Northwest Indiana’s Congestion Management Process May, 2009 - April 2011 and Beyond DRAFT May 6th , 2011 Table of Contents I. Introduction and Background ………………………………...……………....…..3 II. NIRPC’s Step-by-Step process …………………………………………………...4 III. Milestones achieved ……………………………………………………………....7 IV. Congestion Management Process Objectives …………………………………….9 V. Performance Measures Methods to Monitoring Multimodal Performance ……..11 VI. Congestion Pricing ………………………………………………………………15 VII. Data Collection ……………………………………………………………...…..16 VIII. Congestion in Northwest Indiana …………………………………………....…..22 IX. Public Transportation…………………………………………………………….27 X. Congestion Management Strategies Analysis for Congested Corridors ………...31 XI. Project Evaluation Process………………………………………………..…..….43 XII. Project Evaluation Results ………………………………………………………65 APPENDIX: Section 1:CMP Function Class ………………………...……….………...73 APPENDIX: Section 2: Level of Service Weights…………………..……...………..….76 APPENDIX: Section 3: Performance Measures Maps…………………...……...………78 APPENDIX: Section 4: Corridors Selected for Data Collection…………...…...……… 94 I. Introduction and Background This report documents the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission’s (NIRPC) efforts to implement a Congestion Management Process (CMP). As part of a conditional certification following the certification review on May 11-13, 2009, two corrective actions were issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). One of the corrective actions called for NIRPC to implement a CMP in compliance with federal planning requirements. This document is a status report of what has been accomplished. NIRPC has worked to implement this requirement in conjunction with the development of the 2040 Comprehensive Regional Plan (CRP). NIRPC formed a CMP committee and integrated the CMP into NIRPC’s CRP project selection process. This report documents the CMP work to date, which should demonstrate that NIRPC’s CMP meets the federal CMP requirements, and that the incorporation of the CMP into the planning process is well underway to full integration. The main objective of the congestion management process is to determine the solution to reduce congestion and single-occupancy vehicle travel that is most feasible. Once congestion is identified, alternative strategies, other than expanding the roadway network, must be considered. The first criteria of alternatives that are considered is demand management strategies, which are intended to reduce that amount of single-occupancy vehicle travelers. If demand management strategies do not relieve congestion, then transportation systems, intelligent transportation systems, growth management and transit strategies should be considered. These are various strategies, described in sections X and XI, which help relieve congestion without increasing roadway capacity. If all possible strategies have been exhausted and congestion is still present, the roadway capacity expansion strategies may be considered. II. NIRPC’s Step-by-Step process This section documents the process for creating and refining the NIRPC congestion management process. Due to time constraints and the availability of data, the traditional order of the steps in the congestion management process is altered. Step 1: Establish a congestion management subcommittee- The subcommittee should consist of -but not be limited to: . Indiana Department of Transportation – INDOT’s participation is essential in that most project evaluations will take place on many state-jurisdiction roads, including major arterials, highways and interstates. . FHWA, FTA, EPA – Involvement is necessary to provide advice and monitor to assure that the requirements are being followed. . Local elected officials and municipal and county highway engineers – Scenario planning and project selection will impact the local units of government. . Transit Service Providers – Transit systems are obviously a part of the travel network, and can be part of the solution to congestion. . Interested Citizens – Public involvement is necessary for the congestion management process to be understood and effective. These stakeholders form the Congestion Management Subcommittee, which is a subcommittee of the Transportation Policy Committee. The elected officials in the subcommittee and TPC will carry recommendations to the N IRPC board. The subcommittee meets at least bi-monthly, either at NIRPC or the INDOT Borman Traffic Management Center in Gary. Step 2: Collect Data- Data relevant to the congestion management process has been collected within the region. Data collection includes traffic crashes, travel time, traffic counts, and roadway configuration. Other database fields were added, including termini descriptions, county area, functional class, direction, congestion threshold, lane capacity and associated traffic count station numbers. In regards to Volume/Capacity ratio, the majority of the data in the region has been collected. The gap in the NIRPC data was travel time, which was resolved with the purchase of and use of devices to record travel time in the field on selected corridors. Step 3: Develop Congestion Management Objectives –Objectives are derived from the vision and goals articulated in the NIRPC CRP. Objectives may address: traffic incident management, travel information, work zones, freeway management, roadway weather, electronic payment services, freight management or traffic signal coordination. Examples of objectives relating to a goal of congestion reduction: . Over the next three to five years, reduce the clearance time of traffic incidents on freeways and major arteries in the region from a current average of X minutes to an average of Y minutes. . Over the next three to five years, reduce the variability in travel time on freeways and major arteries in the region such that 95% of trips (19 out of 20) have travel times no more than 1.5 times the average travel time for a specific time of day. . By 2012, enhance connectivity among transit services so that transfers between transit modes (rail, bus) and operators are seamless and can occur with one “smart card.” Step 4: Identify Area of Application – The Congestion Management Plan is applied to a specific geographic area and network of transportation facilities. The area is the NIRPC region, which consists of Lake, La Porte and Porter counties. Step 5: Define System/Network of Interest – The Congestion Management Plan network should identify the characteristics of the surface transportation network under consideration. The CMP should be multi-modal. The networks that are analyzed in the NIRPC CMP are the roadways, (the arterials and highways more-so than the local roads) and the South Shore commuter rail service. Observing the roadways will allow the evaluation of bus congestion in addition to auto and truck congestion because they all share the same roadways. Step 6: Develop Performance Measures – Performance measures are used to access the effectiveness and efficiency of the transportation network. The performance measures should fit the “SMART” criteria, meaning that it should be Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic and Time-Bound. There are two performance measures on which this process focused. Step 7: Evaluate growth and development scenarios to identify future congestion problems in the context of the CRP- Scenario modeling is conducted in the context of congestion for the CRP. Four scenarios were evaluated and discussed with the public, which were extrapolation of trends; build-out of local plans; population and employment concentrated in livable centers; and urban core revitalization and infill. Step 8: Institute System Performance Monitoring Plan – The performance