MAG has contracted with Olsson Associates to conduct a regional freeway bottleneck study. In addition, the MAG regional Council has approved to expand this study to include other freeway needs. The purpose of the Freeway Bottleneck Study is to identify and analyze bottlenecks, and to evaluate freeway Level of Service (LOS) and rank projects to improve these bottlenecks. In this study, freeway traffic data will be collected on the existing freeway system throughout the Valley. These data will include traffic density, queue, and volumes, etc. It will then be determined where bottlenecks are, how to improve them, the cost to improve them, etc. Future traffic on the freeways will be forecasted. Future bottlenecks will be identified, operational and other benefits of the freeway improvement projects will be calculated, and freeway improvement projects will be ranked based on the above analysis. In addition, the traffic data collected will be used by MAG member jurisdictions and private organizations for various other traffic studies. During discussions on the bottleneck study with the MAG Management Committee structure, three major other study needs were identified. The three tasks are: - Expand the crash data to include the entire freeway system and to include a more detailed evaluation of freeway crashes.
- Develop an interchange spacing policy for the urban area to provide guidance on the construction of additional traffic interchanges on the freeway system.
- Identify and evaluate future freeway configurations necessary to carry traffic at an acceptable Level of Service through the year 2040.
For additional information, please contact:
Qing Xia, MAG, 602-254-6300.
Michael Connors, Olsson Associates, Consultant, 602-748-1000. To download PDF documents and other files, right-click on the link and choose Save Target As. | | Task Name | Available Information | | 1 | Work/Management Programs | | | 2 | Assemble Available Data | Previous Studies' Working Paper (PDF, 702 KB)
Previous Studies' WP Appendix (PDF, 90 KB) | | 3 | Determine Evaluation Process | Ranking Process Working Paper (PDF, 54 KB) | | 4 | Collect Traffic Data
-Traffic Density | Traffic Quality Report (final draft) (PDF, 1.17 MB)
Freeway Photolog: Photo Samples (PDF, 1.32 MB)
Mainline Database (draft) (MS Access file, 2.5 MB)
Freeway-to-freeway Ramp Database (draft) (MS Access file, 2.21 MB)
AM Ramp Counts (draft) (MS Excel file, 1.23 MB)
PM Ramp Counts (draft) (MS Excel file, 1.1 MB) | | 5 | Collect Traffic Data
-Ground Counts | Data collection location map (JPG, 291 KB)
Traffic Count Database (final draft) (MS Access file, 11.7 MB)
Traffic Data Working Paper (draft) (PDF, 1.1 MB)
Traffic Data Working Paper (text only) (PDF, 36 KB)
Appendix A: Data Collection Locations (PDF, 35 KB)
Appendix B: Ramp Metering Sites (PDF, 21 KB)
Appendix C: Traffic Count Maps (PDF, 830 KB)
Appendix E, E, F: I-10 Westbound Traffic Volume (PDF, 117 KB)
| | 6 | Identify/Analysis Problem Areas | (Updated 11/4/02) Bottleneck Analysis Working Paper
(pt 1 PDF 1.8 MB, pt 2 PDF 2.1 MB, combined 3.7 MB) | | 7 | Propose Bottleneck Improvement Solutions | Working Paper for Tasks 6, 7 and 8 are combined in the Bottleneck Analyisis Working Paper in section 6 above. | | 8 | Estimate Improvement Benefits | Working Paper for Tasks 6, 7 and 8 are combined in the Bottleneck Analyisis Working Paper in section 6 above. | | 9 | Rank Projects | | | 10 | Document Study Findings | | | 11 | Safety Review of the Urban Freeway System | (Updated 11/4/02) Safety Review Working Paper (Final Draft) (PDF, 112 KB) | | 12 | Interchange Spacing Study | | | 13 | Freeway Capacity Enhancement | (Updated 11/4/02) Freeway Capacity Enhancement Working Paper (Draft) (PDF, 1.75 MB) | | 14 | Future Freeway Demand | | | 15 | Identify and Evaluate Alternative Freeway Concepts | | | 16 | Capacity Enhancement Report | |
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