Model Transportation Systems Management and Operations 

DEPLOYMENTS IN CORRIDORS AND SUBAREAS PRIMER

TSMO
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Technical Report Documentation Page

1. Report No. 

FHWA-HOP-18-026

2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient’s Catalog No.

4. Title and Subtitle 

Model Transportation Systems Management and Operations 

Deployments in Corridors and Subareas Primer 

5. Report Date

February 2018

6. Performing Organizations Code

7. Authors

 Deena Platman, Renee Hurtado, Chris Muhs, Danella Whitt, Jim Peters, 

Jennifer Bachman, Jocelyn Bauer, Deepak Gopalakrishna, Michael Grant

8. Performing Organization 

Report No.

9. Performing Organization Name and Address

Leidos

11251 Roger Bacon Drive 

Reston, VA 20190

10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)

11. Contract or Grant No. 

 Contract No. 

DTFH61-12-D-00050

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address

Federal Highway Administration

U.S. Department of Transportation

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Washington, DC 20590

13. Type of Report and Period Covered 

Primer, January 2016 – December 2017

14. Sponsoring Agency Code 

HOP

15. Supplementary Notes

Mr. Jim Hunt, Federal Highway Administration Government Task Manager

16. Abstract

This primer showcases six illustrative packages of transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) strategy deployments with 

varied geographic, social, and institutional contexts to serve as examples for advancing State, regional, and local plans and programs for 

TSMO. This document is intended to help planners, transportation engineers, and decisionmakers apply a comprehensive approach to the 

deployment of TSMO in corridors and subareas. This primer will enable planners and transportation engineers to think beyond deploying 

TSMO on a project-by-project basis to defining and advancing a “package” of project deployments, institutional advancements, and programs 

that can meet longer term strategic and operational objectives in a corridor or subarea.

17. Key Words

Transportation systems management and operations, planning for operations, 

corridor, subarea.

18. Distribution Statement 

 No restrictions. 

19. Security Classif. (of this report) 

Unclassified

20. Security Classif. (of this page) 

Unclassified

21. No of Pages

 96

22. Price 

 N/A

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized.

DKS Associates

720 SW Washington Street 

Suite 500

Portland, Oregon 97205

ICF

1725 Eye Street NW

Washington, DC 20006

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

WHAT IS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS AND WHY IS IT BENEFICIAL? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

OVERVIEW OF TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS PLANNING 

WITHIN CORRIDORS AND SUBAREAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

HOW TO USE THIS PRIMER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

2. MODEL CORRIDORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

MODEL CORRIDOR 1 – RURAL INTERSTATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

MODEL CORRIDOR 2 – SMALL URBAN CORRIDOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

MODEL CORRIDOR 3 – LARGE URBAN CORRIDOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

3. MODEL SUBAREAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

MODEL SUBAREA 1 – NEIGHBORHOOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

MODEL SUBAREA 2 – URBAN ACTIVITY CENTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

MODEL SUBAREA 3 – URBAN SUB-REGION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

4. IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

SYSTEMS ENGINEERING PROCESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

GUIDING PRINCIPLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

IMPLEMENTATION FACTORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

APPENDIX: MENU OF TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS STRATEGIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

iii
List of Figures

Figure 1. Diagram. Approach to planning for transportation systems management and operations within corridors or subareas................ 4

Figure 2. Illustration. Corridor 1 geography. ...................................................................................................................................................10

Figure 3. Illustration. Corridor 1 motivators and goals. ................................................................................................................................. 12

Figure 4. Diagram. Links between Corridor 1 goals and transportation systems management and operations strategies. ..........................14

Figure 5. Illustration. Corridor 1 transportation systems management and operations strategies. ................................................................16

Figure 6. Illustration. Corridor 2 geography. .................................................................................................................................................. 20

Figure 7. Illustration. Corridor 2 motivators and goals................................................................................................................................... 22

Figure 8. Diagram. Links between Corridor 2 goals and transportation systems management and operations strategies.......................... 24

Figure 9. Illustration. Corridor 2 transportation systems management and operations strategies. ............................................................... 26

Figure 10. Illustration. Corridor 3 geography. ................................................................................................................................................ 30

Figure 11. Illustration. Corridor 3 motivators and goals..................................................................................................................................32

Figure 12. Illustration. Links between Corridor 3 goals and transportation systems management and operations strategies......................35

Figure 13. Illustration. Corridor 3 transportation systems management and operations strategies............................................................... 38

Figure 14. Illustration. Subarea 1 geography................................................................................................................................................... 42

Figure 15. Illustration. Subarea 1 motivators and goals.................................................................................................................................. 44

Figure 16. Diagram. Links between Subarea 1 goals and transportation systems management and operations strategies.......................... 46

Figure 17. Illustration. Subarea 1 transportation systems management and operations strategies................................................................ 48

Figure 18. Illustration. Subarea 2 geography. ..................................................................................................................................................52

Figure 19. Illustration. Subarea 2 motivators and goals.................................................................................................................................. 54

Figure 20. Diagram. Links between Subarea 2 goals and transportation systems management and operations strategies. ........................ 56

Figure 21. Illustration. Subarea 2 transportation systems management and operations strategies................................................................ 58

Figure 22. Illustration. Subarea 3 geography. ................................................................................................................................................. 62

Figure 23. Illustration. Subarea 3 motivators and goals ................................................................................................................................. 64

Figure 24. Diagram. Links between Subarea 3 goals and transportation systems management and operations strategies. ........................ 67

Figure 25. Illustration. Subarea 3 transportation systems management and operations strategies. ...............................................................71

iv
List of Tables

Table 1. Motivator cross-reference with model corridors and subareas. .......................................................................................................... 8

Table 2. Physical implementation factors.........................................................................................................................................................76

Table 3. Operations and maintenance implementation factors....................................................................................................................... 77

Table 4. Institutional implementation factors.................................................................................................................................................. 78

v

List of Acronyms

ADM active demand management

API application programming interface

APM active parking management

ATDM active transportation and demand management

ATM active traffic management

CAD computer-aided dispatch

EOC emergency operations center

DMS dynamic message sign

DOT department of transportation

FHWA Federal Highway Administration

FRATIS Freight Advanced Traveler Information System

HOV high-occupancy vehicle

ICM integrated corridor management

ITS intelligent transportation systems

MPO metropolitan planning organization

MUTCD Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices

RWIS road weather information system

SMART specific, measurable, agreed-upon, realistic, and time-bound

SOP standard operating procedure

TDM transportation demand management

TIM traffic incident management

TMC traffic management center

TSMO transportation systems management and operations

TSP transit signal priority

vii

MODEL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS DEPLOYMENTS IN CORRIDORS AND SUBAREAS PRIMER 1

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1. Introduction

The purpose of this document is to showcase to State, metropolitan, 

and local planners, transportation engineers, and decisionmakers an 

effective and sustainable strategy, program, and package of project 

deployments for transportation systems management and operations 

(TSMO) for corridors or subareas. The document presents six 

illustrative packages of TSMO strategy deployments with varied 

geographic, social, and institutional contexts to serve as examples 

for advancing State, regional, and local plans and programs for 

TSMO. The concept behind this document is to help planners, 

transportation engineers, and decisionmakers apply a 

comprehensive approach to the deployment of TSMO in corridors 

and subareas. This primer will enable planners and transportation 

engineers to think beyond deploying TSMO on a project-by-project 

basis to defining and advancing a “package” of project 

deployments, institutional advancements, and programs that can 

meet longer term strategic and operational objectives in a corridor 

or subarea.