monitoring plan should monitor both highway and transit. The primary way to monitor the system is to continue to collect data. Types of data will depend on the types of performance measures used, and the data should be relevant to the area, available, timely, reliable, consistent and susceptible to forecasting. The likely agents for monitoring for this congestion management plan would be traffic counts and travel time, which are what NIRPC collects. Step 9: Identify/Evaluate Strategies – The congested areas of the region have been identified and strategies evaluated for their potential impact on congestion relief. A criterion for evaluating the potential strategies is selected. The key here is to follow the process and only recommend implementation of an expansion of the roadway system if necessary. Categories for strategies include: . Demand Management . Access Management . Intelligent Transportation Systems . Transit Service . Growth Management . Adding Capacity as a Last Resort Step 10: Incorporate strategies into the CRP and Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) – The CMP will be a part of the 2040 CRP. Projects included in the TIP will be based on the goals and strategies outlined in the CRP, including the CMP. Step 11: Implement Selected Strategies/-Manage System – Implementation and continued management take place at this step. During this step, the congestion relief strategies are implemented by the project sponsors. This step ensures a link between the Congestion Management Process and funding decisions. System management is ongoing. Step 12: Monitor Strategy Effectiveness – The effectiveness and strategies of the CMP should be periodically evaluated. Performance measures should be used to develop the effectiveness of the strategies. Evaluation criteria may be needed to compare how well strategies work. The congestion management process is ongoing. Process followed III. Milestones achieved The following table, NIRPC’s Congestion Management Milestones, displays the major steps and achievements of the congestion management process since 2009. There is a slight difference between the traditional process steps above and the Milestones chart below. In NIRPC’s case, timing was an issue and some steps should be completed before others. Also, certain steps were temporarily delayed because of a lack of data at the time. IV. Congestion Management Process Objectives NIRPC’s congestion management objectives are derived from the goals and objectives that were determined and adopted by the 2040 CRP Steering Committee. Several workshops that solicited public input helped determine the vision for the CRP and its goals and objectives. The objectives that were selected for the CMP were refined into “SMART” objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-Oriented in bold below). The final refined objectives were presented, revised and approved by the Congestion Management Subcommittee. NIRPC’S Goals and Objectives for Congestion Management CRP Vision Theme: Accessible Region – connected people and opportunities Goal: A safe and secure transportation system CMP Objectives & “SMART” Objectives Reduce the number and severity of motor vehicle collisions . Reduce the crash rate by .25 (10 percent) and death/injury rate by .19 (15 percent) by the year 2040 Improve the safety of non-motorized transportation through education, enforcement, engineering, design and construction . Reduce the Bike/Ped crashes by 17 (5 percent) by the year 2040 Reduce emergency response times on major expressways . Reduce incident clearance time by 35 percent by the year 2040 Improve the safety and security of transit facilities including stations, stops and vehicles . Reduce incidents per 100,000 trips by 40 percent by the year 2040 CRP Vision Theme: Accessible Region – connected people and opportunities CRP Goal: Increased mobility, accessibility and transportation options for people and freight CMP Objectives: Integrate local, regional and national transportation systems to facilitate movement of people and freight between modes . Increase mode sharing among region by 15% by the year 2040 (Customer satisfaction surveys will be used to evaluate the measure) Improve system accessibility for people with special transportation needs including persons with disabilities, the elderly, the young and low-income populations . Increase the environmental justice (low-income population, minority population) served in the region from highway projects and public transportation by 10% by the year 2040 (Analysis will be shown in GIS) Increase access to and improve the reliability of public mass transit . Increase Route Coverage -by 30% and raise on-time performance by 50% by the year 2040 (Analysis will be shown in GIS) CRP Vision Theme: Accessible Region – connected people and opportunities CRP Goal: Adequate transportation funding and efficient use of resources CMP Objectives: Protect previous investments through maintenance and improvements to existing transportation infrastructure, operations and services. Devote sufficient resources to address reconstruction and maintenance needs . Increase funding for maintenance and reconstruction projects by 30% by the year 2020 V. Performance Measures Methods to Monitoring Multimodal Performance The performance measures were initially selected by NIRPC staff members, and discussed with and approved by the Congestion Management Subcommittee. Many of these performance measures currently are being used by other Metropolitan Planning Organizations and transportation agencies. These performance measures have been or will be used in the future to evaluate potential regionally significant projects and determine where congestion is located within the region. Highway Performance Measures Volume/Capacity Ratio (V/C Ratio) V/C Ratio is a universal performance measure that is used to gauge the density of a highway facility. This is a performance measure that has been used by NIRPC for many years and the data is readily available. The capacity of a transportation facility is determined by NIRPC’s travel demand forecast model. V/C Ratio = Traffic Volume of a Transportation Facility divided by the Physical Capacity of a Transportation Facility Travel Time & Travel Time Index Travel time is the average time it would take for a vehicle to travel from one point of a specific corridor to another. Travel time index is a performance measure that is used to compare travel time in peak periods versus travel time in free flow periods. In order to calculate travel time index, travel time data will need to be collected in peak and off peak hours. Travel time and travel time index can be represented in numerical and level of service form. Travel time index example: Example: TTI of 1.2 means that the average travel time is 20% longer than free flow travel times. Travel Time Index= Peak Period Travel Time divided by Free Flow Travel Time Average Speed Average speed can be displayed both in numerical form and with congestion scans. Average speed also can be derived from travel time data. With average speed, it will be easy to identify congestion by time of day and location. Average speed also can be displayed in indexed form by comparing with the posted speed of a road. Delay Delay is a performance measure that can be derived from average speed on expressways and arterials. Delay can be calculated by finding out how long it takes for traffic to move one mile. Delay can be measured in seconds per corridor by time of day. Travel time index also may be used to calculate delay for a corridor. Safety Performance Measures Crash Rate Crash rate measures the number of crashes of a certain type normalized over the number of vehicles along a specific link