Congestion Management Process

The ability of the highway and bridge network to carry traffic efficiently and minimize delay to the travelling public and freight carriers is important to economic and social productivity as well as environmental quality. Time lost in traffic and increases in emissions of pollutants due to congestion are detrimental to quality of life and economic development. Even though the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region consistently ranks low in terms of congestion compared to similar sized areas in the nation, the U.S. Department of Transportation requires that Transportation Management Areas maintain a Congestion Management Process to:

• monitor and evaluate transportation system performance;
• identify alternative congestion mitigation actions;
• assess and implement cost-effective congestion mitigation actions; and
• evaluate the effectiveness of the implemented actions.

The objective of the GTC Congestion Management Process is to provide practical tools to identify and implement strategies that improve the mobility of people and freight, emphasizing coordinated corridor-level and region-wide solutions that mitigate existing sources and avoid the creation of future sources of congestion that result in excess delay.

Congestion that results in delay along the highway and bridge network of the region has been categorized into three types:

1. Recurring Capacity Related Delay – results in trips taking longer during peak hours than during off-peak hours...
2. Planned Event Related Delay – occurs as a result of a planned special event such as a concert, sports game or match, or scheduled road work...
3. Non-Recurring Incident Related Delay – happens as a result of unplanned incidents such as an automobile crash or a severe weather event. This type of delay can occur anywhere on the transportation system, but is most likely to happen when an incident occurs on an already busy highway. According to the Texas Transportation Institute, incidents are estimated to cause between 52 and 58 percent of delay in all urban areas. Non- Recurring Incident Related Delay can be reduced through improved incident management such as quicker detection, response, and clearance times, as well as by using traveler information systems to help drivers avoid the incident scene altogether.

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Locations that experience the greatest amount of Non-Recurring Incident Related Delay are those where volumes relative to the capacity of the roadway is nearing Recurring Capacity Related Delay and are more likely than other locations to experience crashes or other types of incidents that reduce the capacity of the roadway. The only location that is likely to be subject to Non-Recurring Incident Related Delay in the region outside of the Rochester TMA is located in the City of Batavia where NYS Routes 5, 33, 63, and 98 are in close proximity to each other in the heart of the City's central business district.

The GTC Congestion Mitigation Toolbox, ranging from constructing new highways to building and operating commuter rail, has been updated as part of the LRTP 2035. An evaluation of the benefits and costs of the strategies included in it relative to the guiding principles (discussed later) and the transportation needs of the region through 2035 (discussed previously) was conducted. Based on this evaluation, those mitigation strategies that are considered reasonable in the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region for each type of congestion are presented in Exhibit 18.

Systems Management and Operations

Transportation system management and operations (TSMO) recommendations provide the best opportunity to maximize the effectiveness of the current transportation system at the lowest cost. There are three primary initiatives that serve as the basis for the TSMO recommendations in the LRTP 2035: Technology, Coordination, and Demand. These initiatives are not mutually exclusive (e.g., there are Technology elements that are critical to and included in Coordination and Demand and the same is true for Coordination and Demand as they relate to Technology and each other).

The majority of delay in the region is non-recurring and is the result of crashes, weather, and other irregular events. TSMO programs and projects can effectively address non-recurring delay through improved incident response, more efficient deployment of resources to clear snow and ice, and timelier information to travelers. Even in cases where the delay is recurring due to peak demand and fixed capacity, TSMO programs and projects that inform travelers of less costly options that could be more convenient have the potential to reduce demand on the system when use is at its highest level.

TSMO programs and projects can increase safety by providing timely and accurate information to make travelers aware of hazards such as adverse weather conditions, work zones, crashes, and other incidents. By improving incident response and management, TSMO programs and projects can also shorten clearance times for crashes which reduce the likelihood of secondary crashes. This improves safety, reduces resulting delay and decreases emissions. The technologies used to monitor transportation system performance can also be used for homeland security purposes to prevent or respond to a terrorist attack, natural disaster, or other large-scale emergency.

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Coordination

TSMO programs and projects also include the coordination of transportation infrastructure and services and the associated organizational relationships among all transportation agencies, including but not limited to NYSDOT, NYSTA, counties, the City of Rochester, and other municipalities. Like the design of infrastructure and services, the relationships between transportation agencies can also appreciably improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of the transportation system.

How transportation agencies coordinate their respective activities can maximize the investment of public resources and the delivery of services that clear crashes, address weather-related consequences, and provide connections between public transportation services operated by public and not-for-profit providers. The structure of interagency collaboration between transportation, emergency management, and law enforcement entities is critical to efficient management and operation of the transportation system.

Formal protocols (including via Regional Concepts of Transportation Operations) to coordinate information sharing, incident response, and timing of construction projects based on a cooperatively- developed vision can improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Recommendations

• Continue federal funding for Regional Traffic Operations Center (RTOC) staffing, including continued 24-hour operations and cross-training of NYSDOT and Monroe County staff – Ongoing (Near-Term for cross-training)...
• Continue Federal funding for the NYSDOT Highway Emergency Local Patrol (HELP) Program to decrease delay and increase safety on major highways by providing emergency roadside service to disabled vehicles – Ongoing
  The HELP Program is an important initiative in minimizing Non-Recurring Incident Related Delay. The program provides assistance to motorists that have experienced issues on major roadways that without quick action will limit capacity and cause congestion with the potential for secondary incidents as a result. The NYSDOT-Region 4 Advanced Transportation Management System Local Evaluation Report found that the HELP Program had one of the highest cost/benefit ratios of any initiative assessed. Like RTOC staffing, funding for the HELP Program has been and continues to be provided in the TIP and these financial resources will continue to be made available.
• Conduct relevant training opportunities between transportation, law enforcement, fire and medical, and other agencies to improve incident response, management, and clearance – Ongoing
  Clearing crashes as quickly as possible while providing for the safety of emergency responders and law enforcement agents requires significant coordination. The National Highway Institute Coordinated Incident Management (Quick Clearance) Workshop, developed by the I- 95 Corridor Coalition, was conducted in October for regional local law enforcement, first responder, and transportation system management agencies, as well as representatives from the local towing industry. This workshop or a similar training opportunity should be offered in the region on a regular basis.

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Using quantitative metrics to measure the performance of the transportation system over time is important to being accountable to taxpayers, given the large amount of public funds used for its construction, maintenance, and operation. There is no current Federal or State requirement that system performance be monitored and reported but there are increasing discussions at the national level on this issue. Performance measures are included in the LRTP 2035 in order to monitor changes in key areas that matter to users of the transportation system.

GTC sought to ensure that the selected performance measures would be both meaningful (having significance) and understandable (capable of being comprehended) to users and policymakers, providing a common basis to discuss changes in how the transportation system is meeting or not meeting regional needs.

The current value for each performance measure is provided as a benchmark along with the desired direction consistent with the GTC Goals and Objectives and the likely direction based on what can realistically be accomplished within the reasonably expected revenues.

Though less important than meaningfulness and understandability, another consideration in the selection of the performance measures was the availability of quality data for the region (or Rochester TMA) and the likelihood that it will continue to be collected. As a result, all of the data is collected either by a GTC member agency, GTC staff, or a New York State government agency that is not a GTC member agency. Exhibit 26 presents the LRTP 2035 Performance Measures with each discussed below.

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Median incident clearance time on major roadways was calculated by GTC for calendar year 2010 based on when notifications of incidents and their corresponding clearances were provided by e-mail through NY-Alert and the NYSTA TRANSalert.