10.

Congestion Management Process - DRAFT

Accomplishments Over the Past Five Years

The San Antonio – Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)

continually implements and monitors activities and events that reduce traffic congestion.
In September 2006, the MPO held a “Congestion, Safety and Solutions” public
workshop to gather input on traffic congestion concerns within the MPO study area.
On-going activities to reduce congestion include a joint program by the City of San
Antonio and MPO that implements signal re-timings in travel corridors. Other
mechanisms to reduce congestion include expansion of the TransGuide program to
provide updated motorist travel information, expanded access management techniques,
increased frequency of buses in major travel corridors, improved transit amenities to
encourage ridership, construction of more pedestrian and bicycle facilities, use of new
funding tools to build additional travel lanes, and improved rideshare services between
San Antonio and Austin through the River Cities Rideshare Program.
In June 2007, the MPO Transportation Policy Board (TPB) approved a technical
report establishing the local Congestion Management Process (CMP). With a new
travel demand model in place, the CMP has been updated to include new congested
corridors and congestion mitigation strategies identified through this update of the
Metropolitan Transportation Plan. The TPB has also adopted a combined transit
oriented development and in-fill development growth scenario to promote more mixed
use and higher density development within Loop 1604. This growth scenario also takes
advantage of the roadway system’s excess capacity in the inner city area. VIA
Metropolitan Transit is also pursuing the development of high capacity transit in certain
corridors, including Fredericksburg Road. The Austin-San Antonio Intermunicipal
Commuter Rail District continues to coordinate with stakeholders throughout the IH 35
corridor for future rail services.

Background

Under the federal authorization Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient

Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), provisions on
metropolitan transportation planning refer to a Congestion Management Process
(CMP). A CMP is required in metropolitan areas with population exceeding 200,000.
These metropolitan areas are known as Transportation Management Areas (TMAs).
Federal requirements also state that in all TMAs, the CMP shall be developed and
implemented as part of the metropolitan planning process. A CMP should include
alternative strategies for alleviating congestion and enhancing the mobility of persons
and goods to levels that meet state and local needs. In order to produce an effective
CMP, a data collection and monitoring system, a range of strategies for addressing
congestion, performance measures or criteria for identifying when action is needed, and
MOBILITY 2035 10 - 1 Scheduled for adoption on December 7, 2009
a system for prioritizing which congestion management strategies would be most
effective should be included. The MPO has successfully implemented the SAFETEA-LU
requirements for CMP.

The CMP is intended to be a systematic, transparent way for transportation

planning agencies to identify and manage congestion using performance measures and
to direct funding towards projects and strategies that are most effective for mitigating
congestion. The United States Department of Transportation describes the results of a
CMP as “…presenting a systematic process for managing traffic congestion and
providing information on transportation system performance.”

Although the San Antonio area is not considered one of the most congested
cities in America, it has been identified as having one of the fastest growing congestion
levels in the country. The average citizen in San Antonio spends more than 38 hours
stuck in traffic each year, an increase of 58% over the past decade (Urban Mobility
Study, Texas Transportation Institute, 2009). Congestion is a major contributor to the
air quality concerns and to the overall efficiency of the area wide transportation system.
With non-attainment of air quality standards imminent for this area, congestion
management strategies and transportation control measures must be applied effectively
toward relieving a substantial portion of these concerns. Table 10.1 and Figures 10.1
and 10.2 compare San Antonio’s congestion measures with other major Texas cities
and national data.
Table 10.1 Comparison of Congestion Measures
Source: Texas Transportation Institute’s 2009 Urban Mobility Report

Congestion Measure San Austin Houston Dallas/ National

Antonio Fort Worth
Annual hours of delay per 6 10 29 10 14
traveler (1982)
Annual hours of delay per 24 32 39 34 32
traveler (1997)
Annual hours of delay per 40 39 56 55 37
traveler (2006)
Annual hours of delay per 38 39 56 53 36
traveler (2007)
Travel Time Index (1982) 1.04 1.07 1.14 1.05 1.09
Travel Time Index (1997) 1.13 1.22 1.23 1.17 1.20
Travel Time Index (2006) 1.23 1.29 1.34 1.33 1.25
Travel Time Index (2007) 1.23 1.29 1.33 1.32 1.25
Annual wasted gallons of fuel 27 28 40 36 24

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per peak traveler (2007)

Annual delay per

traveler is extra
travel time for
people for peak-
period travel
during the year
divided by the
number of
travelers who
begin a trip during
during the peak
period (6 a.m. to 9
a.m. and 4 p.m. to
7 p.m.) Free flow
speeds (60 mph
on freeways and
35 mph on
principal arterials)
are used as the
comparison
threshold.

