Mobility & Congestion
The OKI region’s quality of life and economic competitiveness are closely related to the degree the transportation system is able to provide an acceptable level of mobility.
How is Congestion defined?
Congestion is the level at which transportation system performance is no longer acceptable due to traffic interference. The level of acceptable system performance will vary by type of transportation facility, location within the region, as well as the time of day.
The level of acceptable system performance depends on a region’s transportation and development goals, and how it reflects public perception of traffic interference. This traffic interference may be recurring or non-recurring congestion.
Types of Traffic Interference
Recurring congestion
Recurring congestion is caused by consistently excessive travel demand, as compared to available roadway capacity.
Contributors to recurring congestion are:
- poor signal timings
- poor access-management
- roadway geometric deficiencies
Non-recurring congestion
Non-recurring congestion occurs due to traffic incidents, adverse weather, or road construction.
- Nationally, physical bottlenecks account for about 40 percent of all congestion.
- The remaining congestion is the result of traffic incidents (25 percent), poor weather (15 percent), work zones (10 percent), poor signal timing (5 percent), and special events (5 percent).
Ways OKI manages and measures mobility and congestion
Congestion Management Process (CMP)
The importance of congestion is reflected in federal transportation rules requiring a CMP in metropolitan areas. The CMP provides for safe and effective integrated management and operation of the multimodal transportation system; and it results in performance measures and strategies reflected in the metropolitan transportation plan and TIP.
Congestion Management Network
Click on the map to learn more about the OKI Congestion Management Network. It is composed of all facilities on the National Highway System (NHS), along with major roadways and all other routes determined to be essential to regional mobility and continuity.
