Planning Process to Improve Freeway Congestion

Introduction

Freeway congestion is a challenge that many states face, and a permanent solution remains evasive. In Los Angeles, the hidden toll of driving around is the time one spends on the roads. Different stakeholders hold various responsibilities to identify transport solutions, design solutions and implement them. “Transportation planning is a cooperative process designed to foster involvement by all users of the system, such as the business community, community groups, environmental organizations, the traveling public, freight operators, and the general public” (Transit Cooperative Research Program, 2002, pg. III-12). The process is conducted by a partnership of different organizations; Department of Transportation (state DOT), Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and transit operators. For the process to be meaningful, it has to be conducted through a proactive public transportation participation process.

It is a well-established fact that infrastructure investments play an important role in any County’s economic development. However, the magnitude of its contribution and the extent to which the economy benefits may differ. When considering the solutions for a County’s infrastructure system, policy makers have to consider more than the immediate economic benefits. They have to put into consideration broader developments in a region and how they can work together with a good infrastructure to benefit the economy. There are various economic benefits, which arise from infrastructure development. It enhances employment accessibility, increases employees output as a result of easier operations, impacts property value and it increases productivity.

When studying transportation problems and solutions, there are so far no reliable methods for calculating the larger effects. However, most researchers agree that the relationship between infrastructure and economic output can be used to evaluate both benefits ad problems of a transportation system. The process of identifying solutions should, therefore, consider the economic effect of the current and forecasted solution, among other processes.

Identify problems

Freeway congestion can result due to several conditions. In Los Angeles, one of the reasons is an imbalance between the supply and demand for road space. In order to reduce congestion, therefore, the County would have to increase the supply of road space. The county could also work a plan to reduce the peak-hour automotive travel such as implementing rules for carpooling or ride-sharing services like Uber. Another reason for congestion in Los Angeles is lack of transportation revenue. This results due to a failure by the state and federal government to collect enough in taxes to fund infrastructure projects. Even if the funds were available, the road network in Los Angeles according to Sorensen et al, “is the already by far the most extensive in the nation, and there is very little space to add more road capacity in the areas where congestion is most intense”. In addition to this, most local communities do not support the idea of roads expansions in their neighborhoods because of fear that construction would affect environmental, health and social status of the County.

Another major problem in Los Angeles is the resident’s mobile preferences and habits. As Sorensen et al explains, “compared to those in other large U.S. metropolitan areas, L.A. residents drive more miles per person — thus demanding more roadway — than would be expected based on the region's overall population density” (1). Despite the fact that the County has a high population density, which in other cities results in low per capita demand for freeways, in Los Angeles the situation is opposite. The county’s roadways demand remains high.

Finding a long-term solution that remains effective for long can also be challenging. Whenever congestion-reduction strategies are implemented in the County, travelers alter their travelling patterns to enjoy the freedom, and those who avoided the busiest routes previously come back when they notice improvements. Those who preferred to use trains to and from work choose to drive because the roads are less congested. This pattern, also known as triple convergence, erodes the initial benefits that the roads department had achieved. This explains why traffic eases up for a short while when freeways are expanded, and then congestion resumes a few years later. In order for the a long-term solution to be implemented, the process of finding a solution has to include problems identification and deep analysis.

Perform forecasts

It is a well agreed upon fact that transportation investments contribute to the overall economic output of a country (Transit Cooperative Research Program, 2002, pg. III-14). To ensure that the output is worth the cost of investment, infrastructure has to be developed with much consideration to ensure that the Los Angeles County prioritizes according to its needs in various states. For example, a region with more industrial activity should have a better transportation system than a residential area. At a local level, measuring the relationship between transportation investments being made and their economic contribution to the County's output is one way to study transportation problems. If the relationship is significantly satisfying, then the investment is a positive one. A transportation system must be able to sustain itself from the revenues it attracts after its completion to be viable.

Other empirical studies reveal that comparing the overall production of a Los Angeles and how it is affected by mass transit is a good way to measure transportation problems or developments in that County. An example of how this can be done is studying the relationship between mass transit of a particular state and personal income of the people in that state. If after an increase in the mass transit expenditure personal income levels remain the same, then there is a problem with the system. Personal income rates should go up since people are able to access jobs more easily and spend less time on the road to work, allowing them to work for longer hours.

Using this method to identify problems may be challenging sometimes. It may not be possible to completely quantify the relationship between the overall economic output and transit investments, especially over a short period. It may take time before the benefits can be established and problems identified. As a result, it may not be very applicable when short term analysis is required.

There are also no well established recipes or reliable relationships for calculating larger economic benefits (Transit Cooperative Research Program, 2002, pg. III-15). This makes it hard to apply this method of evaluation directly to local transit projects. After an established growth in per capita income, benefits on a local level can be done by analyzing incomes from individual states.

Estimate the impact

The plan top tackle Freeway Congestion in Los Angeles more than 25 years ago involved tackling small sections at a time. At the time, along some 50 miles of Los Angeles, the state’s division of highway put up measures to deal with freeway congestion. The actions included message signs that can be changed to minimize delay locations among motorists, early detection and response to traffic incidents and accidents, quick rescue service for stranded motorists, and on-ramp traffic signals to help minimize traffic volumes on freeways. (American Society of Civil Engineers, 2013). The county now needs to perform stock taking to measure the success of initial strategies, and improve on existing ones to get better results.