Transportation agencies, particularly at the State and regional levels, 

have increasingly sought to optimize the existing transportation 

system using TSMO strategies. These efforts have resulted in 

statewide and regional policies and programs. A largely untapped 

opportunity to further optimize the transportation system lies in 

applying an integrated approach to planning and deploying TSMO 

in corridors and subareas. 

The target audience of this primer includes:

 Transportation planners.

 Traffic operations engineers.

 Transportation engineers and designers.

 Decisionmakers.

This introduction describes TSMO and its benefits, provides an 

overview of TSMO planning within corridors and subareas, and 

provides a guide for using this primer.

A corridor is a linear system of multi-modal facilities in which 

an existing roadway or transit facility will typically serve as the 

spine of the corridor. The travel shed helps determine the length 

and breadth of a corridor area, which usually connects major 

activity centers or logical destinations. Corridors range in length 

from a few miles in an urban location to hundreds of miles for 

State or multistate corridors. In addition to different spatial scale, 

corridors may have different modal focuses, e.g., freight rail, 

high capacity passenger rail, limited access highway, and bus 

rapid transit.
1 MODEL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS DEPLOYMENTS IN CORRIDORS AND SUBAREAS PRIMER

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WHAT IS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT 

AND OPERATIONS AND WHY IS IT BENEFICIAL?

TSMO encompasses a broad set of strategies that optimize the safe, 

efficient, and reliable use of existing and planned transportation 

infrastructure for all modes. TSMO is undertaken from a systems 

perspective, which means that strategies are coordinated with 

related strategies and collaboration occurs among many 

stakeholders and modes.

TSMO strategies range from managing operational systems, like 

traffic signals, to managing travel demand, like traveler 

information.

TSMO proactively addresses a variety of transportation system user 

needs by:

 Influencing travel demand in terms of location, time, and 

intensity of demand.

 Effectively managing traffic or transit crowding.

1 U.S. Department of Transportation, Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office, Investment Opportunities for Managing Transportation Performance through Technology, January 2009. 

Available at: https://www.its.dot.gov/press/2009/transportation_tech.htm.

 Anticipating and responding to planned and unplanned events 

(e.g., traffic incidents, work zones, inclement weather, special 

events).

 Providing travelers with high-quality traffic and weather 

information.

 Ensuring that the unique needs of the freight community are 

considered and incorporated in all the above.

TSMO strategies are supported by both institutional and 

technology-based activities. On the institutional side, TSMO is 

enabled by memoranda of agreement between agencies, operations 

policies and procedures, and shared resources (e.g., interoperable 

communications systems, centralized traffic signal operations, and 

closed circuit television video sharing). Technology enables realtime operations of the transportation system by controlling traffic 

flow, delivering pre-trip and en-route travel information, and 

delivering data for optimizing system efficiency.

TSMO strategies help transportation agencies address 

transportation issues in the near-term with lower cost solutions. 

TSMO strategies deliver a variety of benefits including:1

Safer travel. For example, freeway ramp metering has been 

demonstrated to reduce crashes by 15 to 50 percent.

More free time. Among other time-saving TSMO strategies, 

traffic signal retiming decreases delay on roads by 13 to 94 percent, 

and transit signal priority (TSP) reduces transit delay by 30 to 

40 percent.

A subarea encompasses a network of transportation facilities for a 

given geographic area. Subareas are generally defined as a portion 

of a region, such as a local municipality (city or county), a 

downtown or central business district, or a neighborhood. Planning 

for subareas typically addresses a broader planning context, which 

may include a wide array of topics, including transportation, land 

use, and urban design.
MODEL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS DEPLOYMENTS IN CORRIDORS AND SUBAREAS PRIMER 1

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Improved reliability. Strategies that reduce unexpected delays 

(e.g., incident management, road weather management, and work 

zone management) enable the public and freight shippers to reduce 

unexpected delays. TSP improves transit on-time performance.

Less wasted fuel. Traffic incident management (TIM) programs 

help to clear incidents safely and quickly. They reduce time lost and 

fuel wasted in traffic backups. For example, Georgia’s TIM program 

(NaviGAtor) reduced annual fuel consumption by 6.83 million 

gallons per year. National studies have shown that integrating 

traveler information with traffic and incident management systems 

could improve fuel economy by about 1.5 percent.

Cleaner air. TSMO strategies result in cleaner air by encouraging 

alternative modes of transportation (e.g., transit, ridesharing, biking, 

walking, and telecommuting) and reducing excess idling due to congested 

bottlenecks. Baltimore, Maryland’s use of electronic toll collection reduced 

harmful emissions at toll plazas by 16 to 63 percent.

OVERVIEW OF TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS 

MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS PLANNING 

WITHIN CORRIDORS AND SUBAREAS 

This primer provides a set of six examples for how the TSMO 

planning process can be used to identify and deploy management 

and operations strategies that help address community needs and 

goals. It illustrates an integrated set of TSMO strategies across 

multiple program areas working together to achieve operations 

objectives within a corridor or subarea context. The objectives for 

this primer are to:

 Fill the gap in transportation planning to incorporate 

operational considerations alongside more traditional capacity 

improvements.

 Provide specific ideas about how to apply the planning for 

operations process to tangible examples.

 Support the high-level goals contained in national surface 

transportation legislation.

The TSMO planning process illustrated in this primer is founded on 

three themes that are consistent with noteworthy practices for 

successful deployment:

 Using a performance-based planning approach.

 Establishing a collaborative environment that cuts across 

agencies, jurisdictions, public-private sector roles, and 

travel modes.

 Connecting to overarching planning processes at the 

metropolitan and State levels.

This primer depicts the planning process and resulting strategy 

deployments within a variety of corridor and subarea contexts. The 

intent is to demonstrate how TSMO strategies can be applied across 

different geographic settings and address a wide variety of 

community needs and issues. Further, it shows how integrated sets 

of strategies can be deployed and operated in different contexts to 

achieve operational goals.
1 MODEL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS DEPLOYMENTS IN CORRIDORS AND SUBAREAS PRIMER

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For in-depth guidance, see the Planning for Transportation System 

Management and Operations within Corridors Desk Reference2

 

and the Planning for Transportation System Management and 

Operations within Subareas Desk Reference.

3

HOW TO USE THIS PRIMER

Figure 1 shows the overarching approach to planning for TSMO 

within corridors or subareas. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to 

TSMO planning and implementation; however, proven practices and 

lessons learned can be applied. The primer uses six different examples 

to demonstrate the planning for TSMO approach. This section is a 

guide to help orient the primer user to the layout and use of the 

example deployments as they relate to the planning approach.

