Incorporating Travel-Time Reliability into the Congestion Management Process (CMP): A Primer

Appendix: Congestion Management Process Refresher

Readers unfamiliar with the Congestion Management Process (CMP) should consult the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) report, Congestion Management Process: A Guidebook [17]. This appendix provides a very brief overview of the CMP and FHWA's Planning for Operations program so that readers may see how the guidance in this primer fits within the overall CMP.

The CMP is a systematic approach to provide a credible basis for metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) to invest in congestion mitigation across modes. The CMP is collaboratively developed with and implemented by member agencies. CMPs may identify demand reduction or operational management strategies to meet Regional Transportation Plan objectives. The CMP Actions are illustrated in Figure 10. The CMP Guidebook can be found online at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/congestion_management_process/cmp_guidebook/.

Planning for Operations is also a systematic process to help planning agencies, such as MPOs, engage in mutually beneficial activities with operations staff from other agencies or departments. Engaging operations staff drawn from a wide variety of sources, such as departments of transportation (DOTs) and transit operators, assists the CMP by providing an expanded toolbox of management and operations strategies. More information can be found at https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/travel/plan2op.htm.

Figure 10. Chart. Actions for the Congestion Management Process

Source: Congestion Management Process: A Guidebook, Figure 2, Federal Highway Administration, FHWA-HEP-11-011.