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Highway Trust Fund

Financial Report for Fiscal Year 2004

Management's Discussion and Analysis

Table of Contents | Management's Discussion and Analysis | Financial Section | Appendices

 

Highway Congestion

Traffic congestion on the nation's highways has steadily increased over the past 20 years as the population of drivers, number of vehicles, and travel volume continue to increase at a faster rate than system capacity. According to the Texas Transportation Institute, drivers experience more than 3.5 billion hours of delay and waste 5.7 billion gallons of fuel annually due to traffic congestion. The economic impact of congestion, including wasted fuel and time, was estimated to be more than $63 billion in 2002 (the most current data). Over 61 percent of the cost was experienced in the 10 metropolitan areas with the most congestion. Slowing the growth of congestion and delay aids urban travelers' mobility and productivity and curbs economic inefficiencies induced by congestion.

The following table depicts the performance measures and goals related to Highway Congestion.

HIGHWAY CONGESTION – DEPARTMENTAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND GOALS
Performance Measures Modal Administration FY 2001
Actual
FY 2002
Actual
FY 2003
Actual
FY 2004
Target
FY 2004
Actual
FY 2004
Results
Percentage of total annual urban-area travel that occurs in congested conditions  FHWA  30.4
(Target 30.0)
30.5 Read Table 1 Footnote rr
(Target 30.9)
30.8 Read Table 1 Footnote 11
(Target 31.6)
 32.3 30.9 1Note 1: This data is a projection from trends.  Met

Notes:

(r) Revised (Back to text)

(1) Projection from trends. (Back to text)


FY 2004 Results: The Department met the performance target.

The estimated percent of congested travel was 30.8 percent in 2003, a figure well below the anticipated increase to 31.8 percent. The estimated result was only 0.3 percent higher than in 2002 and below the anticipated increase for the second straight year. The results for the 2002-2003 period suggest that the overall rate of growth in traffic congestion nationwide is slowing, and is much less than recently projected increases of 0.7 percent annually.

The following table depicts the FHWA supplemental performance measures and goals related to Highway Congestion.

HIGHWAY CONGESTION – FHWA SUPPLEMENTAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND GOALS
Performance Measures FY 2001
Actual
FY 2002
Actual
FY 2003
Actual
FY 2004
Target
FY 2004
Actual
FY 2004
Results
Of annual urban-peak period travel time, additional percentage of travel time attributable to congestions 53 Read Table 2 Footnote rr
(Target 52)
55Read Table 2 Footnote 11
(Target 53)
N/ARead Table 2 Footnote 33
(Target 54)
N/TRead Table 2 Footnote 22 N/A 3Table 2 Footnote 3: This data is not available.  
For the individual traveler in urban areas, average annual hours of extra travel time due to delays 32.0 rTable 2 Footnote r: this value is revised
(Target 31.7)
2,571
(Target 32.2)
N/A 3Table 2 Footnote 3: This data is not available.
(Target N/T 2Table 2 Footnote 2: There was no target.)
N/T 2Table 2 Footnote 2: There was no target. N/A 3Table 2 Footnote 3: This data is not available.  
Number of metropolitan areas where integrated ITS infrastructure is deployed 52
(Target 56)
57
(Target 61)
57
(Target 64)
70 N/A 3Table 2 Footnote 3: This data is not available.  

Notes:

(r) Revised (Back to text)

(1) Projected from trends. (Back to text)

(2) No target. (Back to text)

(3) Data not available. (Back to text)


FY 2004 Results: Data not yet available for these measures.

 

FHWA

Photo showing a control panel used to monitor traffic flow.

Electronic surveillance of traffic flow allows quick detection of congestion.

FHWA continued to focus states on the use of highly integrated ITS, which uses electronic information and communications technology to extend the capacity of the highway infrastructure to improve traffic flow and reduce bottlenecks. As a result, 62 of the original 75 metropolitan areas targeted in 1996 for deploying ITS have achieved a “medium” or “high” level of integrated ITS deployment.

FHWA also advocated the use of the 511 travel telephone number information service, another ITS tool, to provide information to drivers on traffic problems in their geographic area. As a result, this information is now accessible to about 25 percent of the nation's population.

FHWA began to develop a measure of travel times on significant freight corridors and border crossings to better understand and target efforts to keep freight moving as efficiently as possible in corridors and borders. The Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) was used to explore options to re-route traffic on the transportation network in the event of the loss of major transportation infrastructure. The Maritime Administration also used the FAF extensively to evaluate the potential modal diversion of freight from highway to seaway in support of proposed legislation.

FHWA allocated funding to 108 projects under the National Corridor Planning and Development and Coordinated Border Infrastructure Grants Program to improve planning and project development in order to improve the flow of people and freight.

Finally, FHWA was instrumental in guiding two Latin America Trade and Transportation studies, involving 13 and 16 state agencies respectively, to address the transportation response of the United States to increased trade with Latin America.

 

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