Gathering Information on Current and Future Context and 

Conditions

Each model corridor or subarea includes example background 

information on geographic extent (e.g., rural, suburban, urban); land 

use context (e.g., commercial, industrial); corridor transportation 

facilities (e.g., arterials, collectors); transportation modes (e.g., 

automobiles, transit, bicycles); existing institutional capabilities 

(i.e., degree of organizational readiness for deploying TSMO); and 

motivators driving the need to improve the corridor or subarea. 

While the examples focus on these aspects, practitioners should also 

take into consideration previous studies, reports, and plans; information 

on current system performance; anticipated future conditions and 

contexts; and stakeholder input.

2 Federal Highway Administration, Planning for Transportation Systems Management and 

Operations within Corridors - A Desk Reference, FHWA-HOP-16-037 (Washington, DC: 

September 2016). Available at: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16037/index.htm. 

3 Federal Highway Administration, Planning for Transportation Systems Management and 

Operations within Subareas - A Desk Reference, FHWA-HOP-16-074 (Washington, DC: 

October 2016). Available at: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16074/index.htm. 

Getting Started: Scoping the Effort 

and Building a Team

Gathering Information on Current and 

Future Context and Conditions

Identifying Operations Performance 

Needs, Gaps, and Opportunities

Programming for TSMO on Subareas

Implementing

Developing an Integrated 

TSMO Approach

• Identifying TSMO Strategies Based 

on Operations Objectives and 

Performance Needs

• Evaluating TSMO Strategies

• Selecting TSMO Strategies

Developing an Outcome-Oriented 

Operational Concept

• Subarea Goals

• Subarea Operations Objectives

• Performance Measures

Monitoring and Maintaining Level of Operations Over Time

TSMO=Transportation Systems Management and Operations

Figure 1. Diagram. Approach to planning for transportation 

systems management and operations within corridors or subareas.
MODEL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS DEPLOYMENTS IN CORRIDORS AND SUBAREAS PRIMER 1

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Developing an Outcome-Oriented Operational Concept

Goals establish the desired end state of the plan. Operations 

objectives state the desired operational performance in each corridor 

or subarea. The goals and operations objectives are the link between 

the identified motivators and the set of TSMO strategies developed 

through a planning process. They are linked to quantitative or 

qualitative performance measures that document change over time. 

A set of goals are defined that respond to the unique combination of 

motivators identified for each model corridor and subarea. 

Supporting each goal are one or more operations objectives. 

Individual operations objectives are written statements for desired 

performance. They are SMART statements—specific, measurable, 

agreed upon, realistic, and time-bound—and have performance 

measures linked to them. The SMART operations objectives shown 

in this primer are for illustrative purposes only. Practitioners should 

take into consideration current system performance when developing 

specific corridor or subarea operations objectives and agree upon 

realistic targets for improvement. For more information on the 

objectives-driven, performance-based planning for operations 

approach, see the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) 

Advancing Metropolitan Planning for Operations: The Building 

Blocks of a Model Transportation Plan Incorporating Operations 

– A Desk Reference.4

Identifying Operations Performance Needs, Gaps, and 

Opportunities 

Often a key step in understanding existing performance needs, 

gaps, and opportunities is to conduct a scenario planning exercise. 

4 Federal Highway Administration, Advancing Metropolitan Planning for Operations: The Building Blocks of a Model Transportation Plan Incorporating Operations - A Desk Reference, 

FHWA-HOP-10-027 (Washington DC: April 2010). Available at: https://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop10027/index.htm.

5 Federal Highway Administration, Advancing Transportation Systems Management and Operations Through Scenario Planning, FHWA-HOP-16-016 (Washington DC: October 2015). 

Available at: https://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16016/index.htm.

Operational scenarios should be defined by corridor or subarea 

stakeholders and may include a normal or daily scenario, a traffic 

incident scenario, a planned event scenario, a weather-related, 

emergency or evacuation scenario, or a major work zone scenario. 

Although not implicitly described in this primer, guidance on 

scenario planning is provided in FHWA’s Advancing 

Transportation Systems Management and Operations Through 

Scenario Planning Primer.

5

Developing an Integrated TSMO Approach

A set of TSMO strategies that address the motivators, goals, and 

operational objectives are identified for each corridor and subarea. 

The strategies are generally organized into one or more of the eight 

TSMO program areas described later in this section. The selection 

of TSMO strategies based on goals and operations objectives forms 

the basis of an integrated management and operations approach. 

While this primer demonstrates an idealized complete TSMO 

system, it is important to acknowledge that a corridor or subarea 

may have some of the desired TSMO strategies in place today and 

the planning effort will augment these strategies with new devices, 

communications, or program activities. The primer intends to instill 

the practice of looking at the transportation system holistically to 

create a sustainable, integrated program of TSMO strategies within 

a corridor or subarea.

Evaluating the strategies to determine how well they meet defined 

operations objectives and whether they should be implemented all at 

once or phased in is an important part of determining the best set of 

TSMO strategies for the corridor or subarea. Common methods and 
1 MODEL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS DEPLOYMENTS IN CORRIDORS AND SUBAREAS PRIMER

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analysis tools used for evaluating TSMO strategies include travel 

demand models, sketch-planning tools, analytical/deterministic 

tools, simulation models, and hybrid approaches. FHWA’s 

Organizing and Planning for Operations Analysis and Simulation 

Tools website provides resources.6 Also, FHWA’s Active Traffic 

Management Feasibility and Screening Guide provides examples 

for screening and evaluating active traffic management strategies.7

A similar process may be used for other TSMO strategies.

There are more TSMO strategies than can be covered in this primer. 

The appendix includes a list of TSMO strategies and the right side 

of this page lists the FHWA operations program areas, which 

correspond to many of the TSMO strategy areas listed below.

Traffic Management and Operations. The application of 

management practices and operations strategies that promote the 

safe and efficient use of freeway and arterial roadway capacity to 

reduce congestion and increase safety. Examples of strategies that 

fall under this category include network surveillance, coordinated 

signal timing, adaptive signal timing, ramp metering, variable 

speed limits, and queue warning systems. 

Road Weather Management. The use of strategies to minimize or 

eliminate the impacts of weather events such as rain, snow, high 

winds, or flooding on safe and reliable travel. Examples of strategies 

that fall under this category include the use of road weather 

information systems (RWIS) for weather responsive traffic 

management that are supported by variable speed limits, vehicle 

restrictions, and warning systems.

6 Federal Highway Administration, Analysis and Simulation Tools, https://www.ops.fhwa.

dot.gov/plan4ops/focus_areas/analysis_p_measure/simulation_tools.htm.

7 Federal Highway Administration, Active Traffic Management Feasibility and Screening 

Guide, FHWA-HOP-14-019 (Washington DC: May 2015). Available at: https://ops.fhwa.

dot.gov/publications/fhwahop14019/index.htm.

FHWA Operations Program Areas

FHWA’s Office of Operations web page provides a wealth of guidance online, 

including dedicated web pages for each program area: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/

program_areas/programareas.htm.

