Data- and Performance-Based Congestion Management Approach for Maryland Highways

Across the country, state departments of transportation face challenges because of limited budgets and increased infrastructure needs. These agencies often are required to make and defend difficult decisions on project prioritization. With the increased availability of data, more quantitative measures can be used to assist in defining the most pressing project needs to improve mobility. This paper summarizes the findings of the 2012 Maryland State Highway Mobility Report, which evaluates the roadway transportation system operations and is a tool for assessing the annual progress of the state's roadway network. With a focus on policies, programs, and projects that systematically address both the recurring and nonrecurring nature of congestion, the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) has adopted a performance-based approach to provide users with a high-quality, reliable highway system. Four key focus areas were identified: mobility and reliability, incident management and traveler information system...