ATDM Planning Brief: ATM Feasibility and Screening Guide

In the context of Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM), Active Traffic Management (ATM) 

strategies focus on influencing travel behavior during a trip with respect to operations and lane and facility 

choices. ATM is the ability to dynamically manage recurrent and nonrecurrent congestion based on prevailing 

and predicted traffic conditions. Focusing on trip reliability, ATM maximizes the effectiveness and efficiency of 

the facility, while also increasing safety and throughput by using integrated systems with new and automated 

technologies. Additional information on these strategies can be found in the ATM informational brief at 

http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop13003/index.htm. 

ATM strategies have been receiving significant attention of late 

given the operational benefits that have and can potentially 

accrue from deploying these strategies—as summarized in 

Table 1 below—thereby helping to achieve one or more regional 

transportation goals, such as safety, mobility, reliability, 

environmental, improved transit operations, and accessibility. 

At the same time, implementing ATM strategies can involve 

significant capital costs, followed by ongoing operations and 

maintenance requirements. As such, some or all ATM strategies 

may not be cost effective for certain segments and links of the 

surface transportation network.

Active Traffic Management (ATM)

Strategies

• Adaptive Ramp Metering (ARM)

• Adaptive Traffic Signal Control (ATSC)

• Dynamic Junction Control (DJC)

• Dynamic Lane Assignment (DLA)

• Dynamic Lane Reversal (DLR)

• Dynamic Merge Control (DMC)

• Dynamic Shoulder Lanes (DShL)

• Dynamic Speed Limits (DSpL)

• Queue Warning (QW)

• Transit Signal Priority (TSP)

FHWA has developed an ATM Feasibility and Screening Guide

(the Guide) to assist agencies in making informed investment 

decisions by determining the feasibility of ATM strategies before 

committing significant resources. The Guide addresses ATM 

strategies at the feasibility and screening analyses level, 

enabling practitioners—be they operators or planners, 

representing departments of transportation, metropolitan

planning organizations, or other transportation entities—to answer the following questions with reasonable 

confidence: 

• What roadway networks and facilities would be best suited for ATM in my region?

• What specific or combination of ATM strategies would work best?

• What would be the range of expected benefits?

• What would be the expected costs (capital and ongoing)?

Table 1. Sample Active Traffic Management (ATM) Benefits from U.S. Deployments .

Strategies and Location Benefits

DSpL, DLA, and QW: 

Seattle, WA, along 

northbound I-5. This

7-mile corridor was 

already actively 

managed via ramp 

metering, a robust 

incident management 

program, and traveler 

information. 

Source: Washington State DOT.

• A before-and-after study (3 years for each

period) showed total crashes decreased

4.1 percent along the ATM segment.

(During the same period, the southbound

segment of I-5 – without ATM –

experienced a 4.4 percent increase in the

number of crashes.)
ATDM Planning Brief: ATM Feasibility and Screening Guide

Table 1. Sample Active Traffic Management (ATM) Benefits from U.S. Deployments 

Strategies and Location Benefits 

DJC: Los Angeles, CA, 

at the northbound

SR 110 connector to 

northbound I-5. The 

DJC system allows the 

lane adjacent to the 

exit-only lane to also be 

used as an exit lane (in 

addition to remaining a 

through lane) during peak periods. Source: Caltrans.

Following implementation of DJC:

• Average ramp delay reduced from greater

than 20 minutes to under 5 minutes.

• Crashes decreased 30 percent from

previous year.

DSpL, DLA, QW, and 

DShL (for highoccupancy toll [HOT] 

lanes): Minneapolis, 

MN, along I-35W. The 

DSpL consisted of 

speed advisories—not 

legal speed limits.

Source: Minnesota DOT.

• On average, the morning peak

experienced 17 percent less congestion

with DSpL.

• Crash reductions in the 6-month postdeployment period were as follows:

o 9 percent reduction in fatal plus injury

crashes

o Greater than 20 percent reduction in

property damage only crashes.

Benefit information on other strategies, such as ARM, TSP, ATSC, and shoulder lanes reserved for buses 

(“bus on shoulder”) can be found in the Guide and at the USDOT benefits and costs database: 

http://www.itsknowledgeresources.its.dot.gov/. 

The Guide presents a recommended process—a series of steps as summarized in Table 2 below—with 

additional information and examples provided in the Guide for each step and activity. This information includes 

flowcharts for each step and for most ATM strategies, along with discussions of potential issues, criteria, and 

available tools. References and links where more detailed information can be obtained are also included.