Reducing Non-Recurring Congestion

 Traffic Incident Management

▫ Planned Special Events Traffic Management

 Work Zone Management

 Road Weather Management

Reducing Recurring Congestion

 Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM)

 Arterial Management

 Congestion Pricing

 Corridor Traffic Management

 Freeway Management

 Travel Demand Management

Improving Day-to-Day Operations

 Business Process Frameworks for Transportation Systems Management 

and Operations

 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)

 Real Time Traveler Information

 Traffic Analysis Tools

Creating a Foundation for 21st Century Operations

 Organizing and Planning for Operations

 Performance Measurement

 Facilitating Integrated ITS Deployment

Improving Global Connectivity by Enhancing Freight Management and Operations

 Freight Analysis, Infrastructure, Technology and Operations

 Freight Professional Development

 Truck Size and Weight

Improving Mobility and Security through Better Emergency Management

 Emergency Transportation Operations
MODEL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS DEPLOYMENTS IN CORRIDORS AND SUBAREAS PRIMER 1

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Work Zone Management. The practice of managing traffic impacts 

during construction to maximize traveler and worker safety, 

minimize traffic delay, maintain access for adjacent land uses, and 

support timely completion of construction. Examples of strategies 

that fall under this category include automated enforcement, queue 

warning, traveler information, and variable speed limits. 

Planned Special Events Management. The practice of advanced 

planning and coordination to manage travel before, during, and after 

an event. Examples of strategies that fall under this category include 

real-time parking information, travel time information, and special 

signal timing plans. 

Travel Demand Management. The policies and strategies aimed at 

enhancing travel opportunities and choices that make more efficient 

use of the transportation system. Examples of strategies that fall 

under this category include ridesharing systems, individualized 

marketing, and multimodal trip planning mobile device applications.

Public Transportation Management. The use of strategies to 

improve transit service operations and increase safety of riders and 

the traveling public. Examples of strategies that fall under this 

category include transit signal priority, electronic fare collection 

systems, transit surveillance, and blind spot detection systems for 

pedestrians and bicyclists.

Traveler Information. The use of strategies to deliver pre-trip and 

en-route information about travel options and conditions. Examples 

of strategies that fall under this category include dynamic message 

signs, wayfinding, and real-time transit arrival information.

Traffic Incident and Emergency Management. The practice of 

coordinating resources across partner agencies and the private 

8 Federal Highway Administration, Creating an Effective Program to Advance Transportation System Management and Operations Primer, FHWA-HOP-12-003 (Washington DC: January 

2012). Available at: https://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop12003/index.htm.

9 Federal Highway Administration. Developing and Sustaining a Transportation Systems Management & Operations Mission for Your Organization: A Primer For Program Planning, FHWAHOP-17-017 (Washington, DC: September 2017). Available at: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop17017/index.htm.

sector to quickly detect, respond to, and clear traffic incidents; and to 

plan and coordinate response to man-made or natural events causing 

or threatening injury or loss of life, property damage, human 

suffering, or financial loss. Examples of strategies that fall under this 

category include dedicated incident response service patrols, 

computer-aided dispatch (CAD) integration, and TIM teams. 

Each example corridor and subarea includes a decision-tree that 

graphically depicts how each strategy relates to the topic areas and 

the identified goals. The intent is demonstrate to the primer user 

how a set of TSMO strategies in a corridor or subarea helps achieve 

the desired goals and operational outcomes. 

Programming and Implementing TSMO on Corridors and 

Subareas

Moving from the planning stage to programming and implementing 

TSMO typically requires improvements to existing institutional 

capabilities, which describe the degree of organizational readiness 

for deploying TSMO. Each model corridor or subarea provides 

examples for advancing business processes, systems and 

technology, performance measurement, culture, organization/

workforce, and collaboration. Additional FHWA guidance for 

organizing for operations is described in Creating an Effective 

Program to Advance Transportation System Management and 

Operations Primer8 and the related document entitled Developing and 

Sustaining a Transportation Systems Management & Operations 

Mission for Your Organization: A Primer For Program Planning.9

The final section of the primer, presents a collection of key factors for 

the implementation of TSMO strategies that can be applied across all 

six examples. Factors are grouped into the following three categories:
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 Physical factors include the characteristics necessary to 

design and build a TSMO system such as field devices, 

central systems, firmware/software, communications, and 

power connections.

 Operational factors are characteristics related to the 

processes and procedures needed for day-to-day operation 

such as agency roles and responsibilities, operating 

procedures, and performance measurement.

 Institutional factors include the characteristics related to the 

legal, organizational, and behavioral roles associated with 

operating and managing a transportation system. These 

include policies, regulations, intra- and inter-agency 

coordination, and public-private partnerships.

Guide to Model Corridors and Subareas

Table 1 provides a cross-reference of the model corridors and 

subareas to common motivators used in this primer. For 

practitioners looking for a place to dive in to this primer, this 

cross-reference allows you to find which motivator(s) exist in a 

corridor or subarea of interest in your community and identify 

which example may provide the most applicable ideas.

Table 1. Motivator cross-reference with model corridors and subareas.

Motivators

Corridor 1- 

Rural

Interstate

Corridor 2- 

Small Urban 

Corridor

Corridor 3- 

Large Urban 

Corridor

Subarea 1- 

Neighborhood

Subarea 2- 

Urban Activity 

Center

Subarea 3- 

Urban

Sub-Region

Adverse environmental issues (i.e., air or water 

quality).  

Adverse weather (i.e., snow, ice, fog).  

High traffic volumes.  

Variability in trip reliability.   

Capacity bottlenecks/limitations to capacity 

expansion.

    

High prevalence of crashes.     

Other traffic incidents. 

Construction impacts.  

Development pattern changes. 

Land use access issues.    

Special event congestion.   

High reliance on single-occupancy vehicles.  

Financial constraints and priorities.    
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2. Model Corridors 

This section portrays three illustrative corridors based on fictional 

locations with unique geographic characteristics, motivators, 

and institutional capabilities that provide the backdrop for 

demonstrating how a package of transportation systems 

management and operations (TSMO) strategies can be planned 

and implemented to achieve a set of operations objectives. 

MODEL CORRIDOR 1 – RURAL INTERSTATE 

The backbone of Corridor 1 is a long stretch of rural interstate that 

passes through or near small cities, rural towns, and large 

unincorporated sections of rural counties, as depicted in Figure 2. 

Some sections of the interstate are paralleled by other principal 

arterials that connect nearby rural towns and rural lands to the 

interstate. Other principal arterials intersect the interstate to provide 

connections to far-off regions. Corridor 1 spans multiple regions 

that include a variety of State, county, and city agencies who 

manage the transportation system. The State department of 

transportation (DOT) maintains a statewide traffic operations 

program that oversees TSMO in the corridor. 

The terrain is mountainous and the area experiences severe winter 

weather, including icy conditions and heavy snowfall. Some areas 

of the region are also prone to heavy fog or flooding during heavy 

rainfall events.

Due to the rural nature of the area, mode choice in Corridor 1 

predominantly consists of automobile and truck freight travel, with 

limited transit service. The majority of the traffic is made up of 

through-trips on the interstate. The principal arterials and adjacent 

sections of interstate are used by automobiles to connect residents 

to employment, school, and retail and are used by truck freight for 

intermediate trip destinations within the corridor’s small cities and 

rural towns.

