Transcript Item # 9 Freeway Congestion In The Washington Region Presentation to National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board February 15, 2006

Item # 9
Freeway Congestion
In The Washington Region
Presentation to
National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board
February 15, 2006
FREEWAY CONGESTION MONITORING
• Background
– 300 mile system monitored every 3 years since
1993 (5 surveys to date)
– 3 hours in the AM and 3 hours in the PM
– Photographs taken on multiple days (minimum
of 3 days) with typical, recurring conditions
– Density in passenger cars per mile per lane of
freeway segments used to identify congestion
– 2005 survey compared with 2002 survey and
prior surveys (1999, 1996, 1993).
2
Levels of Service (LOS) Based on Density
– LOS “E and F” considered as congested
3
OVERALL SYSTEM
PERFORMANCE
2005 AM Peak Period
(6 AM to 9 AM)
5
2005 PM Peak Period
(4:30 PM to 7:30 PM)
6
Lane Miles at LOS F - 2002 & 2005 Survey
Density > 45 Passenger car per mile per lane
(2000 Total lane miles)
600
2002
2005
495
500
25%
450
442
2005
394
400
356
Lane Miles
2002
20%
341
301
308
300
15%
229
10%
200
164
155
169
5%
100
0
6 to 7 AM
7 to 8 AM
8 to 9 AM
4:30 to 5:30 PM
5:30 to 6:30 PM
6:30 to 7:30 PM
Hours
7
SEGMENTS WITH SIGNIFICANT
CHANGES
DEGRADED CONDITIONS
I-95 in Virginia / EVENING
(General trend toward more
congestion at the HOV lane
merge no significant capacity
changes)
9
DEGRADED CONDITONS
DULLES TOLL ROAD / MORNING
Addition of a fourth
(HOV) lane was
completed prior to the
1999 survey, resulting
in improved
eastbound flow;
however, further LOS
degradation is evident
since then. (The
Greenway has
channeled additional
traffic into this
corridor.)
10
DEGRADED CONDITIONS
I-495 (BELTWAY) vicinity College Park / EVENING
(General trend toward more
congestion on the Beltway; no
significant capacity changes)
11
IMPROVED CONDITIONS
US 50 in Maryland / MORNING
Prior to the survey in
2005, an HOV lane
was added to US 50 in
each direction (24hour enforcement).
The additional
capacity of the
highway has
dramatically
improved traffic flow
on US 50.
12
IMPROVED CONDITIONS
I-495 (BELTWAY) vicinity Springfield / EVENING
(1993-1999, extensive exit
queues were found, but
intermittently)
(During the height of construction,
outer loop congestion was
particularly severe)
(Widened exit ramps opened prior to
2005 survey)
13
MIXED RESULTS
DC 295 at US 50 / EVENING
It appears that completion of construction on US
50 has resulted in improved eastbound flow,
which may now be generating downstream
congestion at the DC 295 merge.
14
SIGNIFICANT CHANGE DUE TO
IMPROVEMENT COMPLETED
AFTER SPRING 2005:
THE BELTWAY OUTER LOOP TO
THE DULLES TOLL ROAD
A SIGNIFICANT RECENT IMPROVEMENT: ADDITION
OF THE SECOND LANE ON EXIT RAMP FROM I-495
TO VA 267
• After the Spring 2005 survey VDOT opened a
second lane on the off-ramp from SB I-495 to
WB VA 267.
• SKYCOMP conducted additional AM and PM
flights in December 2005 and January 2006.
• The following two slides show the
improvements during the AM and PM peak
hour.
16
I-495 Outer Loop (8 to 9 AM)
I-495 Improvement due to 2nd lane on exit ramp at VA 267
17
I-495 Outer Loop (5:30 to 6:30 PM)
I-495 Improvement due to 2nd lane on exit ramp at VA 267
18
Spring 2005 (8 to 9 AM)
Winter 2005/2006 (8 to 9 AM)
19
FINDINGS FROM THE ADDITION OF 2ND LANE EXIT
RAMP TO WB VA 267 FROM SB I-495
– The addition of the extra lane on the off-ramp
produced a dramatic improvement.
– Outer loop traffic which used to back up to I-270 now
flows freely during the AM and PM peaks.
– The interchange downstream of the improvement has
to be watched for future problems. The on-ramp from
EB VA 267 and the off ramp to WB VA 123 are
becoming congested due to weaving and traffic
backing up from a signal on VA 123.
