MINNESOTA
URBAN PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
NATIONAL EVALUATION:
TRAFFIC SYSTEM DATA 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-10-011

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 1.6 MB

---

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.

---

Technical Report Documentation Page

1. Report No FHWA-JPO-10-011	2. Government Accession No.		3. Recipient's Catalog No.
4. Title and Subtitle Minnesota Urban Partnership Agreement National Evaluation: Traffic System Data Test Plan			5. Report Date November 17, 2009
			6. Performing Organization Code
7. Authors Kevin Balke and 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 traffic system data test plan for 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. The test plan builds on the Minnesota UPA National Evaluation Plan. The traffic system data test plan identifies the traffic data needed to analyze the congestion reduction impacts of the Minnesota UPA projects. The data sources, data availability, potential risks, data analysis methods, and schedules and responsibilities are 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 42	22. Price

---

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A number of representatives from the Minnesota partnership agencies provided information critical to the development of the test plans. The assistance of Brian Kary, Minnesota Department of Transportation, in the development of the traffic data test plan is both recognized and appreciated.

---

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

• 1.1 The Minnesota UPA
• 1.2 Minnesota UPA National Evaluation Plan and Use of Traffic System Data

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

• 3.1 Data Cleaning/Error Checking
• 3.2 Data Aggregation and Control for Atypical Conditions Aggregation
• 3.3 Performance Measure Calculation Procedures
• 3.4 Time Period for Analysis
• 3.5 Types of Analysis

4.0 SCHEDULE AND RESPONSIBILITY

List of Appendices

List of Tables

• Table 1-1. Relationship Among Test Plans and Evaluation Analysis
• Table 1-2. Traffic Data Elements Use in Testing Evaluation Hypotheses/Questions
• Table 3-1. Component of Computing Total Person Throughput in Analysis Corridor
• Table 3-2. Anticipated Statistical Comparisons of UPA Performance Measures
• Table 4-1. Time Frame for Pre- and Post-Deployment Data Collection Efforts
• Table 4-2. Suggested Data Collection Schedule for Continuous and Special Data Collection Efforts

List of Figures

• Figure 1-1. General Location of Minnesota UPA Projects
• Figure 3-1. Methodology for Aggregating Freeway Detector Data for Estimating Directional Route Travel Times and VMT from Spot Speeds and Volumes

---

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
ITS JOINT PROGRAM OFFICE, HOIT
1200 NEW JERSEY AVENUE, SE
WASHINGTON, DC 20590
TOLL-FREE "HELP LINE" 1-866-367-7487
WWW.ITS.DOT.GOV

EDL # 14514

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
RESEARCH AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION
PUB. NO. FHWA-JPO-10-011

---

You may need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the PDFs on this page.