in the network. This, in effect, “normalizes” the crash rate by the exposure to vehicles traveling in a certain location. Units of measure for crash rate are crashes/million vehicle miles traveled along links. Crashes are a significant source of non-recurring delay, and can drastically affect the operation of a system. Reducing crashes can have a ripple effect in reducing the delay in a transportation network. Average Incident Clearance Time This performance measure indicates the average clearance time of a roadway after an incident has occurred until the last vehicle leaves the scene. Longer clearance times usually increase the chances of a secondary crash due to obstructions on the road. NIRPC is unsure whether this data is readily available from sources, such as INDOT, and has not used this performance measure. Transit Performance Measures Load Factor Load factor is an accurate way of measuring how much capacity is being used in a transit system. This performance measure not only affects the availability of room on a transit system, but the comfort of a ride as well. Load Factor= Ridership/Capacity, where ridership is the number of riders on a given transit system and capacity in this region is the number of seats that a transit vehicle has. This performance measure can be measured in both a numerical and level of service form. On-Time Performance On-time performance monitors the percentage of transit vehicles that arrive on time for stops. The threshold for this measure is usually a few minutes. This performance can be measured in a level of service form. On-time performance is a suitable performance measure because most of Northwest Indiana’s transit networks have longer headways. Passenger Trips per Vehicle Revenue Hour and Mile This performance measure compares ridership with the length of time transit service is offered (Vehicle Revenue Hours) or length of travel that transit service is offered (Vehicle Revenue Miles). The amount of hours and miles is counted for each vehicle in service. This measure can be displayed in level of service form. Passenger Trips per Vehicle Revenue Hour = Passenger Trips/Vehicle Revenue Hour Passenger Trips per Vehicle Revenue Mile = Passenger Trips/Vehicle Revenue Mile Vehicle Revenue Hours/Per Capita Vehicle Revenue Hours/Per Capita are the hours that transit vehicles travel while in revenue service, including layover/recovery time, but excluding deadhead time. The amount of hours is counted for each vehicle in service. Per capita represents the population in the Northwest Indiana region or specific areas, corridors or municipalities depending on the scope of the measure uses. Vehicle Revenue Hours/Per Capita = Total Vehicle Revenue Hours/Capita of Area Other Performance Measures Customer Satisfaction The use of surveys indicating if transit service is adequate and effective may be distributed in communities where public transit exists. NIRPC has not yet used this measure. Whether NIRPC has the need and the resources to collect this data will be determined. Content and distribution of the surveys is not known at this time. Vehicle Miles Traveled/Vehicle Hours Traveled per Capita Vehicle Miles Traveled and Vehicle Hours Traveled is a standard performance measure that can be used as a corridor level or regional level measure. VMT and VHT per capita are easier to evaluate because they measures how much individuals are increasing or decreasing their driving distance. VI. Congestion Pricing Congestion pricing is a policy tool that is designed to reduce unnecessary driving and encouraging the use of transit into congested areas (i.e. a central business district, or a particular roadway or bridge) by imposing a charge, usually between certain hours of the day. One of the most famous examples of this is the Congestion Charge Zone (CCZ) in London, which was instituted in 2003. Vehicles entering the CCZ between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday must pay a £10 charge. The funds raised are invested back into the city’s transportation system. While this idea has been proposed for cities all over the world, including Manhattan in New York City, it does not necessarily translate to smaller cities. In Northwest Indiana, the major urban centers of Hammond and Gary might appear, on the surface, to be candidates for this congestion-reduction strategy. This must be considered with care, however, as this pricing could have a detrimental effect on revitalization attempts in both cities. In Hammond and Gary, substantial trip attractions either do not exist or are extremely limited. In addition, the transit systems in Gary and Hammond are not very extensive and are not enough suitable alternatives to driving. As a result, congestion pricing could actually end up discouraging people from visiting the area and harm revitalization efforts, as the incentives or transportation alternatives do not exist to encourage them to visit despite the charge. Further redevelopment, the addition of jobs, and extensive transit improvements are needed before this is a viable option for an urban center in Northwest Indiana. The Illinois Tollway has congestion pricing for semi-trucks that use the roadway. During daytime hours (6 a.m. to 10 p.m.), toll rates for these vehicles are higher than during overnight hours (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.). This pricing scheme encourages the larger, slower vehicles to avoid utilizing the tollway during peak hours, with off-peak hours and its lower prices meant to encourage truck traffic during periods of typically lighter traffic. This is a possible congestion pricing solution that could be considered for the Indiana Toll Road. Adding tolls to Borman Expressway or Interstate 65 would increase congestion rather than relieve it due to the slowdown required to pay tolls. Adding tolls to these expressways will also not deter trucks and single occupancy travelers to consider other modes of transportation due to the lack of options and alternative routes to Chicago. VII. Data Collection Travel Time Collection NIRPC obtains Travel Time and speed data from NAVTEQ, which collects travel time data from INDOT. The data that is acquired is for the Borman Expressway (I-80/94) west of the Indiana Toll Road (I-90) and I-65 between the Borman Expressway and U.S. 30. NIRPC also collects travel time data in house by conducting data collection runs on the region’s arterials. There are currently five corridors that have completed travel time data. NIRPC’s goal is to eventually collect data on 69 regional corridors that have been identified. Data Collection Steps 1. Corridors were ranked and selected based on three criteria: V/C ratio, Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) and public input. The Volume/Capacity Ratio is a road’s AADT over the total capacity of a road as determined by the NIRPC model. Public input is from the results of a survey that was distributed in January 2010 and February 2010. 2. Congestion Surveys: In order to receive as accurate of a sample as possible, the survey was distributed in both hard copy and on surveymonkey.com. The hard copy versions of the surveys were distributed by displaying them in 17 local libraries. The online version featured a link from NIRPC’s website. The survey also was distributed during several public meetings. People indicated locations where they felt there were significant delays, congestion or safety issues. 3. When the corridors were ranked, data collection began on the highest rated corridors. The objective is, as resources allow, to eventually collect travel time data for all 69 corridors in the Northwest Indiana region. 