1989 Roadway Congestion Estimates And Trends (1131-4)

This research report is the fourth year continuation of a six year research effort focused on quantifying urban mobility. This study contains the facility information for 50 urban areas througout the country. The data base used for this research contains vehicle-miles of travel, urban area information, facility mileage, and facility lane-mile data from 1982 to 1989. Various federal, state, and local agencies provided teh information used to update and verify the primary data base. The primary data base and source information is the Federal Highway Administration's Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS). Vehicle-miles of travel and lane-mile data were combined to develop Roadway Congestion Index (RCI) values for 50 urban areas including the seven largest in Texas. These RCI values provide an indicator of the relative mobility level within an urban area. An analysis of the impacts and cost of congestion were also performed using travel delay, increased fuel consumption, and additional facility lane-miles as measures of urban mobility. Congestion costs were estimated on an areawide, per registered vehicle, and per capita basis.