Travel Time Index

is the ratio of travel
time in the peak
period to the travel
time at free-flow
conditions. A value
of 1.30 indicates a
30 minute free-
flow trip takes 39
minutes in the
peak

Source: 2009 Urban

Mobility Report,
Texas
Transportation
institute

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 Locally, the MPO established a working group to develop the CMP and review
major congestion management issues. This working group is comprised of technical
staff representatives from local agencies, including the Alamo Area Council of
Governments, Bexar County, City of San Antonio, MPO, Texas Department of
Transportation, and VIA Metropolitan Transit.

CMP and Air Quality

Currently, the San Antonio – Bexar County MPO area is in attainment of the
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), but is vulnerable to be designated as
nonattainment for ozone in the next few years. In regions designated as ozone or
carbon monoxide non-attainment areas, the CMP takes on a greater significance.
Federal guidelines prohibit transportation projects that increase capacity for single
occupant vehicles unless the project comes from a CMP.

The following guidelines pertain to the CMP air quality relationship and are
abstracted from the federal rules and regulations:

In a TMA designated as nonattainment for carbon monoxide and / or

ozone, the CMS shall provide an appropriate analysis of all reasonable
(including multimodal) travel demand reduction and operational
management strategies for the corridor in which a project that will result in
a significant increase in capacity for SOVs (adding general purpose lanes
to an existing highway or constructing a new highway) is proposed. If the
analysis demonstrates that travel demand reduction and operational
management strategies cannot fully satisfy the need for additional
capacity in the corridor and additional SOV capacity is warranted, then the
CMS shall identify all reasonable strategies to manage the SOV facility
effectively (or to facilitate its management in the future). Other travel
demand reduction and operational management strategies appropriate for
the corridor, but not appropriate for incorporation into the SOV facility itself
shall also be identified through the CMS. All identified reasonable travel
demand reduction and operational management strategies shall be
incorporated into the SOV project or committed to by the State and MPO
for implementation.

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Goals and Objectives

The MPO’s CMP is a regional level planning tool designed to help manage
congestion by identifying congested corridors and recommending multimodal strategies
to mitigate congestion. In general, roadway congestion results when traffic demand
approaches or exceeds the available capacity of the roadway system. The level of traffic
demand can vary significantly depending on the season, the day of the week, and the
time of day. Also, the capacity of the roadway system, which is usually thought of as
constant, can change as result of weather, work zones, traffic incidents, or other non-
recurring events. The goal of the CMP is to provide information that helps transportation
planners, professionals and others to understand the overall congestion among
individual corridors and the region. Data on congestion levels helps the MPO, in
partnership with other agencies, to formulate congestion management strategies.

The following goals and objectives support the vision of an accessible, safe, and
efficient surface transportation system that integrates convenience, affordability and
improved air quality.

Goal 1 Increase the efficiency of the existing transportation system and decrease
traffic congestion through coordination of traffic operations and
development of strategies to reduce travel demand at both the regional
and corridor levels.

Objective 1.1 Develop and implement operational improvements for

the management of traffic along major travel
corridors, including incident management, intersection
improvements, construction coordination, access
management, signal re-timing programs, and freight
management.

Objective 1.2 Establish and enforce new policies for the effective
management of growth, vehicle usage, and parking,
where appropriate.

Objective 1.3 Continue and extend existing community programs

and campaigns to reduce vehicle trips through ride
sharing, work scheduling, telecommuting, and trip
planning.

Objective 1.4 Continue the implementation of motorist travel

information systems such as TransGuide.

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Goal 2 Reduce congestion through a project implementation process that
encourages the use of other modes of transportation.

