Strengthening Linkages between Transportation Demand Management and Traffic Management

Gopalakrishna, Deepak; Hsu, Eva; Kuhn, Beverly; Schreffler, Eric; Diggins, L. · 2019 · ROSA P / United States. Federal Highway Administration

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Summary

This report, published by the Federal Highway Administration in 2019, addresses the operational disconnect between Transportation Demand Management (TDM) and traffic management. Traditionally, these functions have operated as separate programs: TDM focuses on influencing how and when people travel, while traffic management focuses on efficiently moving resulting traffic. The document argues that advancements in connectivity and data sharing have blurred these distinctions, creating an opportunity to integrate these strategies under the framework of Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM). The goal is to proactively manage mobility and reliability by influencing traveler choices regarding destination, mode, route, time-of-day, and facility usage. The report utilizes a qualitative methodology, presenting a compendium of 16 real-world case studies organized into seven specific contexts. These contexts include managing demand during weather events and natural disasters, addressing transit disruptions, incorporating TDM into major road reconstruction projects, managing system efficiency through active demand and traffic management, using high-occupancy toll lanes for transit enhancements, managing special events, and implementing smart parking strategies. The analysis examines how state and local agencies collaborated to address specific issues, detailing the strategies implemented, their impact on the trip chain, and opportunities for improvement. Key findings demonstrate that integrating TDM and traffic management yields improved travel reliability and access. For instance, during Hurricane Harvey, Houston TranStar leveraged existing relationships to disseminate information on road closures and encouraged telework and alternative modes. In Washington, DC, the SafeTrack program coordinated transit capacity increases with roadside traffic management to mitigate congestion. Other examples include the Utah Department of Transportation’s use of proactive messaging during weather events and San Francisco’s Sfpark program, which used dynamic pricing to manage parking demand. The report identifies three consistent tactics for successful integration: establishing supportive policies, making temporary changes to existing systems, and developing new communication and partnership strategies. The significance of this work lies in its practical guidance for transportation professionals to adopt a holistic approach to system operations. By linking TDM and traffic management, agencies can better anticipate and respond to both planned and unplanned events, such as construction or incidents. The report concludes that this integration helps traffic managers achieve broader goals of increasing person throughput and system efficiency. It serves as a resource for TDM professionals, traffic managers, and regional planners to spur collaboration and implement strategies that provide travelers with high-quality, actionable information throughout their entire trip chain.

Key finding

Integrating transportation demand management and traffic management strategies through proactive messaging, shared mobility support, and dynamic lane usage improves travel reliability and system efficiency across diverse contexts including weather events, transit disruptions, and construction projects.

Methodology

review

Provenance

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