Urban Roadway Congestion - 1982 to 1994, Volume 2: Methodology and Urbanized Area Data (1131-9)

This research report represents the final year of a 10-year research effort focused on quantifying urban mobility. This study contains the facility information for 50 urban areas throughout the country. The database used for this research contains information on vehicle travel, system length, and urban area characteristics from 1982 to 1994. Various federal, state, and local agencies provided the information used to update and verify the primary database. The primary database and original source of most of the information is the Federal Highway Administration's Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS). Researchers combined vehicle travel and system length data to develop Roadway Congestion Index (RCI) values for 50 urban areas including the seven largest in Texas. The RCI values provide an indicator of the relative mobility level within an urban area. This report includes an analysis of the cost of congestion using travel delay and increased fuel consumption as estimated quantities. The impact of congestion was also estimated by the amount of additional facility capacity required to provide urban mobility. Congestion costs were estimated on an areawide, per eligible driver, and per capita basis.