Objective 2.1 Improve public transportation services, including

frequency, expanded route coverage, passenger
amenities, and ridership incentives.

Objective 2.2 Encourage implementation of a continuous pedestrian

system and on and off-road bicycle facilities,
emphasizing connectivity with other modes.

Objective 2.3 Establish and use congestion management based

criteria for project selection, to include added capacity
projects, right-of-way preservation, and operational
improvements.

Objective 2.4 Continue efforts with the Alamo Regional Mobility

Authority (ARMA), VIA Metropolitan Transit, the
Advanced Transportation District (ATD), and the
Austin-San Antonio Intermunicipal Commuter Rail
District to finance major congestion relief projects
including commuter rail service, high capacity transit
(including bus rapid transit, streetcar, light rail, and
busways), and roadways.

Local Definition of Congestion

As noted in the federal guidelines, “congestion means the level at which

transportation system performance is no longer acceptable due to traffic interference.”
In other words, commuters typically expect and are generally willing to accept a certain
amount of traffic during morning and evening “rush hours.” However, the same
commuters may not be willing to accept that identical level of performance in the middle
of the day.

For these reasons, the following definitions of congested corridors were developed
based not only on technical information, but also community input.

• Initially, congested facilities were defined as a corridor with a 24 Hour Volume/

Capacity (V/C) ratio over 1.00, using the base year, 2005 network and the 2005
saturation traffic counts.

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 • The second phase of congested corridor identification used the travel demand
model and was based on 2015 vehicle trips assigned to the 2015 travel network
(includes existing infrastructure and those expected to be operating in the year
2015). Corridors with a V/C ratio over 1.00 were defined as “congested”.

• The third phase of corridor identification was based on 2035 vehicle trips
assigned to the 2015 travel network (assuming no new facilities were built other
than those that are currently planned and funded). Again, corridors with a V/C
ratio over 1.00 were defined as “congested”.

• The next phase of corridor identification was based on 2025 vehicle trips
assigned to the 2025 travel network. Corridors with a V/C ratio over 1.00 were
defined as “congested”.

• The final phase of corridor identification was based on 2035 vehicle trips
assigned to the 2035 travel network. Corridors with a V/C ratio over 1.00 were
defined as “congested”.

• Some consideration was given to corridors with a V/C ratio of 0.85 to 1.00.

• Major activity centers such as downtown San Antonio, hospital districts, and
military bases will also be monitored.

• Corridors, interchanges, intersections, and subareas perceived by the public as

being congested were included in the CMP list.

• All designated hazardous cargo routes were included in the CMP list.

Congestion Mitigation Strategies

Congestion Mitigation Strategies are evaluated for applicability within each of the
identified CMP corridors. Strategies deemed most effective for the region were grouped
in the following categories defined below. The implementation of these strategies is
completed by one or more of the following agencies: Alamo Area Council of
Governments, Alamo Regional Mobility Authority, Austin – San Antonio Intermunicipal
Commuter Rail District, Bexar County, City of San Antonio, MPO, Suburban Cities,
Texas Department of Transportation, and VIA Metropolitan Transit/Advanced Trans-
portation District.

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Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS): ITS focuses on communication and real
time information of traffic conditions. Components of ITS include:

• Advanced Traffic Management: monitoring roadway

conditions and providing the public with real time
travel information. “TransGuide” is the traffic
management system in the San Antonio area

• Advanced Public Transit Systems: on-board vehicle

locating system to ensure travel time reliability and
communications between buses and headquarters

• Emergency Management: related to disaster threats

and marshalling resources

Policy Management includes existing and new ordinances and regulations that impact
the transportation system. Policy management includes:

• Growth Management/Land Use: better control over land use to discourage urban
sprawl and promote higher density levels and mixed use development to
encourage travel by walking, bicycling and transit

• Preservation of Green Space:

preserve undeveloped land
and open spaces to provide
for continuation of landscape
character, scenic beauty and
recreational opportunities so
as not to worsen congestion,
air and water quality

• Parking Management: includes policies for both public and private parking
facilities (parking garages, lots, and meters)

