recognition that practitioners were in need of relevant and practical guidance in how to effectively conduct benefit/cost analysis of a wide spectrum of transportation system management and operations strategies. The Operations Benefit/Cost

This brochure provides an overview of analytical methods that may be applied to assess the impacts and benefits of various operations strategies that are targeted at mitigating the negative effects of traffic congestion caused by non-typical conditions such as incidents, high demand (special even

MetroPlan is the MPO for the tri-county Orlando Urban Area in the I-4 Corridor. The MPO board comprises 19 voting representatives from member agencies including Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties, the five largest cities in the area, and operating agencies. MetroPlan serves approximately 1.8

The Portland, Oregon metropolitan region is home to just under 1.4 million residents and encompasses 25 cities and 3 counties in 463 square miles of land. It is a metropolitan area whose leaders strive to meet the needs of a growing population by following an agreed upon regional growth managemen

CCRPC is the MPO for the Champaign-Urbana Urbanized Area, an area of approximately 40 square miles with a population of over 126,000 in east central Illinois. This region is the home to the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, a school with nearly 42,000 undergraduate and graduate students