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2009 Bottleneck Analysis of 100 Freight Significant Highway Locations
As part of the ongoing Freight Performance Measures (FPM) initiative, the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Freight Management and Operations are monitoring freight significant highway locations.  This research uses ATRI-developed analysis methods, customized software tools and terabytes of data from trucking operations to produce a congestion severity ranking for each of the 100 locations that are currently monitored.  More specifically, this effort utilizes GPS technology and information to assess the level at which truck-based freight was affected by traffic congestion throughout 2009. The majority of the locations that are currently monitored are urban interstate interchanges.  On this type of highway segment, congestion is typically problematic during AM and PM rush hours.  There are, however, several locations where congestion affects freight mobility during all hours of the day, and there are other locations where congestion is not a recurring issue.  To assess congestion levels at the monitored locations a congestion measure (the Congestion Index) is produced for each location; this measure is based on the severity of congestion during weekdays in 2009.  Average speeds that are below free flow speeds (which is set at 55 mph) are considered to reflect congestion.  The locations are listed by Congestion Index; Location 1 has the highest Congestion Index (and therefore has the highest level of congestion using this methodology).  A detailed analysis for each location can be accessed by clicking on the bottleneck location.  This type of information is useful to both private and public sector freight stakeholders that wish to better understand the severity of congestion and mobility constraints experienced along the transportation system.  For the public sector, the measurement of freight significant congestion can allow for better-informed identification of transportation system deficiencies.  This identification, in turn, may lead to infrastructure, operations and ITS investment that may improve freight mobility.  Additionally, the private sector can use this type of information to calibrate routing so as to avoid peak congestion.  The FPM bottleneck work will continue on an annual basis.   ATRI and FHWA will be building upon this list for a 2010 analysis; if there are locations that you would like the program to monitor, please click here and submit your suggestion.
For a description of the research methodology, please click here
Congestion Ranking
 Location Avg Speed Peak Avg Speed Non-Peak Avg Speed Non-Peak/ Peak Ratio
Congestion Index
1
30
23
33
1.45
3,794,139
2
34
23
39
1.72
2,372,408
3
32
25
36
1.44
2,156,936
4
35
21
44
2.06
1,817,805
5
47
36
51
1.41
1,313,889
6
42
36
45
1.23
1,193,975
7
48
41
50
1.24
1,098,436
8
44
35
47
1.34
1,056,856
9
47
38
50
1.30
1,027,566
10
36
31
37
1.21
946,575
11
46
37
51
1.35
918,778
12
38
34
40
1.16
871,065
13
45
44
46
1.05
842,858
14
42
32
46
1.44
807,974
15
49
40
54
1.33
796,020
16
46
38
49
1.29
779,358
17
42
35
44
1.27
764,654
18
47
38
51
1.36
762,045
19
37
32
39
1.23
761,237
20
44
35
46
1.31
700,166
21
48
41
51
1.23
680,002
22
51
45
52
1.16
645,757
23
50
44
52
1.16
583,389
24
49
39
53
1.35
575,290
25
46
39
48
1.23
557,858
26
45
40
47
1.19
551,256
27
49
38
53
1.38
496,757
28
50
42
53
1.27
478,413
29
48
40
51
1.29
447,702
30
40
35
43
1.23
442,396
31
37
29
42
1.46
441,361
32
49
42
53
1.24
440,806
33
48
42
51
1.20
434,827
34
47
39
51
1.29
429,511
35
46
31
51
1.63
426,297
36
51
45
54
1.20
415,050
37
51
45
54
1.20
413,149
38
41
35
44
1.25
407,504
39
47
40
49
1.24
390,015
40
50
49
50
1.01
340,212
41
51
44
53
1.21
309,257
42
50
46
52
1.13
294,193
43
48
41
51
1.25
292,454
44
51
44
53
1.21
290,491
45
47
42
49
1.18
285,457
46
51
44
53
1.20
282,266
47
48
41
51
1.24
279,774
48
48
43
50
1.16
278,888
49
45
36
50
1.37
260,041
50
48
40
51
1.26
257,806
51
48
41
52
1.24
256,813
52
46
41
48
1.17
254,853
53
45
39
48
1.23
236,857
54
52
46
55
1.19
226,090
55
51
49
52
1.06
223,163
56
46
39
50
1.27
222,359
57
48
40
51
1.27
221,906
58
51
50
52
1.02
205,115
59
49
44
51
1.18
199,044
60
53
49
55
1.11
190,334
61
52
47
54
1.16
178,116
62
48
38
51
1.35
176,022
63
52
48
54
1.14
174,026
64
46
38
50
1.29
167,882
65
53
49
55
1.11
156,611
66
53
48
55
1.15
150,189
67
54
52
55
1.06
124,423
68
51
48
52
1.09
123,491
69
54
52
55
1.06
109,256
70
54
50
55
1.10
99,907
71
50
45
52
1.16
99,665
72
54
52
55
1.06
94,789
73
53
49
55
1.13
90,009
74
53
50
55
1.10
77,440
75
51
46
54
1.17
77,227
76
53
52
54
1.04
75,219
77
53
49
55
1.13
53,866
78
54
52
55
1.05
43,547
79
54
52
55
1.05
43,389
80
52
46
54
1.17
36,913
81
54
53
55
1.03
35,133
82
53
50
55
1.10
30,260
83
54
53
55
1.04
28,974
84
50
47
51
1.09
28,010
85
55
55
55
1.01
27,900
86
53
50
54
1.09
25,995
87
54
53
55
1.04
23,371
88
54
52
55
1.05
20,876
89
54
51
54
1.07
20,457
90
54
52
55
1.06
19,287
91
51
46
53
1.16
19,052
92
55
54
55
1.03
18,539
93
51
49
52
1.06
13,845
94
55
55
55
1.00
1,231
95
55
55
55
1.00
1,112
96
55
55
55
1.00
–
97
55
55
55
1.00
–
98
55
55
55
1.00
–
99
55
55
55
1.00
–
100
55
55
55
1.00

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has been engaged in critical transportation studies and operational tests since 1954.  ATRI is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit research organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, with offices in Atlanta, Minneapolis, Sacramento, and New York.

ATRI’s primary mission is to conduct transportation research, with an emphasis on the trucking industry’s essential role in a safe, efficient and viable transportation system.  ATRI’s research focus areas include: Congestion and Mobility; Economic Analysis; Safety and Security; Technology and Operations; Environment; and Transportation Infrastructure.

ATRI’s extensive experience covers a broad range of commercial vehicle operations including leadership and/or participation in numerous national freight analyses, technology research initiatives and field operational tests.

ATRI presently manages the U.S. DOT’s Freight Mobility Program, and has provided freight mobility and performance measures technical assistance to 31 state DOTs and 11 of the 15 largest MPOs in the U.S. ATRI has received top research awards from ITS America, TIDA, University of Minnesota and the Institute of Transportation Engineers.

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