Analyzing operational improvements as an alternative to traditional highway construction

The primary objective of the study described in this paper was to develop methods and tools for analyzing operational improvements as an alternative to traditional highway construction. Twenty-five capacity-enhancing operational, design, and technological strategies were identified for use on freeways, arterials, or both. Methodological and analytic enhancements to existing dynamic traffic assignment models were developed to increase the realism and the sensitivity of the models in simulating the effects of one or more strategy applications. Diagnostic tools for identifying locations that may represent good opportunities to implement one or more operational strategies were created. An illustrative application of the procedure is presented to demonstrate its usefulness and the additional insights that can be gained to inform transportation investment decision making. The systematic procedure described in this paper can be used for diagnosing and remediating operational deficiencies at the link, corridor, and network levels.