4. Five geographic information system- based Columbus Data Loggers were purchased for the collection of travel time data. 5. Staff members and interns were trained to conduct travel time data. Training included learning the basics of the “floating car” technique, learning how to operate the GPS equipment and conducting test runs to get data collectors used to the process. No data analysis training will be needed, as designated NIRPC staff will handle the actual data. 6. Data collectors were then assigned a certain corridor to collect data for. For each corridor, five runs would be needed at each of the three specified times of the day, which would total to about 15 runs per direction. Field collection occurs only on non- holiday Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. It is preferable that field collection would occur on days there is no precipitation or an accumulation of rain or snow to get an accurate “floating car” run. The times of collection would be morning peak, afternoon peak and off-peak. Five runs would need to be performed for each of these times. 7. Once the runs are completed for each corridor, the data from the GPS units is analyzed. 8. With the Columbus reader, the data is loaded directly in to Google Earth via the KML format. KML is a file format used to display geographic data in an Earth browser, such as Google Earth. The data logs also can be uploaded onto the desktop. The data is converted into Excel, Access and GIS formats. The data then is used for congestion management planning, which feeds into the TIP project review and fund allocation purposes. Some of these uses would include ranking projects for funding or composing maps that would visually show travel time. The result of the data collection will be data for evaluating projects, regional maps of actual speeds, travel time index and intersection delays and data for use for the comprehensive plan as well as other purposes. This data may also be made available to entities such as municipalities and regional employers, as well. There is currently a total of seven corridors where travel time data has been collected. They are I-65 from I-80/94 to U.S. 30, I-80/94 from the Illinois state line to I-90, U.S. 12 from SR 249 to SR 49, SR 49 U.S. 12 to U.S. 30, SR 240 from U.S. 12 to U.S. 6, SR 149 from U.S. 12 to SR 130 and SR 2 from U.S. 421 to U.S. 20. Presented below are the average speeds from the travel time runs (or Navteq data collected for I-65 and I-80/94) for the A.M., P.M. and off-peak periods. The A.M. period runs from 7 to 10 a.m., the P.M. period runs from 4 to 7 p.m, and the off-peak period is all other times of the day. Data collection runs only are conducted on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Volume Capacity Ratio Volume Capacity Ratio data is derived from the transportation model used for the preferred scenario. The model creates a presumed capacity for each link of the roadway network. The model also calculates Average Annual Daily Traffic for each roadway link. Crash Data The ARIES (VCRS) site provides source data for the crashes in Northwest Indiana in an Access sheet format. The report sheet includes latitude and longitude data. This data is added as x & y coordinates to a map, then converted to shapefiles. The shapefiles are then projected to the map coordinate system and displayed as points of crash locations. The points are indicated as the location of the crashes. Red points indicate a fatality has occurred in the incident. From this data output, the crash rate of a corridor can be calculated. This map shows where NIRPC currently has travel time data. Expressways that have travel time data are indicated in green. Arterials where NIRPC has data are in teal. VIII. Congestion in Northwest Indiana Roadway congestion within the region is displayed with the level of service maps displayed on the next two pages. The base years that are used for congestion management are 2008 and 2040. The red, orange and gold roadways indicate the worst congestion, and are represented by the grades of F, E and D, respectively. The level of service that is used for creating these maps, as well as evaluating projects was determined by special function class system that classified roadways based on what data was available. From there, performance measures were used based on a weighting system that is indicated in APPENDIX Section 2. The worst current roadway congestion in the region is located on east-west expressways and arterials, mainly in Lake County. There is a dense concentration of population located in Lake County north of U.S. 30, and that also is where the most congestion is located. These locations in the region are landlocked with little room for roadway expansion. Other alternatives will need to be considered to relieve congestion. In 2040, roadway congestion is expected to be spread throughout southern Lake County and central Porter County, in addition to the urban core communities in Lake County. The cause of the congestion spreading to other central and southern parts of the region is due to the current rapid growth of the municipalities in these areas. IX. Public Transportation Public Transportation is a strategy that should be considered in some form in any transportation network. Public transportation enables people to move in moderate to massive numbers from residential districts to jobs, services, shopping and entertainment centers, among other uses. Public transportation is environmentally cleaner and more cost effective than single-occupancy vehicle travel. Current public transit in Northwest Indiana mainly consists of the Northern Indian Commuter Transportation District (NICTD), which operates commuter rail from the Northwest Indiana region to Chicago, and several bus operators, including the Regional Bus Authority (RBA), East Chicago Public Transit (ECPT), Gary Public Transportation Corp. (GPTC), Michigan City Municipal Coach, Valparaiso’s V-Line and LaPorte Transport. Most of the transit in Northwest Indiana is located within the urban core of the region. Public demand response transit also is available in Lake and Porter counties, where fixed-route service is not provided. The RBA and Valparaiso also offer commuter bus service to Chicago. Obstacles for transit in Northwest Indiana The availability of public transportation is a key element of the 2040 CRP and is, in fact, integral to the success of the region. Currently, the people of Northwest Indiana are served by intercity and commuter rail, local bus, demand response and paratransit service. However, the current services can neither be taken for granted, nor considered sufficient to achieve the goals of the 2040 CRP. Only portions of the region are served by fixed route buses while many important centers of activity and employment are un- served. An already deficient system lacks multi-modal transportation connectivity. Further, while there are multiple providers of public-demand response service, the overall capacity of the system is inadequate to meet the needs of the transit-dependent population in the region. To make matters even worse, declining funding subsidies have resulted in service cuts that make regional transit travel an option that is even less convenient, attractive and viable for riders. Compounding these service and subsidy issues is the fact that all of the public transit service providers are hampered by the lack of a dedicated regional or county-wide source of funding that provides stable annual support and can be used as a match for federal and state transit grants. Consequently, expanding services to create a truly regional system that supports Livable Centers is more challenging in Northwest Indiana than many other regions. Other persistent obstacles that threaten not only current public transportation but also any