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Highway Information Quarterly Newsletter

April 2002

Road

Office of Highway Policy Information - Federal Highway Administration

Contents

Posted Speed Limits Rise | Travel up in 2001 | Motor Fuel Notes | HPMS Note

This edition is in electronic (web) only format.


Posted Highway Speed Limits Rise

During the last decade daytime speed limits posted for automobiles along many Interstate System and non-Interstate routes rose. By 1993, an estimated 32,600 miles had been posted at 65 miles per hour and 200 miles at 60 miles per hour; this rose to about 64,900 miles posted at 65 miles per hour and 19,100 miles at 60 miles per hour by 2000. By 1995, an estimated 1,800 miles had been signed at 75 miles per hour and 4,000 miles at 70 miles per hour; this rose to about 7,400 miles signed at 75 miles per hour and 40,900 miles at 70 miles per hour by 2000.

Posted Speed Limits - 1993 to 2000 1/

(Estimated Miles of Highway and Estimated Daily Vehicle-Miles Traveled by Calendar Year)

Estimated Miles of Highway
60 MPH
65 MPH
70 MPH
75 MPH
1993
183
32,567
0
0
1994
113
33,018
0
0
1995
572
38,143
3,981
1,794
1996
18,364
59,264
24,258
5,670
1997
19,373
59,710
32,726
5,701
1998
20,434
60,111
50,934
6,841
1999
16,678
57,634
35,320
7,555
2000
19,133
64,902
40,897
7,388
Estimated Daily Vehicle-Miles Traveled
60 MPH
65 MPH
70 MPH
75 MPH
1993
1,836
564,640
0
0
1994
1,388
594,071
0
0
1995
32,106
655,799
41,254
17,572
1996
138,058
969,716
238,144
59,992
1997
155,792
977,520
326,523
63,309
1998
172,791
1,063,010
403,433
72,682
1999
154,938
1,071,379
361,963
80,329
2000
171,810
1,113,044
440,082
82,927

1/ Based on arterial and (major) collector sample data from the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS).

In 2000, 75 mile per hour daytime speed limits had been posted in eleven Rocky Mountain States. Generally, many of these facilities are located where population densities are in the range of less than 10 persons per square mile. See Map for maximum posted speed limits.

Map of U.S. showing maximum posted speed limit by States for 2000.

Over 58 percent of these highest speed limit facilities (60-75 miles per hour) have traffic volumes of less than 5,000 vehicles per day. However, only about 6 percent of the highway travel on these facilities is at this level. The bulk of the travel on these higher speed facilities is at traffic volumes exceeding 20,000 vehicles per day, except for those posted at 75 miles per hour.

Posted Speed Limits by Traffic Volume Group 1/

(Estimated Miles of Highway and Estimated Daily Vehicle-Miles Traveled by Traffic Volume Group)

Estimated Miles of Highways
60 MPH
65 MPH
70 MPH
75 MPH
Under 5,000
15,235
35,733
24,750
1,316
5,000-9,999
1,771
5,454
2,973
2,940
10,000-19,999
574
7,049
4,910
2,359
20,000-49,999
507
11,435
6,850
715
50,000 or more
1,045
5,231
1,413
58
Total
19,132
64,902
40,896
7,388
Estimated Daily Vehicle-Miles Traveled (1,000)
60 MPH
65 MPH
70 MPH
75 MPH
Under 5,000
23,595
55,170
28,390
4,557
5,000-9,999
11,497
39,837
21,453
21,043
10,000-19,999
7,964
102,907
71,743
32,900
20,000-49,999
17,440
355,636
211,203
20,808
50,000 or more
111,314
559,494
107,294
3,618
Total
171,810
1,113,044
440,083
82,926

1/ Based on arterial and (major) collector sample data from the 2000 Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS).

Of the estimated 7,400 miles posted at 75 miles per hour, about 7,000 miles are part of the Interstate System; of these facilities, the Interstate System carried nearly 98 percent of the travel. Of the estimated 40,900 miles posted at 70 miles per hour, nearly 28,300 miles are off the Interstate System. Of the estimated 440 billion daily vehicle-miles traveled on facilities posted at 70 miles per hour, less than 92 billion daily vehicle-miles traveled were off the Interstate System. Additional speed limit statistics based on sample data from the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) can be obtained from Paul Svercl at telephone 202-366-5036 or email at paul.svercl@fhwa.dot.gov.

Posted Speed Limits by Functional System 1/

(By Estimated Miles of Highway and Estimated Daily Vehicle-Miles Traveled by Functional System.)

Estimated Miles of Highway
60 MPH
65 MPH
70 MPH
75 MPH
Rural Interstate
108
14,212
10,631
6,722
Rural Other Principal Arterials
5,498
19,200
7,171
325
Rural Other
11,840
23,656
20,422
0
Subtotal (Rural)
17,446
57,068
38,224
7,047
Urban Interstate
959
5,181
1,919
322
Urban Other Principal Arterials
611
2,573
617
19
Urban Other
118
80
136
0
Subtotal (Urban)
1,688
7,834
2,672
341

Total Estimated Miles of Highway

19,134
64,902
40,896
7,388
Estimated Daily Vehicle-Miles Traveled
60 MPH
65 MPH
70 MPH
75 MPH
Rural Interstate (1,000)
4,613
377,719
250,844
74,790
Rural Other Principal Arterials (1,000)
26,044
121,719
46,920
1,556
Rural Other (1,000)
17,151
34,134
22,787
0
Subtotal (Rural) (1,000)
47,808
533,572
320,551
76,346
Urban Interstate (1,000)
96,319
411,921
97,372
6,371
Urban Other Principal Arterials (1,000)
27,190
167,120
21,783
210
Urban Other (1,000)
494
431
377
0
Subtotal (Urban) (1,000)
124,003
579,472
119,532
6,581
Total Estimated Daily Vehicle-Miles Traveled (1,000)
171,811
1,113,044
440,083
82,927

1/ Based on arterial and (major) collector sample data from the 2000 Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS).