The agencies managing and operating the transportation systems in 

Corridor 1 demonstrate the following institutional capabilities for 

implementing a TSMO program:

Business Processes – A multi-year TSMO plan and program exists 

at the statewide level. Targeted multi-jurisdictional business 

processes for Corridor 1 still need development.

Systems & Technology – Operator-driven TSMO deployments have 

been implemented in parts of the corridor including weather and 

work zone management practices.

Performance Measurement – Some performance measurement of the 

system is regularly assessed but there is room for growth in this area.

Culture – Agencies within the corridor appreciate the value and role 

of TSMO.

Organization/Workforce – The State DOT staffs engineers with 

TSMO skill sets.

Collaboration – Informal collaboration occurs on a somewhat 

regular basis between the transportation and public safety agencies 

within the corridor.
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Figure 2. Illustration. Corridor 1 geography.
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The motivators driving the need to implement TSMO strategies in 

Corridor 1 include:

 High prevalence of crashes. Most of the crashes within 

Corridor 1 are run-off-the-road or rear-end collisions often 

caused by people driving too fast for the adverse weather 

conditions.

 Adverse weather. Corridor 1 experiences harsh winters. The 

interstate and principal arterials in the mountain pass in the 

western end of the corridor experience extensive periods of 

icy conditions and heavy snowfall. The central part of the 

corridor has heavy fog events, particularly from dusk to 

dawn. The eastern end of the corridor is prone to flooding 

during heavy rainfall events. These events sometimes result 

in full roadway closures.

 Financial constraints and priorities. Most resources are 

allocated to activities within Corridor 1, such as roadway 

maintenance, to address weather impacts or the use of 

maintenance crews to help public safety agencies with traffic 

incident management for the larger events that impact traffic 

(e.g., full road closures).

 Construction impacts. Frequent re-paving activities are 

needed to repair the roadways due to damage from the winter 

freeze/thaw cycles. Culvert and embankment repairs are also 

needed due to flood damage.

Figure 3 depicts the key motivators occurring in the corridor that 

stakeholders are keen to address with TSMO strategies. 
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Figure 3. Illustration. Corridor 1 motivators and goals.
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Key stakeholders—including planners, engineers, operators, and 

maintenance crews from the State, county, and local transportation 

agencies and emergency responders—collaborate to build a set of 

SMART (specific, measurable, agreed-upon, realistic, and timebound) goals and operations objectives that address the identified 

motivators and provide guidance for the selection of a package of 

TSMO strategies. The four goals and supporting operations 

objectives include:

Goal 1: Reduce number and severity of crashes.

 Reduce severe and fatal crashes by 50 percent within 5 years.

Goal 2: Reduce non-recurring delay.

 Reduce the person hours of non-recurring delay associated 

with weather, incidents, and road work by 10 percent within 

5 years.

 Decrease planning time for freight point-to-point travel times 

through Corridor 1 by 10 percent within 3 years.

Goal 3: Reduce traffic incident duration.

 Increase percentage of agencies that participate in a regional 

coordinated incident response team by 25 percent within 

5 years.

 Reduce mean time for incident detection by 15 percent over

 5 years.

 Reduce mean incident clearance time per incident by 

15 percent over 5 years.

Goal 4: Improve construction coordination 

 Increase the number of scheduled work zones on the rural 

interstate and parallel facilities that are identified in a shared, 

multi-agency database by 100 percent within 2 years.

Figure 4 shows how the four corridor goals and operations 

objectives established by the stakeholders connect to a set of 

TSMO program areas and strategies that reflect the community’s 

constraints, motivations, and values. 

For this rural interstate corridor, the TSMO program areas that 

address crashes, non-recurring delay, traffic incidents, and 

construction include:

 Traveler information.

 Weather management.

 Incident management.

 Emergency management.

 Work zone management.

While these TSMO program areas have discrete focus on different 

elements of managing and operating the transportation system, 

Figure 4 demonstrates how each of the strategies selected for this 

model corridor support multiple program areas. The result is a 

comprehensive approach to corridor management. 
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Figure 4. Diagram. Links between Corridor 1 goals and transportation systems management and operations strategies.
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Corridor 1 stakeholders apply a scenario planning process that 

identified alternative operating conditions tied to the unique 

combination of motivators and goals for the corridor. Using this 

approach, stakeholders narrow down a broad array of potential TSMO 

strategies to a subset that are further screened for feasibility, potential 

benefits, and cost impacts. The strategies that best fit the Corridor 1 

advance toward the implementation phase. 

Figure 5 depicts the set of TSMO strategies selected by the corridor’s 

stakeholders. This rural corridor has a base level of management 

elements in place, including a State-run traffic management center 

(TMC). The planning effort pulls together and augments these elements 

with new devices, communications, and activities to establish a focused 

TSMO approach to be advanced by the corridor’s stakeholders. 

The package of TSMO strategies included in Corridor 1 include:

 Network surveillance. The use of cameras and fixed and mobile 

detection throughout Corridor 1 allows system operators to 

monitor travel conditions and to detect and verify when travel is 

impacted by adverse weather, traffic incidents, or work zones. In 

turn, this allows quicker implementation of other strategies such 

as triggering a roadway closure management plan or turning on 

variable speed limits in high crash locations. Telematics on fleet 

vehicles can augment fixed detection by using mobile sensors to 

collect and transmit road conditions. 

 Road weather information systems (RWIS). Deployment of 

full scale or low cost RWIS in key spots can help system 

operators detect adverse weather conditions such as fog and poor 

road surface conditions (e.g., icy, wet). This information enables 

use of variable speed limits, better dissemination of traveler 

information, and better allocation of resources (e.g., deicer 

application, snow plow assignment). Other road condition 

reporting systems using in-vehicle tablets on snow plows or 

agency fleets can also supplement fixed RWIS infrastructure.

 Dynamic message signs (DMS). Installation of DMS at key 

decision points along Corridor 1 allows travelers to make informed 

decisions, such as slowing down or taking an alternate route in 

response to adverse weather, traffic incidents, or work zones. 

 Creating traveler information interfaces for third parties.

Messages can be shared via a traveler information application 

programming interface (API) that makes agency travel data 

available to third party data providers. Since State DOTs are 

often the best source of road condition information in rural areas 

with limited private sector probe data coverage, the value of a 

third party interface is significant for low-volume rural areas

 Variable speed limits. The use of variable speed limits may 

reduce rear-end collisions in existing trouble spots. They may 

also control traffic flow through work zones.

 Roadway closure management plan. A plan can address 

roadway closures that occur during adverse weather. The plan 

may address detour feasibility for automobiles and freight (and 

associated traffic control devices), freight parking systems (so 

trucks are not stranded on the interstate), and agency roles and 

responsibilities. This plan may also be used to address full 

roadway closures caused by traffic incidents. 

