ITE journal · 1997 · 11 citations · 0 references
PlanningInfrastructure PlanningTransportation PlanningTransportTransport PlanningTransportationCongestion ManagementHighway Capacity AnalysisIntelligent Transportation SystemsTransport EconomicsTransportation EconomicsTransportation System ManagementHighway Capacity ManagementHighway ConstructionLane CapacityLife Cycle Performance AnalysisRoad Capacity ExpansionTransportation Capacity PlanningUrban Traffic Congestion
Over the next 10 years, travel demand is expected to increase by about 30%. In order to simply maintain congestion at current levels, the United States must increase its vehicle-handling capacity by the same 30%. Two approaches to providing this capacity increase are to build sufficient additional lane-miles or to build fewer lane miles while investing in Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) infrastructure. A national-level analysis of the two alternatives indicates that the ITS-based investment could save 35% of the cost of providing the capacity increase using highway construction and would only require one-third as many new lane-miles to be built. These conclusions are based on a life-cycle analysis for 50 major urban areas.