proposed new transit service include the political climate. The political climate changed with the advent of the property tax cap. Many elected officials believe that because of the difficulties of the economy today, it is best not to propose anything radically new that requires a funding source. Another obstacle is the national affinity Americans have for their cars. Cars have increasingly dominated the transportation landscape since they were invented. The reality is that single occupancy vehicle travel is no longer sustainable or cost effective. Transportation stakeholders in Northwest Indiana will have to work together with elected officials to come up with innovative ways to create funding for transit and other alternatives to expanding roadways. Another obstacle for public transportation in Northwest Indiana is the lack of centers that are densely populated with residents or jobs. Northwest Indiana is more suburban and rural than the Chicago region. The three-county region lacks a central municipality, which is unusual compared to many regions in the United States. Without a certain amount of density of population or employment, it is very difficult for ridership for a transit system to be at a practical level. As displayed by the map below, there are very few areas within Northwest Indiana that can support bus systems with 60-minute headways, let alone rapid transit. Analysis of Transit Needs An analysis of the region was conducted to see where transit exists, where transit is needed and how frequently the recommended transit services should operate. The analysis looked at population and employment densities around the region and determined what areas are suitable for public transportation. Then existing public transit routes are overlaid to see what areas have adequate public transit for their density and what area need more or new service. Displayed in the table below are the minimum densities that a specific area should have in order for a mode of transit as a viable strategy. Without the recommended density, a transit system may run the risk of losing a substantial amount of public funds to operating a transit system that may have low ridership. The map below shows areas that are suitable for public transportation. No area within the region is currently suitable for rapid transit or 10 minute headway bus systems. The analysis was conducted by Traffic Analysis Zones. Results of the Transit Analysis The results of this analysis show that, in order for the entire region to have adequate service, 10 new changes to the transit system will be needed. Five changes included additional service on existing bus routes. Four new bus routes also are recommended. The biggest transit project that would be recommended from this analysis would be the addition of a new rapid-transit system connecting the central portion of Lake County with the urban centers in Hammond, East Chicago and Gary, and should be in the form of either 10- minute bus service, 10 minute-light rail service or bus rapid transit. This map is consistent with NIRPC’s transit vision with Livable Centers as it connects the regions densest areas by public transportation. There are, however, many areas within the Northwest Indiana region that do not have the minimum appropriate density to support public transportation. Therefore, in these areas, public transit is not a viable alternative for these locations at this time. X. Congestion Management Strategies Analysis for Congested Corridors Roadway segments that had a low level of service were grouped into congested corridors. These corridors are determined to be regionally significant and are of at least an arterial functional class. Improvements to congested corridors are identified by the adjustment of the Volume/Capacity Ratio of the corridor as a result of potential strategies. From here, based on public input and staff recommendations, the contributing factors of congestion are determined. The contributing factors are presumed causes of congestion within the roadway corridor. The first attempt (Step 2 below) to relieve congestion is to look at demand management strategies. The possible demand management solutions for a corridor are telecommuting promotion, carpool promotion, school pool promotion and flextime promotion. The viable strategies in each corridor are indicated in yellow. It is assumed that each demand management highlighted can reduce volume by 1.5 percent with 6 percent being the maximum reduction. This change is applied to each corridor if level of service rises significantly for each corridor. If congestion is relieved by demand management strategies, demand management promotion will be employed for the corridor. If demand management strategies alone do not relieve congestion in this corridor, then additional Transportation Systems strategies are considered. Transportation systems, intelligent transportation, transit and growth management strategies are reviewed if demand management strategies do not relieve congestion. Growth management is considered satisfactory if the land use patterns, policies and development plans for the surrounding area are promoting sufficient, controlled growth. Congestion pricing is also a factor in growth management, specifically in urban areas. Refer to Step 3 below. The strategies that are suitable for each corridor are indicated in green. It is assumed that each strategy will add to the capacity that the roadway can handle. These strategies would not however add to the actual roadway capacity. Signal timing, traffic operations improvements and driveway controls strategies would add 5 percent each. Intersection turn lanes would add 7 percent. Median controls, ITS, railroad grade separation, transit and growth management solutions would add 10 percent. The total maximum capacity that can be added by these strategies is 72%. If all recommended strategies do not relieve congestion in a corridor, then adding roadway capacity maybe considered. Step 1 (Contributing Factors): Step 2 Step 3 The last step if no other strategies relieve congestion is to add roadway capacity. As stated in the table below (Step 4), the amount of capacity added depends on the amount of lanes of the original roadway. Adding capacity in most cases is not encouraged and only should be added in the worst instances of congestion where there is no other viable solution. Step 4: The table below shows level of service improvement from strategies implementation. The first column is the level of service from NIRPC’s model. The second column shows the improved level of service from demand management. The third column shows the level of service improvement from incorporating viable Transportation Systems, ITS, Transit and Growth Management strategies into the corridor. The fourth column shows the improved level of service with added travel lanes and demand management strategies. The last column shows the improved level of service if capacity is added and all strategies are incorporated. Impacts: As a result of this analysis, NIRPC is able to recommend projects to stakeholders into the region. In these corridors, there has been significant congestion identified and the recommended projects below would help relieve congestion. Results: XI. Project Evaluation Process This section explains how submitted expansion projects are evaluated for the Comprehensive Regional Plan and the Transportation Improvement Program. A Congestion Management evaluation form is filled out for every expansion project with information about the project, the project’s corridor’s level of service and the possible alternatives that were considered. This form determines if the project passes the congestion management process and is eligible to be