The County of Los Angeles should also analyze its urbanization and agglomeration economies to measure how much transportation investments are contributing to the economy. Urbanization economies are the effects that transportation investments have on urban areas and cities. The benefits arise from the fact that people now share common resources and infrastructure (Transit Cooperative Research Program, 2002, pg. III-14). If the unit cost of systems such as water and sewers are not decreasing, then the transportation system is not working and there will be no expected scale economies.

Agglomeration economies on the other hand can be used to measure the benefits arising from accessibility. As a result of compact settlements, interactions are easier and so are supplier and consumer relationships. Labor accessibility and proximity becomes easier. These benefits are supposed to be captured in cost benefits of a state and if none are revealed, it is an indication that the system and the investments may not be working. If supplier consumer relationships are enhanced but goods and services are still not available when they are needed, it is one way to evaluate where the transit system is not functioning.

By accurately measuring the extent to which the economy has been and will be impacted, a state or the country is able to evaluate the value of their investments and their effectiveness. If the benefits will not be felt, the cost of investment becomes more than the benefits accrued. In this case, the model will fail and maybe there would be need to restructure how the transit system is developed. The evaluations play an important role in the decision-making processes over future developments.

Important considerations

The importance of plans and projects integration for any initiative to succeed, and for a problem to be solved comprehensively, project integration is critical. It is paramount that all the stakeholders be involved and consulted in major decisions. “Project integration should address the projects’ charter, the importance of its stakeholders, significant milestones, and the project's lifecycle” (Aguanno 13). The solution plan should be comprehensive enough to allow easy takeover if there was any change in the project's management. Project management methodologies should be applicable and realistic. For example, it would be risky for the Los Angeles County to develop an extremely technologically advanced project if there is not enough capacity for the team to do so.

A plan’s budget and costs must also be realistic enough to minimize financial hitches. The biggest obstacle that any county faces towards minimizing traffic is cost. Out of the urgency to do something about the situation, county executives can be tempted to flag off projects where there isn’t money for completion, or without putting into consideration inflation rates, exchange rates for imported materials, price changes for the supplies, labor availability, among others and other issues that could increase the cost of the project. Costs approximation should be done in full consideration of all the financial risks that may arise.

The need for mutual goals and incentives

The need for mutual goals and incentives cannot be over-emphasized. “Goals and incentives must be mutual and built into contracts throughout the project life cycle to ensure quality, safety, financial soundness, and a commitment to meeting budget and schedules” (Aguanno 54) A plan's charter must fully identify quantifiable goals and objectives. Unrealistic goals makes it not only impossible for the stakeholders to anticipate challenges, it also makes it hard for employees to meet targets that are not very well defined. “The plan’s inputs should be discussed with deliverable and success criteria in mind” (United States, Congress. House, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit 34).

Improvement and oversight

To ensure quality of the plan, there is need for the Los Angeles County to implement continuous improvement strategies. They will allow the relevant departments to identify those areas, which are failing, and work towards improving them. In the case of 405 Freeway, for instance, the project has suffered too much rigidity and lacked room for adjustments to minimize the costs. The plan was has also been too complex to implement changes easily, and there has been more additions than deductions. As a result, the costs kept escalating and there are no appropriate measures to trim it. A plan should ensure that for every stage, there are alternatives should there be any unprecedented difficulties.

The need for constant innovations

Good quality management techniques ensure constant product improvement and counter-measures for possible technicalities in the process. “Delivery processes should be constantly evaluated and improved in the light of their efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility” (Aguanno 106). Some of the freeway expansion projects that have failed in the past did so because there were no realistic alternatives for those processes and stages that failed. Control measures are designed to automatically give a guideline on the next best and realistic step for those that may have failed or proved too difficult to implement.

Conclusion

The Los Angeles County has one of the most extensive road networks in the United States, but still has some of the most congested freeways. Some projects in the past have come in handy to resolve the problem. For example, as recorded by Sorensen, “LA’s congestion-pricing program, called Metro Express Lane, was made possible by political gridlock in New York State Assembly over congestion pricing, after New York City was awarded grant money to implement the system in 2007”. New York was forced to return the money, which was then made available LA. However, it is evident that much still needs to be done to resolve the problem. For this to happen, there has to be a systematic process as outline in this paper to identify and implement long-lasting solution.

Works Cited

Aguanno, Kevin. Managing Agile Projects. Lakefield, Ont: Multi-Media Publications, 2005.Internet resource.

American Society of Civil Engineers: Los Angeles Tackles Freeway Congestion, 2013. Web. 04 Nov. 2013.

Sorensen, Paul, et al. Reducing Traffic Congestion in Los Angeles, 2008. Web. 04 Nov. 2013.

Subcommittee on Highways and Transit: Transportation Solutions in a Community Context: The Need for Better Transportation Systems for Everyone: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Highways and Transportation [i.e. Transit] of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of Representatives, One Hundred Seventh Congress, Second Session, July 25, 2002. Washington: U.S. G.P.O, 2002. Print.

Transit Cooperative Research Program. Estimating the Benefits and Costs of Public Transit Projects: A Guidebook for Practitioners. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 2002. United States. Congress. House. Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.