 Traffic incident management (TIM) teams. The use of TIM 

teams provides a framework for a coordinated regional 

response to the many run-off-the-road and rear-end collisions 

in the corridor. Regular meetings and debriefs help identify 

specific incident management strategies that are most beneficial 

for Corridor 1 (e.g., service patrols, quick clearance goals, 

towing agreements).
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Figure 5. Illustration. Corridor 1 transportation systems management and operations strategies.
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 Work zone management strategies. Numerous work zone 

strategies can help reduce non-recurring delay in Corridor 1, 

such as limiting the amount of work zones within the corridor 

(on the interstate and parallel routes) that occur at one time. 

Most TSMO strategies can be tailored to work zones. The 

Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Work Zone 

Operations Best Practices Guidebook (3rd edition) covers 

about 40 topics and numerous subtopics.10

To realize an integrated deployment of the TSMO strategies, 

Corridor 1 transportation agencies adjust their institutional 

capabilities under each of the following categories:

Business Processes

 Incorporate TSMO strategies into regional and agency longrange transportation plans. Coordinating the TSMO strategies 

with other regional or agency efforts helps align policies and 

goals and often helps develop project support and funding 

allocations. 

 Develop life-cycle costs (total cost for procuring, installing, 

operating, and maintaining a system throughout its use) for 

TSMO strategies and incorporate these costs into regional and 

agency transportation programming.

 Use intelligent transportation system (ITS) standards for field 

devices and central systems to support interoperability 

between agencies and to support data sharing. 

 Institute a schedule of preventative maintenance for field 

devices in the corridor.

10 Federal Highway Administration, Work Zone Best Practices Guidebook, 3rd Edition, FHWA-HOP-13-012 (Washington DC: August 2013). 

Available at: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/practices/best/bestpractices.htm.

 Develop maintenance agreements with some local agencies 

for the State DOT to maintain and operate ITS devices on 

county or city roadways such as cameras, detectors, or DMS 

that provide traveler information about conditions on the 

interstate.

 Develop an operations and maintenance manual to define 

procedures, roles, and responsibilities for new TSMO 

systems. For example, define what grip factor reading from 

an RWIS triggers the need for a maintenance crew to treat 

the roadway for icy conditions.

Systems and Technology

 Optimally locate field devices to minimize power and 

communications costs, provide maintenance accessibility, 

and to use devices to support multiple strategies (e.g., camera 

and detector locations that support variable speed limits, 

roadway closure management plan, traffic incident 

management, and work zone management).

 Provide center-to-field interfaces to allow all device data to 

feed into systems at the TMC.

 Automate procedures to the extent possible. For example, 

develop pre-set DMS messages for weather, incident 

management, work zone, road closure, and variable speed 

limit scenarios to support automated or faster decisionmaking 

for message posting.

Performance Measurement

 Establish data sharing policies and an archive structure to 

facilitate easy data access.
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 Share data with public and private partners to support traveler 

information. This allows the data to be used in a variety of 

formats (e.g., mobile device applications that show the camera 

images, maps with travel speeds based on the detector data, 

road weather conditions based on the RWIS data).

 Measure performance of all the systems periodically and 

compare the performance to the corridor’s operations 

objectives. Adjust corridor strategies if needed. For example, 

if incident clearance time does not appear to be on track for a 

15 percent reduction in 5 years, re-evaluate the TIM strategies 

in use and try other strategies that may support the objective.

Culture

 Link TSMO program activities with transportation agencies’ 

strategic plans.

 Hold regular meetings to ensure on-going dialogue on 

integrated management activities across transportation and 

emergency response agencies.

Organization/Workforce

 Train staff on operating and maintaining new systems (e.g., 

variable speed limit system). Consider contracting out some 

maintenance responsibilities if more cost-effective for 

specialty items not needed often (e.g., fiber optic cable 

maintenance, in particular splicing and emergency 

restoration).

 Compile a database of personnel and resources across 

organizational units in each agency responsible for 

TSMO activities.

Collaboration

 Coordinate amongst Corridor 1 agencies on the development 

and implementation of a road closure plan.

 Participate in TIM teams by meeting regularly to conduct 

joint training, table top exercises, and major incident debriefs.

MODEL CORRIDOR 2 – SMALL URBAN CORRIDOR

The backbone of Corridor 2 is a section of interstate within a small 

urban area. The interstate is paralleled by a minor arterial to the 

north and by a stand-alone shared-use path to the south. These 

facilities provide access to the surrounding arterial and collector 

roadway network. The interstate provides automobile and freight 

connections for local traffic and for through traffic with interim 

destinations within the city. Figure 6 depicts the geography of 

Corridor 2.

The urban area is characterized by thriving commercial districts, 

historic neighborhoods, a regional hospital, a university, and a major 

fairground facility. Corridor 2 facilities and services are managed 

through a combination of the State DOT, city, and transit agencies. 

The State DOT maintains a statewide traffic operations program 

that oversees ITS in the corridor. 

The terrain is flat and the weather is mild with limited weatherrelated travel impacts.
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Travel in Corridor 2 includes a mix of automobile, truck freight, 

transit, bicycle, and pedestrian modes. Interstate trips combine 

automobiles and truck freight traveling through the urban area and 

making many local trips. Trips on the arterial network connect 

residents to employment, school, and retail activities, and connect 

visitors to special events at the fairground facilities. A local bus line 

that ties into the citywide bus system runs along the corridor’s 

minor arterial. In addition to the shared-use path throughout the 

corridor, many of the arterial and collector roadways have on-street 

bicycle lanes and sidewalks.

The agencies managing and operating the transportation systems in 

Corridor 2 demonstrate the following institutional capabilities for 

implementing a TSMO program:

Business Processes – Regional TSMO planning and deployment 

processes are standardized system-wide and are well-documented.

Systems and Technology – Agencies use advanced technologies 

within the region but with a limited level of automation.

Performance Measurement – Agencies routinely identify desired 

outcomes and measure performance to improve strategy 

deployment and overall operations.

Culture – Agencies recognize TSMO as a core program that they 

regularly coordinate with other programs.

Organization/Workforce – Agencies within the corridor have 

in-house engineers and maintenance crews with TSMO skill sets.

Collaboration – Agencies collaborate on traffic management at a 

high level via regional stakeholder engagement.
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Figure 6. Illustration. Corridor 2 geography.
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The motivators driving the need to implement TSMO strategies in 

Corridor 2 include:

 Capacity bottlenecks and limitations to capacity 

expansion. Key bottleneck locations within the corridor 

include the interstate approaches to the interchange, the 

arterial approaches to the interchange, and the signalized 

intersections along the corridor’s minor arterial. Limited 

right-of-way, including shoulders and built-out adjacent land 

limit the possibility of expanding capacity at the bottleneck 

locations.

 High prevalence of crashes. Many rear-end crashes occur on 

the interstate due to congestion at key interchanges. The 

arterials and collectors experience rear-end crashes at points 

where the road crosses shared-use paths, where there are also 

many bicycle and pedestrian reports of near-misses.

 Other traffic incidents. In addition to crashes, vehicles often 

stall out while sitting in congestion on the interstate. This 

blocks main lanes and further reduces capacity.