Travel up in 2001

Travel for the Nation in 2001 showed an increase of 1.0 percent as compared to 2000. The estimate of vehicle miles of travel from the Traffic Volume Trends (TVT) was estimated at 2778.0 billion for 2001 as compared to 2749.8 billion for 2000. The TVT estimates are based on monthly submissions of continuous traffic recorder data from the various States. The TVT estimates are of interest to the private sector and public agencies as an early indicator of vehicle miles of travel. The TVT travel estimate for 2001 is an interim value that will be superseded by that from the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS), which will become available in Fall 2002. Questions on the TVT data series can be directed to Jeff Patten at (202) 366-5052 or email jeff.patten@fhwa.dot.gov for assistance.


Motor Fuel Notes

Roll Out of Motor-Fuel Smart Tool

A training session was held on February 26, 2002 via video conferencing, by the Office of Highway Policy Information (OHPI). The training session provided information and training on the new Motor Fuel Smart Input Tool for State providers and FHWA field data staff. Motor fuel is a major factor in TEA-21 apportionments, including the critical Minimum Guarantee program. This new tool provides for electronic, web-based, and error free mechanism for State data submittals. Up to this time, FHWA had accepted FHWA Form 551 in a wide variety of formats . The video presentations provided for training of its web-site contents, downloading the application, documentation, and input options. These options include Spreadsheet Option, Wizard View Option, and more advanced import options. States will start using this new tool by April 1, 2002 for January 2002 and later data. This new tool will significantly reduce the burden to States. With the February 26 workshop plus "makeups" on March 13 2002, and later in March, OHPI expects virtually 100% of Divisions will have received "Smart Tool" training. For more information, contact Ralph.Erickson@fhwa.dot.gov or call 202-366-9235.


Motor Fuel Model Estimation Workship

The Office of Highway Policy Information, (Policy SBU) sponsored a two-day workshop on motor fuel estimation models on March 7-8 in Alexandria, Virginia. Motor fuel is a major factor in TEA-21 apportionments, including the critical Minimum Guarantee program. The consensus of States attending was general satisfaction with FHWA model management. About 15% of gasoline data is currently modeled. The advice given to FHWA was to update current models, and continue to concentrate on improving the quality of the non-modeled data (85%). An exception to the overall consensus was gasohol modeling, where some States were concerned they were being assigned gasohol model amounts, while their State tax structures do not track gasohol as a separate fuel type. About 35-40 State/FHWA staff attended.


Motor-Fuel Knowledge Management Website

The Office of Highway Policy Information has recently added the Motor-Fuel/Highway Trust Fund Attribution to the overall FHWA Knowledge Management Website at http://knowledge.fhwa.dot.gov (See Motor Fuel/Highway Trust Fund Attribution). This site is an important source of information and exchange of views on the subject. Participants can log onto the site and share in the discussion through the Community of Practice Exchange. For more information, contact Ralph.Erickson@fhwa.dot.gov or 202-366-9235.


HPMS Notes

HPMS Submittal Software Version 5.0

The HPMS Submittal Software Version 5.0 was released in March 2002. This is the version of the submittal software to be used by the States for the June 2002 submittal of the 2001 data. The new version of the software contains enhancements requested by several States including revised edits and new and revised reports. It also includes revised capacity procedures that follow the procedures outlined in the Highway Capacity Manual 2000 (HCM).

A word of caution: If a State has determined override capacity values for some of their HPMS sample segments in the past, and is going to do so again for these segments in the 2001 data, the 2001 capacity estimates must use the procedures outlined in the HCM 2000. The current capacity values in the 2000 HPMS data cannot be carried forward to the 2001 data.

Any questions about the submittal software should be directed to Beverly Harrison at 202-366-4048 or email beverly.harrison@fhwa.dot.gov.

Boundaries for Census Urbanized Areas

Existing Federal-aid urbanized and small urban area boundaries must be used to report the 2001 HPMS data due in June 2002. Population numbers for rural, small urban and individual urbanized areas should be developed from the Census estimate of State population as of July 1, 2001 in accordance with standard reporting practice cited on page III-2 of the HPMS Field Manual. FHWA has delayed a decision on how the Census boundaries will be used in the future until after the Census has published the new boundaries and FHWA has had a chance to assess their impacts. For further information, contact Paul Svercl at 202-366-5036 e-mail at paul.svercl@fhwa.dot.gov.

HPMS Software Training

Two training sessions for the HPMS Submittal Software Version 5.0 were held in Washington, DC in early April. The training was attended by over 40 State and FHWA professionals.

HPMS Issues Seminar

An HPMS issues seminar is being scheduled for August 27 and 28 in Chicago. A separate half-day session for FHWA staff only is planned for the afternoon of August 26. The workshop is intended to provide an opportunity for HPMS data providers to discuss common problems and share solutions to the HPMS reporting issues they are facing. The format will be an open discussion of items of interest to the participants interspersed with topic-related presentations from various States and FHWA. For further information, or program topic suggestions, please contact Frederick Orloski at 517-702-1840 or by e-mail at fred.orloski@fhwa.dot.gov.

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