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Navigating the Future: Hampton Roads 2034 Long-Range Transportation Plan
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Regional Congestion Management Process

Roadway congestion is a primary concern facing the users of the Hampton Roads transportation system as it adversely impacts quality of life and economic competitiveness. In order to evaluate current roadway conditions, assess regional transportation needs, and outline strategies to manage current and future roadway congestion, the HRTPO staff maintains a Congestion Management Process (CMP).  The Hampton Roads Congestion Management Process: 2010 Update report includes an analysis of the 2009 and 2030 transportation network in Hampton Roads.

The CMP is an ongoing program in which congestion in the multi-modal, regional transportation system is evaluated and for which improvements are recommended. The main goals of the CMP are to reduce congestion/travel time delays, encourage the use of alternative modes of transportation, and improve air quality through the promotion and coordination of congestion mitigation strategies. The CMP is a vital element of the HRTPO planning process and is used as a guide to develop project recommendations for the Transportation Improvement Program and the Long-Range Transportation Plan. The CMP is a federal requirement for urbanized areas over 200,000 in population and included in the HRTPO Unified Planning Work Program.

The CMP assists in performing the following tasks for the regional transportation system:
• Measure multi-modal transportation system performance
• Identify congested locations
• Determine the causes of congestion
• Develop alternative strategies to mitigate congestion
• Evaluate the potential of different strategies
• Propose alternative strategies that best address the causes and impacts of congestion
• Track and evaluate the impact of previously implemented congestion management strategies

The first Congestion Management System for Hampton Roads was released in 1995, and was updated in 1997, 2001, and 2005.  This 2010 update is the first to be categorized as a “Process” instead of a “System” to reflect that congestion management is an integral part of the metropolitan planning process, not a stand-alone program.  The Hampton Roads CMP takes a “region-wide” approach to identify and address congestion concerns. The CMP also develops a “toolbox” of strategies to address the most congested locations.  Since we cannot simply build our way out of congestion, all strategies must be considered, with adding roadway capacity as a last resort.  In addition, this report ranks corridors based on congestion and a variety of other criterion, including freight, safety, travel speed, and military significance.  Finally, congestion mitigation strategies are identified and recommended for these locations.

To assist with the Congestion Management Process, HRTPO staff regularly collects transportation data from various sources and incorporates this information into the CMP Database.  The CMP Database includes the following information for roadways throughout Hampton Roads:

• Traffic counts
• Traffic volume forecasts
• Peak hour characteristics and level of service (existing and future)
• Roadway characteristics (such as number of lanes, number of traffic signals, and speed limits)
• Travel time and speeds
• Truck volumes
• Crash data

If you would like receive information from the CMP Database, please contact Kathlene Grauberger at (757) 420-8300, or kgrauberger@hrpdcva.gov

State of Transportation in Hampton Roads
As part of the Congestion Management Process, the HRTPO staff regularly updates and publishes the State of Transportation in Hampton Roads Report, with the latest report released in 2011. These reports document the Region’s recent transportation data and historical trends, and compare Hampton Roads with similar metropolitan areas in the United States.  The State of Transportation in Hampton Roads report includes information in the following areas:

• Air travel
• Marine activity
• Rail traffic
• Roadway usage
• Commuting data
• Safety
• Truck data
• Transportation operations
• Public transportation
• Bicycle and pedestrian facilities
• Transportation financing and funding
• Air quality

As part of the CMP Program, the HRTPO is carrying out the following activities:

• Gathering and updating the CMP database with the latest traffic counts

• Updating future traffic projections with the latest forecast

• Updating the current level of service and determining future conditions

• Developing and incorporating crash data into the CMP database

• Performing additional detailed analysis of congested corridors

• Identifying impacts of the most congested locations on other corridors, intersections, or the transportation system

• Analyzing crash data and depicting high crash locations for the interstate systems and intersections along the CMP roadway network

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Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization
The Regional Building
723 Woodlake Drive
Chesapeake, VA 23320
(757) 420-8300