 Special event congestion. The annual state fair and periodic 

special events at the fairgrounds put a strain on the 

surrounding transportation network, causing queues on the 

arterials and interstate for arriving traffic and queues on the 

arterials for departing traffic. The congestion also causes 

delays to the corridor’s bus line.

Figure 7 depicts the key motivators occurring in the corridor that 

stakeholders are keen to address with TSMO strategies. 

Key stakeholders including planners, engineers, operators, and 

maintenance crews from the State and city transportation agencies, 

transit agency, and emergency responders collaborate to build a set 

of goals and SMART (specific, measurable, agreed-upon, realistic, 

and time-bound) operations objectives that address the identified 

motivators and provide guidance for the selection of a package of 

TSMO strategies. The five goals and supporting operations 

objectives include:

Goal 1: Reduce number of rear-end crashes.

 Reduce rear-end crashes by 20 percent within 5 years.

Goal 2: Manage travel demand.

 Increase mode share for transit, bicycles and pedestrians to 

25 percent within 5 years.

Goal 3: Reduce recurring delay.

 Decrease the seconds of control delay per vehicle on corridor 

arterial roads by 15 percent within 5 years.

Goal 4: Reduce non-recurring delay.

 Reduce the person hours of non-recurring delay associated 

with incidents and special events by 10 percent within 

5 years.

 Reduce average travel time into and out of the fairgrounds by 

10 percent within 5 years.

 Decrease freight point-to-point travel times through Corridor 

2 by 10 minutes within 3 years.
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Figure 7. Illustration. Corridor 2 motivators and goals.
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Goal 5: Reduce traffic incident duration.

 Reduce mean time for needed responders to arrive on-scene 

after notification by 15 percent over 5 years.

 Reduce mean incident clearance time per incident by 

15 percent over 5 years.

Figure 8 depicts how the five corridor goals and operations 

objectives established by the stakeholders connect to a set of TSMO 

program areas and strategies that reflect the metropolitan area’s 

identified constraints, motivations, and values for the corridor. 

For this small urban corridor, the TSMO program areas that address 

crashes, recurring and non-recurring delay, travel choices, and 

traffic incidents include:

 Traveler information.

 Traffic management and operations.

 Incident management.

 Travel demand management.

 Traffic incident reduction.

While these TSMO program areas have a discrete focus on different 

elements of managing and operating the transportation system, 

Figure 8 demonstrates how each of the strategies selected for this 

model corridor support multiple TSMO program areas. The result is 

a comprehensive approach to corridor management. 
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Figure 8. Diagram. Links between Corridor 2 goals and transportation systems management and operations strategies.
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Corridor 2 stakeholders apply a scenario planning process that 

identified alternative operating conditions tied to the unique 

combination of motivators and goals for the corridor. Using this 

approach, stakeholders narrow down a broad array of potential 

TSMO strategies to a subset that are further screened for feasibility, 

potential benefits, and cost impacts. The strategies that best fit the 

Corridor 2 advance toward the implementation phase. 

Figure 9 depicts the set of TSMO strategies selected by the 

corridor’s stakeholders. This small urban area has a network of 

traffic signals connected to a central signal system, cameras and 

detectors on the interstate, cameras at some signalized intersections, 

detectors associated with each traffic signal, a State-run TMC, and 

a small workstation-based city-run TMC with limited hours of 

operation. The planning effort pulls together and augments these 

elements with new devices, communications, and activities to 

establish a focused TSMO approach to be advanced by the 

corridor’s stakeholders. 

The package of TSMO strategies selected for Corridor 2 include:

 Traffic incident management teams. The use of TIM teams 

provides a framework for a coordinated regional response to 

the many rear-end collisions and stalled vehicles in the 

corridor. Regular meetings and debriefs will help identify 

specific incident management strategies that are most 

beneficial for Corridor 2 (e.g., service patrols, quick clearance 

goals, towing agreements).

 Coordinated signal timing plans. Update coordinated signal 

timing plans on a routine basis to address changes in travel 

demand patterns. Develop pre-planned coordinated signal timing 

plans that can be activated for a variety of TIM and special event 

scenarios to handle the associated transportation demand.

 Freight traveler information. Use traveler information 

systems to help the freight industry plan routes and deliveries 

based on TIM events, planned special events, and weather 

restrictions. Provide truck parking information in partnership 

with the private sector. 

 Transportation demand management (TDM). Use TDM 

strategies (e.g., rideshare, reduced transit fares) to reduce 

commuter and special event trips to influence travel choice 

related to mode, time, location, or route.

 Network surveillance. The use of more cameras and fixed 

and mobile detection throughout Corridor 2 will allow system 

operators to monitor travel conditions and to detect and verify 

when travel is impacted by bottlenecks, traffic incidents, or 

special events. In turn, this allows quicker implementation of 

other strategies such as triggering a queue warning alert or 

turning on variable speed limits. Mobile observations from 

sensors on fleet vehicles and information provided by thirdparty data providers can augment fixed network detection.

 Dynamic message signs. Installation of DMS at key decision 

points along Corridor 2 allows travelers to make informed 

decisions, such as slowing down or taking an alternate route 

in response to traffic incidents or special events.

 Creating traveler information interfaces for third 

parties. Messages can be shared via a traveler information 

application programming interface (API) that makes agency 

travel data available to third party data providers. 

Information owned by public agencies such as construction, 

work zone locations, and road closures are particularly 

valuable to share in this context. 
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Variable speed limits, 

particularly when paired with 

queue warning messages on 

downstream DMS, can 

improve safety in areas of 

frequent rear-end crashes.

(cameras & detectors).

Figure 9. Illustration. Corridor 2 transportation systems management and operations strategies.
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 Active traffic management systems. Active management of 

real-time traffic conditions can help reduce rear-end collisions 

and smooth traffic flow. For Corridor 2, this includes the use 

of variable speed limits and a queue warning system that may 

use DMS or in-vehicle messages to alert drivers they are 

approaching the end of a standing queue.

 Enhanced safety at points where roads cross the shareduse path. Provide enhanced visibility of bicycles and 

pedestrians at crossings with treatments such as pavement 

markings, push button-activated rectangular rapid flashing 

beacons, pedestrian hybrid beacons, or traffic signals.

To realize an integrated deployment of the TSMO strategies, 

Corridor 2 transportation agencies adjust their institutional 

capabilities under each of the following categories:

Business Processes

 Continue to incorporate TSMO strategies into agency and 

regional long-range transportation plans. Coordinating the 

TSMO strategies with other regional or agency efforts helps 

align policies and goals. It can also increase project support 

and funding allocations. 

 Continue to develop life-cycle costs (total cost for procuring, 

installing, operating, and maintaining a system throughout its 

use) for TSMO strategies and incorporate these costs into 

regional and agency transportation programming.

 Use ITS standards for new field devices and central systems 

to support interoperability between agencies and to support 

data sharing. 

 Institute a schedule of preventative maintenance for new field 

devices in the corridor.

 Develop maintenance agreements with city if needed for the 

DOT to maintain and operate ITS devices on city roadways 

such as cameras, detectors, or traffic signals.

 Develop standard operating procedures (SOP) to define 

procedures, roles, and responsibilities for new TSMO systems. 

