Freeway Bottleneck Removals: Workshop Enhancement and Technology Transfer

As transportation improvement projects become increasingly costly and complex and as funding sources are not keeping pace with needs in highly urbanized areas, it becomes critical that existing freeway systems be fine-tuned to maximize capacity. One of the most cost-effective solutions is implementation of lower-cost improvements to improve mobility where bottlenecks occur during peak periods on freeways. This subject is gaining national attention, partly because bottleneck locations are highly visible; failure to fix them has political as well as congestion costs. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is advancing on this front both in research and outreach efforts. This project enhanced and improved an existing Freeway Bottleneck Workshop by: (1) gathering further data on implemented bottleneck removals both in Texas and throughout the United States (U.S.) to add to the case study database; and (2) improving the communications aspect of the workshop through better graphics, video, and overall professional appearance. Four of the enhanced Freeway Bottleneck Workshops were presented to enthusiastic participants in Atlanta (Georgia), Austin, Houston, and San Antonio. Each half-day workshop allowed participants from various disciplines (design, operations, and planning) and agencies (city, county, state, and federal) to learn about bottleneck identification, causes, low-cost solutions, analysis and evaluation, case studies, and guidelines for successful projects. Workshop participants also had the opportunity to work in teams to analyze a real-world freeway bottleneck and to discuss opportunities for bottleneck removal in their metropolitan area. The final component of the project developed a website and educational module for university students and professors that will continue the technology transfer component. The long-term implications of this work are elevated awareness of the extremely high benefits relative to costs and development of professional capacity to recognize opportunities and to analyze and select appropriate measures for successful bottleneck removal projects.