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U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Office of Operations 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov
FHWA-HOP-18-013
November 2017
Chapter 1. Introduction
When Did "Plan on Being Delayed" Become Part of Our Everyday Lexicon? Purpose of the Primer Why Focus on Bottlenecks?
When Did "Plan on Being Delayed" Become Part of Our Everyday Lexicon?
Purpose of the Primer
Why Focus on Bottlenecks?
Chapter 2. Understanding Bottlenecks
What Exactly is a "Traffic Bottleneck?" How Are Bottlenecks Monitored and Measured? Understanding Merging at Recurring Bottlenecks Merge Principles Which Is Best? "Early" or "Late" Merging? Principles Put into Practice: Variable Speed Limits and Speed Harmonization Is Murphy Right? Does the Other Lane "Always Move Faster"?
What Exactly is a "Traffic Bottleneck?"
How Are Bottlenecks Monitored and Measured?
Understanding Merging at Recurring Bottlenecks
Merge Principles
Which Is Best? "Early" or "Late" Merging?
Principles Put into Practice: Variable Speed Limits and Speed Harmonization
Is Murphy Right? Does the Other Lane "Always Move Faster"?
Chapter 3. Dealing With Bottlenecks Programmatically
What is the Federal Highway Administration Doing to Mitigate Bottlenecks? Benefits of Localized Bottleneck Reduction Strategies
What is the Federal Highway Administration Doing to Mitigate Bottlenecks?
Benefits of Localized Bottleneck Reduction Strategies
Chapter 4. How to Structure a Localized Bottleneck Program
What is Stopping Us from Fixing Bottlenecks? Overcoming Challenges to Implementing Localized Bottlenecks Reduction Projects Ideas for Structuring a Localized Bottleneck Reduction Program Potential Issues with Localized Bottleneck Reduction Treatments
What is Stopping Us from Fixing Bottlenecks?
Overcoming Challenges to Implementing Localized Bottlenecks Reduction Projects
Ideas for Structuring a Localized Bottleneck Reduction Program
Potential Issues with Localized Bottleneck Reduction Treatments
Chapter 5. Analytical Identification and Assessment of Bottlenecks
Where Are the Bottlenecks and How Severe Are They? Recent Advances in Data and Analytics for Bottleneck Assessment
Where Are the Bottlenecks and How Severe Are They?
Recent Advances in Data and Analytics for Bottleneck Assessment
Chapter 6. Localized Bottleneck Reduction Strategies
Types of Localized Bottleneck Reduction Treatments Advanced Forms of Bottleneck Treatments Already In Practice
Types of Localized Bottleneck Reduction Treatments
Advanced Forms of Bottleneck Treatments Already In Practice
Chapter 7. Emerging Bottleneck Treatments
Dynamic Hard Shoulder Running Dynamic Reversible Left Turn Lanes Contraflow Left Turn Pockets
Dynamic Hard Shoulder Running
Dynamic Reversible Left Turn Lanes
Contraflow Left Turn Pockets
Chapter 8. Success Stories: How Agencies are Developing Localized Bottleneck Reduction Programs
Successful Localized Bottleneck Reduction Program Development Successful Localized Bottleneck Reduction Applications Want More Information?
Successful Localized Bottleneck Reduction Program Development
Successful Localized Bottleneck Reduction Applications
Want More Information?
Appendix A. Additional Principles on Traffic Flow and Bottlenecks
Shock Waves and the Accordion Effect: The Movement of Queues on Freeways
Appendix B. Traffic Bottleneck Typology
Appendix C. Case Studies
Colorado Minnesota Texas Pennsylvania Washington
Colorado
Minnesota
Texas
Pennsylvania
Washington
Appendix D. Definitions and Traffic Bottleneck Typologies
Figure 1. Chart. Common locations for localized bottlenecks.
Figure 2. Infographic. Overview of Maryland's I‑270 Upgrade Project.
Figure 3. Photo. Cover of Federal Highway Administration's Traffic Bottlenecks: Identification and Solutions report.
Figure 4. Simulation graphics. Typical Section of MN I‑35W Northbound Priced Dynamic Shoulder Lane (PDSL)
Figure 5. Photo. Cover of Federal Highway Administration's An Agency Guide on Overcoming Unique Challenges to Localized Congestion Reduction Projects.
Figure 6. Flow chart. Minnesota Department of Transportation project screening process.
Figure 7. Graph. Speed contours over time and space showing bottleneck locations.
Figure 8. Map. Using vehicle probe data for bottleneck analysis.
Figure 9. Matrix. Spatiotemporal Traffic Matrix (STM).
Figure 10. Chart. Using the variability in delay to prioritize bottlenecks.
Figure 11. Schematic. Example of dynamic lane grouping at a signalized intersection.
Figure 12. Simulation graphic. Dynamic junction control implementation.
Figure 13. Schematic. Vehicular movements at a continuous flow intersection.
Figure 14. Schematic. Crossover movement in a double crossover diamond (DCD) interchange
Figure 15. Schematic. Median U-turn (MUT) intersection.
Figure 16. Schematic. Restricted crossing U-turn (RCUT) intersection.
Figure 17. Photo. U.S. Route 17 restricted crossing U-turn intersection corridor in Leland, North Carolina.
Figure 18. Schematic. The quadrant roadway (QR) intersection.
Figure 19. Map. Success spawns success: Virginia's Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions (STARS) program spurs Rhode Island to develop its own STARS Program
Figure 20. Traffic backed up on northbound Wadsworth prior to the project. Restaurant (blue roof) had to be relocated.
Figure 21. The new Grandview Bridge, "Gateway to Olde Arvada."
Figure 22. A ramp meter.
Figure 23. The sign for U.S. 183.
Figure 24. Moving Washington logo.
Table 1. The 10 worst physical bottlenecks in the United States.
Table 2. Examples of how agencies have addressed localized bottleneck issues.
Table 3. Reliability prediction methods developed by the Strategic Highway Research Program 2 program.
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