included in the CRP, the TIP and eventually eligible for federal funding. The following is an example of a completed form of a project in the town of Merrillville. Explanation of Evaluation Forms for Capacity Adding TIP Projects Project Title: The Name of the project with the type of construction performed indicated. Sponsor Name: Stakeholder who submitted the project of funding Funding Fiscal Year: Year funding is requested for. The funding years may represent multiple years. Estimated Total Funding Cost: Total cost of project. This breakdown is represented by phases. Federal Funding Share: Total amount of federal funds requested Local Funding Share: Amount of the local funds to match federal funds Project Scope: Type of construction work being performed Number of lanes added to roadway: Added Roadway Capacity Project Title: Sponsor Name Merrillville Funding Fiscal Year 2011-2015 Total Funding Cost $4,302,941 Federal Funding Share $3,442,353 Local Funding Share $860,588 Project Scope Added Travel Lanes, Reconstruction Number of Lanes Added to Roadway Two Added Travel Lanes Mississippi St Reconstruction (83rd Ave to 101st Ave): Added Travel Lanes Project Location Description: A description of the physical project boundaries. Description of the project: Background on the project and explanation of why the project is needed. Project Location Description: Description of Project: This project will be located on Mississippi Street between US-30 and 101st avenue. The intent of this project is to reconstruct Mississippi Street and add one travel lane in each direction, bringing up the total amount of travel lanes to four. Intersection turn lanes will be provided as needed. The intersection on 83rd Avenue and Mississippi Street will be redesigned as well. A new signal will be introduced at 89th Avenue. Level of Service Project length 2.50 Total V/C Ratio for Corridor 1.56 F AM V/C Ratio 1.28 F PM V/C Ratio 1.81 F OP V/C Ratio 1.60 F Projected Total V/C Ratio for 2040 1.78 F Projected AM V/C Ratio for 2040 1.50 F Projected PM V/C Ratio for 2040 1.96 F Projected OP V/C Ratio for 2040 1.88 F Average Speed/Posted Speed 2008 26% F Average Speed/Posted Speed 2040 28% F Crash Rate (2007) Fatalities (2005-2009) 2.15 0 B Total VMT Change for Network +15820 Total Level of Service F Congestion Analysis for Project Corridor: The following table provides a quantitative analysis of the corridor of the project in Merrillville. The corridor will be determined to be congested or not based on the level of service grade from this table. The Level of Service grade must be a C or lower within the project corridor to pass the congestion management process unless there is an identified safety issue. Is capacity expansion project located within any of the following?: Is this project physically located within the part of the region that is determined to have a transportation importance priority over the rest of the region, as determined by the Comprehensive Regional Plan. The choices are revitalization area, Livable Center, Economic Center, or Growth Area. Does this project align with the goals and the preferred scenario of the Comprehensive plan?: The preferred scenario is the direction that the region elects to take between now and 2040. Does this project agree with the comprehensive plans goals and scenario? Is capacity expansion project located within the any of the following? Revitalization Area Livable Center Economic Center Growth Area None of the Above Does this project align with the goals and the preferred scenario of the Comprehensive plan? Please explain. Yes No Yes because it relieves congestion in an area where other alternatives would not improve traffic conditions Recommendation and alternatives that should be considered: This is the alternative analysis section of the form. This determines if enough alternatives were reviewed other than expanding capacity. Based on research from documents such as local plans, design studies, etc. it will be determined if the project sponsor reviews an adequate number of alternatives. The sections are as follows: Demand Management Strategies: Telecommuting promotion, flex work schedule promotion, carpool and vanpool promotion, school pool promotion, alternative travel mode incentives and alternative travel mode events. Telecommuting Promotion This encourages employers to implement a program or policies that encourage an employee to work from home or other remote location. For example, the employee would be allowed to work from home via his or her computer. Flex Work Schedule Promotion Encouraging employers to implement a program or policies whereby employees can work a compressed work week and take a day off. For example, employees could work 40 hours in four days, thereby eliminating a trip to and from work one day each week. Carpool and Vanpool Promotion Carpool and vanpool programs can be used to promote two or more people sharing a ride. These can be operated by both public (agency set up to provide vanpool service) and private sector entities (individual workplaces, office parks, and/or residential areas). School Pool Promotion This is the same idea as carpools/vanpools, meant to serve areas with large numbers of students not served by school busses. Alternative Travel Mode Incentives Entities, both public and private, can provide incentives to employees to start or continue using alternative forms of transportation for their commutes. Alternative Travel Mode Events This can include any number of events that promote and educate people on the use of alternative travel modes. These can be annual one-day events such as Bike to Work Day, or events that promote transit services and other available incentives. Transportation Management/ Access Management Strategies: Courtesy patrols, roadway signage improvements, added bike lanes, ramp meters, intersection turn lanes, acceleration/deceleration lanes, railroad crossing grade separation, HOV/HOT managed lanes, roundabouts, separation of truck traffic, continuous turn lanes, intersection grade separation, new stop signs, new sidewalks, added travel lanes to parallel roadways, new interchange and lane widening. Courtesy Patrols Courtesy patrols are a service that is provided in heavily traveled expressways, as well as corridors with narrow shoulders or major construction zones. These patrols assist with vehicle breakdowns, and crashes in order to minimize traffic disruptions, especially in congested areas. The INDOT Hoosier Helper is an invaluable example of aid to stranded motorists and assistance with incidents, such as crashes. This service is available on I-80/94 from the Illinois state line to mile marker number 19, which is the Port of Indiana exit in Porter County, plus I-65 from its northern terminus in Gary south to Crown Point. Roadway Signage Improvements Roadway signage improvements can include additional signage that facilitates way-finding and enhances decision-making by roadway users as well as signs that are made clearer and more legible from greater distances. Add Bike Lanes Bike lanes allow for a safer, more comfortable way for people to use bicycles as an alternative form of transportation, helping to alleviate congestion by removing cars from the same routes. Ramp Meters Ramp meters are traffic signal devices that regulate the flow of traffic entering an expressway. Meters help regulate the impact of large volumes of traffic entering highways that already are heavily traveled. They have been used in Northwest Indiana during Borman Expressway reconstruction. Intersection Turn Lanes Intersection turn lanes provide additional lanes to separate traffic that is turning left or right from through traffic. Acceleration/Deceleration Lanes An acceleration lane