• Vehicle Use Limitations: refers to geographic areas where travel by car is

restricted; can also include implementing no-drive days

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 • Preserve Neighborhood Aesthetic: refers to congestion mitigation with
improvements complementing and protecting the cultural and historical nature of
a corridor, neighborhood or geographic area

Corridor Improvements are strategies for corridors that are at least one mile in length.
These improvements include:

• Capacity Improvements: add more travel lanes to roads for vehicles in both
directions; if there is high rush travel flow in one direction consider adding
reversible lanes that will change direction depending on the peak travel

• Congestion Relief Corridors: new roadways on new alignments that will relieve
congestion on parallel roadways
• Roadway Rehabilitation: includes improving the roadway surface through filling
potholes, resurfacing, or stabilizing the roadway structure

• Bicycle Facilities: addition of bicycle lanes, bikeable shoulders, wide curb lanes,
multi-use paths, and bicycle racks and lockers

• Pedestrian Facilities: includes improving sidewalks, adding countdown and/or

audible signals and crosswalks

Advanced Transportation Systems are

new strategies and technologies for the
region including:

• High Capacity Transit: such as bus

rapid transit (BRT), streetcars, and
light rail

• Managed Lanes: includes High

Occupancy Vehicle lanes, express
lanes or other special lanes with
varied pricing during the day based
on congestion levels

• Commuter Rail Service: between

regional hubs such as San Antonio
and Austin

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Operational Management includes techniques to optimize capacity and improve safety
and reliability of the roadway system. Operational Management includes the following:

• Incident Management: clearing incidents, crashes and major events to allow

traffic flow to resume

• Access Management: controlling the number and placement of access points

such as driveways on major roads; also includes the use of roadway medians
and turning restrictions to improve safety and traffic flow

• Signalization & Traffic Flow Improvements: optimizing traffic signals, adding turn
lanes or making lanes reversible to improve efficiency

• Railroad Crossing Improvements: installing gates and warning signals at railroad

crossings or closing some at-grade (surface street) crossings to improve safety

• Construction Coordination: coordinating construction with other known projects in

an area and scheduling the work during non rush hour periods; inform the public
and improve signage for safer travel

• Freight Management: monitoring freight travel patterns and identifying preferred

truck routes or truck lanes.

Community Campaigns are strategies to reduce automobile use and congestion. The
Alamo Area Council of Governments’ “Commute Solutions Program” and “River Cities
Rideshare” Program, and the MPO’s Walkable Community Program lead these efforts.
These strategies potentially serve many people, employees and students, and include:

• Rideshare Program: includes informal and employer sponsored carpool and

vanpool programs

• Work Schedule Coordination: includes staggered schedules, flexible hours and

compressed work weeks

• Telecommuting: working full or part time at home, at a satellite or branch facility

• Walkable Community Program: the geographic area would benefit from the MPO
hosting a Walkable Community Workshop or Safe Routes to Schools Workshop
.
• Trip Planning: the act of consolidating, linking or timing trips for efficiency

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Public Transportation Improvements include the following activities that would be led
by VIA Metropolitan Transit:

• Transit Service Enhancements: includes adding new transit routes, improving

service frequency on existing routes, extending routes to serve more areas,
better timing to allow for faster transfers

• Transit Facilities: improving amenities such as adding benches, passenger

shelters, and real time bus arrival information; also includes enhancing and
constructing passenger facilities such as transfer centers, park & rides, or multi-
modal terminals

• Ridership Incentives: includes programs to encourage transit use such as

reduced fares, monthly passes and employer subsidies for the passes.

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 Table 10.2 Congestion Management Strategies and Definitions

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CMP Development Process

The MPO used its travel demand model for projecting roadway congestion levels.
The MPO modeled the volume/capacity ratios for the roadway system for the analysis
years 2015, 2025 and 2035. For each year, congested corridors were identified,
analyzed and effective mitigation strategies were assigned to each corridor, as shown in
Table 10.3. Figures 10.3 through 10.6 show congested roadways for each of the
analysis years.

Need to add Mitigation Strategies Chart Table 10.3

Need to add congested roadway maps based on current modeling efforts. Figures 10.3
through 10.6.

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