Table 2. Overview of Active Traffic Management (ATM) Feasibility and Screening Guidance: 

Process Steps, Activities, and Example Application .

Steps and Activities Example Application (Graphical View)

Get Started—Preparation

• Ensure ATM supports regional goals.

• Identify relevant objectives for ATM.

• Define network to be analyzed.

• Identify and collaborate with stakeholders.

• Commence data collection.

• Review recent literature.

Graphic shows a generic roadway network

and all available ATM strategies. 
ATDM Planning Brief: ATM Feasibility and Screening Guide

Table 2. Overview of Active Traffic Management (ATM) Feasibility and Screening Guidance: 

Process Steps, Activities, and Example Application

Steps and Activities Example Application (Graphical View)

Assess Agency Policies and Capabilities 

for ATM

• Define applicable ATM strategies in terms 

of network features, project scope, 

agency policies, and legal considerations. 

• Confirm supporting institutional framework 

is in place. 

In the graphic, strategies “A” and “T” are not 

appropriate to the agency’s transportation 

network (i.e., freeway), and strategy “R” 

does not conform to agency’s policies.

Identify Major Roadway Segments for 

Potential ATM

• Determine level of transportation systems 

management and operations (TSM&O) 

deployment along segments; consider 

other TSM&O strategies in lieu of ATM as 

appropriate. 

• Identify major segments that will likely 

benefit from deploying ATM, based on 

congestion, crash rates, bottlenecks, and 

other considerations. 

In the graphic, the “blue dashed segments 

are less likely to benefit from ATM, possibly 

due to fewer mobility and/or safety issues 

relative to the other segments, the lack of 

other TSM&O strategies along these 

segments, or some combination.

Analyze and Prioritize Individual 

Roadway Links and ATM Strategies

• Analyze and prioritize individual links for 

ATM deployment. 

• Determine appropriate ATM strategies for 

each link. 

• Combine strategies for each link and 

ensure compatibility across the network.

In the graphic, strategies “L,” “D,” and “Q” 

are recommended for links shown in 

“green,” with strategy “S” also included for 

those links with “red” arrows. Circles 

indicate locations for “J.”
ATDM Planning Brief: ATM Feasibility and Screening Guide

Table 2. Overview of Active Traffic Management (ATM) Feasibility and Screening Guidance: 

Process Steps, Activities, and Example Application

Steps and Activities Example Application (Graphical View)

Estimate Benefits and Costs

• Consider key ATM cost factors. 

• Perform high-level estimates of benefits 

and costs using available tools.

In the graphic, those segments outlined in 

yellow provide the greatest estimated 

benefit/cost ratios and are, therefore, the 

highest priority for moving ATM forward.

The information and outputs obtained from following this ATM feasibility and screening process will help 

agencies create ATM deployment programs and strategic plans in their region or on specific corridors that are 

aligned with their region’s needs, goals, objectives, and the overall metropolitan transportation planning 

process, thereby supporting the identification of ATM projects to include in the transportation improvement 

program and other funding plans. The outputs from the applying this guidance can also set the stage for 

performing more detailed analyses in accordance with the principles of systems engineering (e.g., develop a 

concept of operations). Perhaps most importantly, the outputs from applying this guidance can help an agency 

(or agencies) make a business case to managers and decision-makers of the value of applying ATM strategies

and concepts in their region.

ATDM Project Informational Briefs

This informational brief is one of the ATDM brief in 

the “Planning” category of the FHWA ATDM brief 

series. ATDM briefs are or will be available in the 

following categories:

• ATDM Program Yellow

• ATDM Planning Purple

• ATDM Analysis Orange

• ATDM Design Green

• ATDM Operations Red

ATM Feasibility and Screening Guide

The Guide is available on the Resources page of 

the FHWA ATDM Program website at: 

http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/atdm/resources/public

ations.htm. 

For More Information

The FHWA ATDM Program website contains more 

information about ATDM approaches and 

strategies, all of the ATDM briefs, guidance 

documents, and resources and links to external 

stakeholder resources: 

http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/atdm/index.htm. 

Jim Hunt

Jim.Hunt@dot.gov

(717) 221-4422

Greg Jones

GregM.Jones@dot.gov

(404) 562-3906

James Colyar

James.Colyar@dot.gov

(360) 753-9408

FHWA-HOP-14-018 / May 2015