USDOT Congestion Initiative Focus on Operational Solutions to Bottleneck Congestion

The Localized Bottleneck Reduction (LBR) Program responds to the U.S. DOT Congestion Initiative by promoting operational and low-cost construction bottleneck mitigation strategies to improve mobility in the near term. Such improvements have great potential for reducing crashes, delay, pollution, and vehicle operating costs while improving overall quality of life.

Recent domestic and international scans have identified innovative operationally-oriented approaches that are effectively addressing congestion at, for example, ramps, lane squeezes, weave areas, and interchange quadrants. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is in the process of collecting and reviewing the international experiences in the context of the U.S. situation. In addition, FHWA has underway several efforts to solicit examples of best practices in the U.S. For example, FHWA embarked on an effort to conduct case studies of select States that are leaders in addressing bottlenecks. Three of these State visits have been completed and more are planned. And, all 50 of FHWA's Division Offices have been asked to coordinate with their State Department of Transportation (DOT) partners to identify good practice quick fixes to alleviate bottleneck congestion.

In an effort to encourage consideration of these innovative strategies, the FHWA has published Traffic Bottlenecks: A Primer – Focus on Low-Cost Operational Improvements (HTML, PDF 1.8MB). This document will be regularly updated as new information becomes available. The Primer is a robust source of information providing a wide range of operational and low-cost construction strategies to reduce congestion at bottlenecks. It is intended to serve as a spring board for discussion between FHWA and the State DOTs regarding opportunities for the implementation of low-cost, near-term improvements to mitigate congestion at bottlenecks.

In the longer term, a "toolbox" will be developed. The toolbox will be a "one-stop" source for information and guidance regarding low-cost operational and construction strategies for improving bottlenecks. Furthermore, FHWA will issue guiding principles and concepts common to low-cost operational improvement programs in order to further State efforts in adopting a comprehensive approach to addressing traffic congestion at bottlenecks.

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