Multi Modal Alternatives

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Easing Congestion on I-695Multimodal
Alternatives
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Interstate Highways

• Interstate highways provide crucial mobility in
  urban areas.
• Between 1990 and 2020, the number of vehicles in
  the region will increase by twice the population
  growth.

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Environmental Consequences

• Vehicle exhaust contributes more than one third
  of all the nitrogen pollution entering the
  Chesapeake Bay from the air .

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What should be done?

• Increasing the capacity of the Baltimore beltway
  is not a solution by itself.
• Some innovative congestion-fighting strategies
  are needed.

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Multimodal Alternatives

• HOV Lanes
• Public Transit
• Ramp Metering
• Advertising

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High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes

• HOV lanes move more people through congested
  areas than general use lanes by providing a time
  saving incentive for ridesharing.
• HOV lanes are used throughout the nation in order
  to help ease congestion.

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Types of HOV Facilities

• Busways
• Barrier-separated lanes
• Concurrent-flow lanes
• Contraflow lanes
• Queue bypass lanes
• High occupancy toll lanes

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Transportation Network

• Any HOV facility needs to connect other major
  arteries in the corridor.
• Studies have shown that the East side of I-695
  does not face major congestion issues.

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Public Reaction

• Expanded highways encourage increased traffic
• Empty lane syndrome
• Funds should be invested in transit

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Busways in concurrent-flow HOV lanes.

• Construction costs low, but increased funding for
  buses, terminals, drivers, and maintenance
  needed.
• Enforcement issues not as prevalent.
• Combines initiatives and pools funds of highway
  and transit agencies.

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Introduction to Ramp Metering

• Ramp Metering should be considered as a Multi
  Modal alternative to eliminate or reduce
  congestion on I-695
• The main goal of implementing this freeway
  management technique is to prevent, ease , or
  reduce congestion on I-695
• Ramp Metering is a widely used method for
  limiting vehicle access to the freeway
• Utilizes traffic signals at freeway on-ramps to
  control the rate of vehicles entering I-695
• Signals can be set for different metering rates
  to optimize a steady flow of vehicles and reduce
  traffic congestion

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Ramp Metering

• When conditions are ideal, the wait on the
  entrance ramp will be compensated for by
• increased speeds once the vehicle enters I-695
• During normal conditions, ramp meters are set to
  turn on and off at predetermined times throughout
  the day.
• These set timings correspond to periods of high
  volume traffic in the main freeway lanes.
• By controlling the volumes of traffic entering
  I-695, mainline speeds will be increased.
• As a result, a reduction in traffic congestion on
  I-695 will occur.

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RAMP METERING
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Benefits of Ramp Metering

• Metering will reduce the stop-and-go behavior
  associated with congestion on I-695
• Types of congestion ramp metering can reduce
• bottlenecks
• vehicles entering I-695 exceed the vehicles
  exiting
• A recent study by the Minnesota Department of
  Transportation shows that Ramp Metering was found
  to have the following benefits
• 9 increase in freeway traffic flow, with 14
  increase during peak hours
• Annual savings of 25,121 hours of travel time
• Reduced travel time variability, resulting in
  annual savings of 2.6 million hours of unexpected
  delay avoided

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Ramp Metering and the State Highway
Administration

• Ramp Metering is a tool for freeway entry control
  that has been applied in a number of American
  States.
• Many benefits have resulted from various states
  implementing ramp metering such as
• Austin, Texas
• Long Island, New York
• Detroit, Michigan
• However, there are currently no ramp meters in
  Maryland and SHA has little or no experience with
  ramp metering.
• UMCP concluded that If the state is to gain
  experience with ramp metering before considering
  a larger statewide deployment, I-695 is a good
  candidate site for an experimental/trial
  deployment.

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Public Opposition

• Public opposition is the main challenge in
  implementing ramp metering.
• Little to no exposure
• Not aware of the benefits
• Through advertisements and public awareness
• Vehicle users can see past the waiting time at
  the ramps
• To the advantages that exist in the future

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BENEFITS OF MARKETING YOU HAVE THE POWER TO BE A
PART OF THE SOLUTION!

• AWARENESS OF COMMUTING OPTIONS
• Carpool/Vanpool (HOV Lanes)
• Public Transit (bus, train, metro)
• Ramp Metering
• KNOWLEDGE OF TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL
  ISSUES
• BE INVOLVED IN ISSUES THAT AFFECT YOUR COMMUNITY
• ALTERING COMMUTER BEHAVIOR
• BREAK THE ONE-PERSON-ONE CAR-HABIT

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MARKETING STRATEGIES CHANGE COMMUTER HABITS

• MEDIA ADVERTISING
• Television
• Internet (Website Links)
• Print ads
• INFORMATION FAIRS
• Fairs held among businesses, government
  departments and advocacy organizations
• Employee Orientations
• PUBLIC DISPLAY

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MARKETING CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS

• FUNDING
• Expensive
• Not profitable
• CONVINCING BUSINESS TO DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE
  COMMUTING PROGRAMS
• Retention and recruitment of employees
• Business is more productive because employees
  less stressed and more focused
• Attracts business partners or customers