provides an opportunity on expressways and arterial streets for vehicles to gain speed to more easily and safely merge into the flow of traffic. Deceleration lanes are on expressways just before exit ramps to allow for traffic to decelerate before exiting safely removed from the flow of through traffic. Railroad Crossing Grade Separation Railroad crossing grade separation is when a road overpass or underpass is used at intersections with railroad lines. HOV, HOT Managed Lanes High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) and high-occupancy/toll (HOT) lanes are ways to encourage carpooling as well as bus usage by requiring a minimum number of people in vehicles that use the lane. Allowed users of HOT lanes can expand to those who are willing to pay a toll to use them with less than the minimum number of riders. HOV/HOT lane usage also can be used to incentivize the usage of low-emission and hybrid vehicles. Roundabouts Roundabouts are a type of intersection that do not use traffic signals or stop sign traffic controls. Instead, cars continuously move around a circular roadway, using specific lanes to enter and exit. Separation of Truck Traffic Separation of truck traffic involves separating semi-truck and other commercial traffic from light-duty automobile traffic. This can include grade separation, dedicated lanes and roads for truck traffic, and truck- only ramps. New Stop Signs New stop signs can make intersections safer and operate more efficiently when the intersection becomes congested due to one direction not having to stop. Intersections also can be made safer as stopped drivers do not have to pull out into moving traffic. Sidewalks Sidewalks allows for pedestrians to safely travel along a roadway, separate from other traffic. New Interchange The construction of a new interchange and provision of additional entry/exit points along a highway. Additionally, it can help alleviate congestion at existing interchanges by providing more options for traffic entering or exiting the highway. Add Travel Lanes to Parallel Road Instead of adding lanes to a smaller road nearby or to an already large and congested roadway, additional travel lanes can be added to a road that runs parallel to the existing larger roadway. Lane Widening Lane widening can help increase the safety of a roadway by allowing more room, especially at bends in the road where vehicles will use more of the travel lane to negotiate the bend and increase the chance of a head-on collision. On straight road sections, wider lanes reduce the chances of a sideswipe crash by allowing more room for vehicles to navigate Intelligent Transportation Systems: New traffic signal, traffic signal timing and coordination, traffic signal equipment modernization, incident management plans, dynamic messaging system. New Traffic Signal A new traffic signal can help an intersection to function more efficiently than signage alone. It also can improve the safety of an intersection by helping the traffic flow more smoothly. Traffic Signal Timing and Coordination Traffic flow can be improved and the number of vehicle stops decreased if traffic signal timing and coordination and equipment at intersections are enhanced. Traffic Signal Equipment Modernization Modernization of traffic signal equipment can allow for a more efficient flow of traffic by providing the opportunity to use signals that can immediately respond to real-time traffic needs at the intersection, as opposed to pre-timed intervals. Modern signals also can provide immediate notification of signal malfunctions and can be used to extend a green light and give priority to bus transit that is approaching the intersection. Incident Management Plans Incident management plans (IMPs) are operational plans for agencies and personnel defining the roles, rules, procedures, traffic diversion routes, and protocols to be followed in the event of a traffic incident. Dynamic Messaging System A dynamic messaging system is a system of electronic signs placed on heavily traveled corridors that provide real-time information to roadway users regarding traffic movements, accident and alternative route information, and other types of pertinent information to allow for a more informed driving decisions. Potential Transit Strategies: New Public Transit Guideway System, Public Transit Capacity Expansion, Public Transit Route Extension, New Transit Route Transit Signal Priority. New Public Transit Guideway System These systems involve guideways for light rail and commuter rail systems and on-street travelways for bus rapid transit (BRT) systems. These systems increase the amount of people who can travel a congested corridor at a given time while reducing the number of vehicles necessary to move them. Public Transit Capacity Expansion, Public Transit Route Extension or New Transit Route Public transit capacity expansion involves the creation of new bus routes, extension of existing bus routes, and/or increase of the frequency (headways) of buses-on existing routes. Transit Signal Priority Transit signal priority provides a separate signal that gives busses a head start in order to merge into traffic or reach a stop, especially when lanes for general traffic must be crossed in order to do so. Potential Growth Management Strategies: Promote more high density, promote more transit-oriented development (TOD), promote more cargo-oriented development, improve land use patterns, urban growth boundary, tax incentive policies. Promote More High density Promoting greater density allows for the creation of more transit- and pedestrian-friendly communities. With proper density and walkability, people will need to drive less, thereby reducing dependence on automobiles and the congestion resulting from their use. Cargo Oriented Development Cargo oriented development (COD) is a similar concept to TOD. It concentrates manufacturing and distribution businesses at a location where they have easy and quick access to multiple modes of freight transportation. Other key elements to a successful COD are access to complimentary businesses and an industrial workforce. Promote More Transit Oriented Development Transit oriented development provides for more compact, livable, and walkable communities that are based around mass transit. Generally, densities are higher the closer to the transit stop the development is. Improvement of Land Use Patterns Better land use patterns are ones that don’t create uncontrolled development and decrease the need for, and dependence on, automobiles, while making transit a more viable option. Urban Growth Boundary Urban growth boundaries set a limit for where higher density urban growth can take place. Within the boundary, urban development can occur, while outside the boundary land is meant to have lower density and less development. Urban growth boundaries are a tool that can be used to combat urban sprawl. Tax Incentive Policies Tax incentive policies apply, in this case, to the revitalization of urban centers. Tax incentives could be used to encourage infill development and redevelopment of urban centers while discouraging development on the urban fringe. Other Strategies: Implementation of Bikeways and Pedways, Traffic Calming Techniques, Complete Streets, Congestion and Parking Pricing. Implementation of Bikeways and Pedways Implementation of bikeways and pedways would expand the number of viable transportation options, enabling people to get to their destination with alternative forms of transportation. This would reduce the number of vehicles and amount of congestion on roadways. Traffic Calming Techniques Traffic calming techniques help to create travel corridors that are more inviting and safer for other forms of transportation, especially