MINNESOTA
URBAN PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
NATIONAL EVALUATION:
EXOGENOUS FACTORS TEST PLAN

U.S. Department of Transportation
Research and Innovative Technology Administration
Federal Highway Administration
Federal Transit Administration

FINAL
November 17, 2009
Publication No. FHWA-JPO-10-007

By
Battelle Memorial Institute
505 King Avenue
Columbus, OH 43201

Prepared for
United States Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
Office of Operations
1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E.
Washington, DC 20590

Contract No. DTFH61-06-D-00007/ORDER 07-T-08002/WO BA07-041

PDF Version 1.2 MB

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QUALITY ASSURANCE STATEMENT

The U.S. Department of Transportation provides high-quality information to serve Government, industry, and the public in a manner that promotes public understanding. Standards and policies are used to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of its information. U.S. DOT periodically reviews quality issues and adjusts its programs and processes to ensure continuous quality improvement.

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Technical Report Documentation Page

1. Report No FHWA-JPO-10-007	2. Government Accession No.		3. Recipient's Catalog No.
4. Title and Subtitle Minnesota Urban Partnership Agreement: Exogenous Factors Test Plan			5. Report Date November 17, 2009
			6. Performing Organization Code
7. Authors Katie Turnbull, Texas Transportation Institute			8. Performing Organization Report No.
9. Performing Organization Name and Address Battelle 505 King Avenue Columbus, OH 43201			10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)
			11. Contract or Grant No. DTFH61-06-D-00007/ORDER 07-T-08002/WO BA07-041
12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address U.S. Department of Transportation Research and Innovative Technology Administration Federal Highway Administration Federal Transit Administration 1200 New Jersey Avenue, S.E. Washington, DC 20590			13. Type of Report and Period Covered
			14. Sponsoring Agency Code
15. Supplementary Notes
16. Abstract This report presents the exogenous factors test plan for the national evaluation of the Minnesota Urban Partnership Agreement (UPA) under the United States Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) UPA Program. The Minnesota UPA projects focus on reducing congestion by employing strategies consisting of combinations of tolling, transit, telecommuting/TDM, and technology, also known as the 4 Ts. As outlined in the Minnesota UPA National Evaluation Plan, the exogenous factors test plan will be used to monitor elements unrelated to the Minnesota UPA projects that may influence travel in the I-35W corridor, use of the UPA projects, changes in travel modes, and use of telecommuting and alternative work arrangements. These factors include unemployment rates, gasoline prices, parking rates in downtown Minneapolis, parking rates at the University of Minnesota, roadway construction, non-typical weather conditions, major traffic incidents, and major special events. The use of control corridors is also discussed. This report presents the data sources for obtaining information on these elements, the availability of the data, and potential risks associated with data collection activities. The data analysis techniques and the schedule and responsibilities are also described.
17. Key Word Urban Partnership Agreement, Congestion Reduction Demonstration, congestion pricing, tolling, HOT, congestion reduction, transit, bus rapid transit, telecommuting, evaluation		18. Distribution Statement
19. Security Classif. (of this report)	20. Security Classif. (of this page)		21. No. of Pages 36	22. Price

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A number of representatives from the Minnesota partnership agencies provided information critical to the development of the Minnesota UPA test plans. The assistance of Brian Kary, Minnesota Department of Transportation, with the roadway construction information contained in the Exogenous Factors Test Plan is both recognized and appreciated.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

• 1.1 The Minnesota UPA
• 1.2 Minnesota UPA National Evaluation Plan and Exogenous Factors

• 2.1 Data Sources
• 2.2 Data Availability
• 2.3 Potential Risks

3.0 DATA ANALYSIS

4.0 DATA COLLECTION SCHEDULE AND RESPONSIBILITY

List of Appendices

List of Tables

• Table 1-1. Relationship Among Test Plans and Evaluation Analysis
• Table 2-1. Minnesota Annual Average Unemployment Rate, Seasonally Adjusted
• Table 2-2. Minnesota Monthly Unemployment Rate, Seasonally Adjusted
• Table 2-3. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MSA Annual Average Unemployment Rate, Not-Seasonally-Adjusted
• Table 2-4. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MSA Monthly Unemployment Rate, Not-Seasonally-Adjusted
• Table 2-5. Minnesota Weekly Regular Conventional Retail Gasoline Prices
• Table 2-6. Parking Rates in Downtown Minneapolis
• Table 2-7. Examples of University of Minnesota East Bank Campus Parking Facilities
• Table 2-8. Available Pre- and Post-Deployment Exogenous Factors Data

List of Figures

• Figure 1-1. General Location of Minnesota UPA Projects
• Figure 2-1. Minnesota Historical Gas Price Chart – 2003 to 2009
• Figure 2-2. Location of Downtown Minneapolis Parking Ramps

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION
PUB. NO. FHWA-JPO-10-007

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