20
Freeway Segments with the Most Significant Changes
(2002 to 2005)
Route and Direction
From
To
LOS / Density
Change *
%
Change
WB I-66 (4:30 to 5:30 PM)
SB I-95 (4:30 to 5:30 PM)
EB I-66 (6 to 7 PM)
NB DC 295 (5 to 7 PM)
EB VA 267 (7 to 8 AM)
IL I-495 (4:30 to 5:30 PM)
WB US 50 (6 to 7 AM)
Lee Hwy
Dumfries Blvd
US 50
Pennsylvania Rd
Fairfax County Pkwy
I-95
MD 197
F to F/(45 to 90)
D to F/(30 to 60)
C to F/(30 to 55)
D to F/(40 to 70)
E to F/(40 to 70)
E to F/(40 to 70)
F to B/(70 to 20)
100%
100%
80%
75%
75%
75%
70%
EB VA 267 (7 to 8 AM)
OL I-495 (4:30 to 5:30 PM)
SB I-270 (7 to 8 AM)
EB I-70 (7 to 8 AM)
SB I-95 (MD) (7 to 8 AM)
Wiehle Ave
New Hampshire
Shady Grove Rd
US 15
Sandy Spring Rd
Sudley Rd
Russell Rd
Rock Creek Pkwy
US 50
Reston Pkwy
Annapolis Rd
Martin Luther King
Jr. Blvd.
Hunter Mill Rd
I-270
Montrose Rd
I-270
Powder Mill Rd
Improvement (I)
or
Degradation (D)
D
D
D
D
D
D
I
F to F/(50 to 80)
E to F/(45 to 70)
F to F/(50 to 75)
C to E/ (30 to 45)
C to E/(30 to 45)
60%
55%
50%
50%
50%
D
D
D
D
D
OL I-495** (8 to 9 AM and
5:30 to 6:30 PM))
I-270
Dulles Toll Rd
F to D/(80 to 40)
and F to D (100 to
40)
50% and
60%
I
* Density measured in passenger cars per mile per lane
** This improvement occurred after the Spring survey
21
22
23
Top Ten Congested Segments on the Freeway
System (2005)
Rank
1
1
3
4
5
6
7
7
7
7
Route
IL I-495 (4:30 to 5:30 PM)
NB I-395 (5 to 6 PM)
NB I-95 (6 to 8 AM)
IL I-495 – (6 to 7AM )
WB Frederick Douglass and 11th
Street Bridges – (8:30 to 9:30 AM)
NB I-395 (7:30 to 8:30 AM)
NB I-295 (7:30 to 8:30 AM)
GW Pkwy (7:30 to 8:30 AM)
EB I-66 – (6 to 7 PM)
EB US 50 – ( 5 to 6 PM)
From
I-270
VA 110
Dale Blvd
St Barnabas Rd
Anacostia Bridges
To
Connecticut Avenue
GW Pkwy
Prince William Pkwy
I-295
Density *
130
130
125
120
115
Speed Range
5 to 10 MPH
5 to 10 MPH
7 to 15 MPH
8 to 15 MPH
10 to 15 MPH
VA 110
Suitland Pkwy
Spout Run
Dulles Toll Rd
I-95/I-495
GW Pkwy
11th Bridge
Key Bridge
Westmoreland St
Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
105
100
100
100
100
12 to 20 MPH
14 to 20 MPH
14 to 20 MPH
14 to 20 MPH
14 to 20 MPH
* Density measured in passenger cars per mile per lane
24
25
25
Overall Study Findings
– Total lane miles of congestion have increased
significantly since 2002 throughout both the AM and
PM peak periods, with the greatest increase (64%) in
the first hour of the PM peak (4.30 to 5.30pm).
– Congestion is generally in the peak travel direction only
during AM and PM peak periods. Exceptions are the
14th street bridge (AM and PM), I-66 inside the
Beltway (AM and PM), the Wilson Bridge (AM), and
the northwestern portion of the Beltway (PM) which
are congested in both directions.
– Capacity increases have improved conditions at certain
locations (US 50, Springfield Interchange, Capital
Beltway at Dulles Toll Road).
– Locations downstream of major improvements need to
be monitored for potential future problems.
26
Tackling Recurring Freeway Congestion – Short Run
Capacity Increases To Address Bottlenecks
• Adequate freeway to freeway, freeway to
arterial, and arterial to freeway connections
• High Occupancy Toll (HOT) or Express
Toll Lanes (ETL)
Transit and Demand Management
• Adequate transit funding and capacity
• Ridesharing and telecommuting
27
Tackling Recurring Freeway Congestion – Longer Run
Alternative Land Use/Transportation Futures
(Regional Mobility and Accessibility Study)
More Households in Activity Centers
– More households in the region located in regional activity centers
– Supporting transit improvements
Region Undivided
– Some job and household growth shifted from West to East
– Supporting transit improvements
28