bicyclists and pedestrians. By making travel corridors more comfortable and safer, people will be more encouraged to utilize alternative forms of transportation. Complete Streets Complete streets is a concept that encourages the use of various methods to create roadways that are safer, more livable, and welcoming for all users, not just motorists. Congestion and Parking Pricing Congestion pricing involves designating a specific congested area and then charging those who drive into it, either at certain times of day or when congestion conditions warrant a charge. This discourages driving at times of high congestion, encouraging people to seek out other forms of transportation. Parking pricing can be used to discourage automobile usage by making the cost to park in congested areas unappealingly high. Recommendations and Alternatives that should be considered Potential Demand Management Strategies: Sponsors Considerations for project NIRPC’s recommended solutions Telecommuting Promotion Flex Work Schedule Promotion Carpool and Vanpool Promotion School Pool Promotion Alternative Travel Mode Incentives Alternative Travel Mode Events Score: 0/6 Potential Transportation Management/ Access Management Strategies: Sponsors Considerations for project NIRPC’s recommended solutions Courtesy Patrols Roadway Signage Improvements Add bike lanes Ramp Meters Intersection Turn Lanes Acceleration/Deceleration lanes Railroad crossing grade separation HOV, HOT managed lanes Roundabout Separation of Truck Traffic Continuous turn lanes Intersection grade separation New stop sign Sidewalks Add Travel Lanes to parallel road New Interchange Lane widening Score: 2/2 Potential Intelligent Transportation Systems Strategies: Sponsors Considerations for project NIRPC’s recommended solutions New Traffic signal Traffic Signal Timing and Coordination Traffic Signal Equipment Modernization Incident Management Plans Dynamic Messaging System Wildlife Alert Signal Score: 4/4 Potential Transit Strategies: Sponsors Considerations for project NIRPC’s recommended solutions New Transit Route Transit Signal Priority Score: 2/2 Potential Growth Management Strategies: Sponsors Considerations for project NIRPC’s recommended solutions Promote More High Density Promote more transit oriented development Promote more Cargo Oriented Development Improvement of land use patterns Urban Growth boundary Tax incentive policies Score: 0/2 Other Strategies: Sponsors Considerations for project NIRPC’s recommended solutions Implementation of Bikeways and Pedways Traffic calming techniques Complete Streets Congestion and parking pricing Increased law enforcement Alternatives Analysis scoring: There is a maximum score for each that is based on the amount of alternatives that are offered. Two points are awarded for each alternative that the sponsor considers and/or each alternative that already exists within the corridor of the project. However, 1 point is subtracted if no consideration has been made for each alternative that was recommended by NIRPC. The minimum score for each category is 0 if no alternatives are considered and 1 if any alternative is considered within the category. If there are no recommendations or considerations for a category, then the category is not considered for the final score. The alternatives analysis score will be based on a percentage. Alternative Analysis LOS Improvement Evaluation: The above table only applies to projects that wish to add capacity to existing roadways. LOS 2008 is the current level of service for the project corridor. LOS with demand management shows the improved level of service if viable demand management strategies are implemented to the project corridor. LOS with Demand Management & Improvements shows improvement of level of service that if every viable strategy that doesn’t add capacity is incorporated. DM with Added Travel Lane show the improved level of service if Demand Management is implemented and capacity also is added. Added Travel Lanes, Demand Management and Improvements looks at the improved level of service if all strategies are incorporated and capacity is added. Does capacity expansion project pass congestion management evaluation? If the project does not pass the congestion management evaluation, then it may be denied federal funding until any discrepancies are resolved. XII. Project Evaluation Results The following chart displays the contributing factors of congestion for the project corridors. If the projects purpose is to build a new roadway, then the strategies analysis would be conducted on the nearest parallel arterial roadway. The following chart displays the viable demand management strategies in the corridors for which regionally significant projects were submitted. Within this region, there are few options for demand management strategies. In the corridors where demand management is possible, there was not a significant change in congestion to warrant implementing the strategies by themselves. However, there are some corridors where demand management strategies would work well in combination with other strategies. The viable strategies are indicated in green. If the cell is not highlighted, then the strategy is not feasible for that project corridor. The following table indicates the results of the evaluation and selection of regionally significant expansion projects. Projects for the 2040 CRP were solicited in December, 2010. The evaluation was completed in April, 2011 and approved by the Congestion Management Subcommmittee on March 31, 2011. APPENDIX APPENDIX: Section 1 Congestion Management Variable Function Class Discription See section VIII for Function Class Map Group-A Expressways Group-A designated expressways are expressways that have Real-Time Travel Time Data available. Examples: • Interstate 65 from Interstate 80/94 to US 30 • I-80/94 from state line to the Indiana Toll Road (I-90) Group-A Expressway Performance Measures • Travel Time Index • Average Speed • Delay • Volume to Capacity Ratio • Crash Rate • Average Incident Clearance Time* Group-B Expressways Group-B expressways are expressways that do not have real time travel data available, but have been selected for limited travel time data collection. Less sample data will be available for Travel Time Index, Average Speed and Delay than Group-A Expressways. Examples: To be determined Group-B Expressway Performance Measures • Travel Time Index • Average Speed • Delay • Volume to Capacity Ratio • Crash Rate • Average Incident Clearance Time* Group-C Expressways Group-C Expressways are expressways that will not have travel time data available. Its level of service will be monitored based on NIRPC’s existing performance measures. Examples: To be determined Group-C Expressway Performance Measures • Volume to Capacity Ratio • Crash Rate • Average Incident Clearance Time* Group-A Arterials Group-A Arterials are arterial roadways that have been selected for travel time data collection. There will be five to 10 collection runs for each of the three major commuting times. Group-A Arterials Performance Measures • Travel Time Index • Average Speed • Crash Rate • Volume to Capacity Ratio • Signal Delay Group-B Arterials Arterials that were not chosen to have travel time data collected on. NIRPC’s existing performance measures would be used for the Level of Service. Group-B Arterials Performance Measures • Crash Rate • Volume to Capacity Ratio APPENDIX Section 2: Level of Service Weights Weights for Level of Service These are the weights to determine the final Level of Service of a specific corridor. The weights will vary by function class. Weights by function class APPENDIX Section 3: Performance Measures Maps APPENDIX Section 4: Corridors Selected for Data Collection