The SOPs may be incorporated into existing operations and 

maintenance manuals (e.g., active traffic management (ATM) 

for the State DOT) or a new regional manual may need to be 

developed (e.g., regional TIM SOP Manual).

 Develop agreements, if needed, for the city or State DOT to 

operate the other agency’s traffic signals if tied into the same 

coordinated timing system. Depending on staffing, the city 

may operate the signals during their standard business hours 

and the State DOT may operate them after hours if there is an 

unexpected system outage or change in travel demand due to 

a crash or special event.

Systems and Technology

 Optimally locate field devices to minimize power and 

communications costs, provide maintenance accessibility, and 

to use devices to support multiple strategies (e.g., camera and 

detector locations that support variable speed limits, queue 

warning system, and traffic incident management).

 Provide center-to-field interfaces to allow all device data to 

feed into systems at the State or city TMC. Update center-tocenter interfaces as needed (e.g., allow both city and State to 

control pan-tilt-zoom cameras and set primary and secondary 

controls based on jurisdiction of camera location).

 Automate procedures to the extent possible. For example, 

develop incident lane closure and volume thresholds to 

determine when to activate a pre-planned signal timing plan.
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Performance Measurement

 Update data sharing policies and archive structure to 

accommodate easy data access for new stakeholders (e.g., 

freight community for Freight Advanced Traveler Information 

System (FRATIS) strategies).

 Continue to share data with public and private partners to 

support traveler information. This allows the data to be used 

in a variety of formats (e.g., mobile device applications that 

show maps with travel speeds and variable posted speeds 

based on the detector data, special event travel conditions).

 Measure performance of all the systems periodically and 

compare the performance to the corridor’s operations 

objectives. Adjust the corridor strategies if needed. For 

example, if average travel times into and out of the 

fairgrounds do not appear to be on track for a 10 percent 

reduction in 5 years, re-evaluate the event management 

strategies in use and try other strategies that may support 

the objective.

Culture

 Continue to link TSMO program activities with 

transportation agencies’ strategic plans. Use service-related 

cost-effectiveness to compare the TSMO program to other 

transportation programs to justify the expansion of the 

TSMO program.

 Continue to hold regular meetings to ensure ongoing dialogue 

on integrated management activities across transportation and 

emergency response agencies. Include additional stakeholders 

as needed.

Organization/Workforce

 Train staff on operating and maintaining new systems 

(e.g., variable speed limit systems).

 Update database of personnel and resources across 

organizational units in each agency responsible for 

TSMO activities.

 Develop a TSMO management and organizational structure 

within key agencies (e.g., State DOT and city) equivalent to 

that of other major agency programs.

Collaboration

 Participate in TIM teams by meeting regularly to conduct 

joint training, tabletop exercises, and major incident debriefs.

 Develop a working group of transportation agencies and 

members of the freight community to develop the freight 

traveler information TSMO strategy. Meet on a routine basis 

to determine the effectiveness of the strategy and make 

updates as needed.

 Develop a fairgrounds special event working group that meets 

prior to and after the annual State fair and other major 

fairgrounds events. Stakeholders may include transportation 

agencies, the transit agency, law enforcement, the 911 center, 

special event promoters, venue management teams, parking 

facility operators, media, and property owners adjacent to and 

near the fairgrounds.
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MODEL CORRIDOR 3 – LARGE URBAN CORRIDOR

Corridor 3 encompasses a set of closely spaced parallel 

transportation facilities: an interstate, a minor arterial, a commuter 

rail line, and a shared-use path. Parallel principal and minor 

arterials are located nearby. While the interstate carries auto and 

truck freight traffic through the region, Corridor 3 also provides 

local connections within a large urbanized metropolitan area. 

Figure 10 depicts the geography of Corridor 3.

The eastern section of the corridor includes key destinations: a 

regional employment hub, industrial center, a university campus, 

and an arena that holds events year-round. The remainder of the 

corridor includes densely populated residential areas interspersed 

with commercial land uses. 

Transportation facilities are managed by a combination of State, 

county, cities, regional transit, and local transit agencies. A 

metropolitan planning organization (MPO) supports regional 

planning, programming, and collaboration. A regional TMC 

provides 24/7 management of the interstate and key arterials in the 

corridor.

The entire metropolitan area is prone to heavy snowfall during the 

winter, which can result in major delays on the transportation 

system. 

The urbanized character of Corridor 3 supports a broad range of 

modes, including automobile, truck freight, transit, bicycle, and 

pedestrian trips. Interstate trips include a mix of automobiles and 

truck freight traveling through the area and making local trips. 

Arterial network trips connect to the major activity centers. A 

commuter rail line and a bus rapid transit line on the minor arterial 

provide key links within the corridor and connect to the region’s 

transit backbone. In addition to the shared-use path that runs 

through the corridor, many of the streets have on-street bicycle 

lanes and sidewalks.

The agencies managing and operating the transportation systems in 

Corridor 3 demonstrate the following institutional capabilities for 

implementing a TSMO program:

Business Processes – Regional TSMO development and 

deployment processes are standardized system-wide but need more 

integration into other formal procedures of the agency.

Systems and Technology – Within the region, many agencies use 

advanced technologies, some with advanced automation.

Performance Measurement – Agencies routinely identify desired 

outcomes and measure performance to improve strategy 

deployment and overall operations.

Culture – Agencies recognize TSMO as a core program and are 

working toward rationalizing it with other programs based on 

service-related cost-effectiveness.

Organization/Workforce – Agencies within the corridor have 

in-house engineers and maintenance crews with TSMO skill sets 

and share resources across agencies.
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Figure 10. Illustration. Corridor 3 geography.

population
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Collaboration – Agencies collaborate on TSMO via regional 

stakeholder engagement and are working towards negotiating 

region-wide roles and responsibilities.

The motivators driving the need to implement TSMO strategies 

in Corridor 3 include:

 Adverse environmental issues. Corridor 3 is located within a 

non-attainment area where air pollution levels persistently 

exceed standards for ozone, carbon monoxide, and particulate 

matter. The industrial centers on Corridor 3 contribute to the 

city’s non-attainment status.

 Adverse weather. Snow and ice from winter storms often 

cause delays on Corridor 3 facilities and sometimes result in 

full facility shutdowns.

 Capacity bottlenecks and limitations to capacity 

expansion. Signalized intersections (including the 

interchanges) are the key bottleneck locations within the 

corridor. Limited right-of-way and built-out adjacent land 

limits the possibility of expanding capacity.

 Construction impacts. Frequent re-paving activities are 

needed to repair the roadways due to damage from the winter 

freeze/thaw cycles. Rail switches need to be replaced more 

frequently because of the winter freezes.

 High prevalence of crashes. Many rear-end crashes occur on 

the interstate due to standing queues. Many near-misses are 

reported at locations where the shared-use path crosses a 

roadway.

 High traffic volumes. The interstate and arterials carry high 

volumes of traffic throughout the day and are at or near 

capacity during peak periods. Commuter rail and bus rapid 

transit ridership is often at or near capacity during peak 

periods.

 Special event congestion. Year-round events at the arena 

impact the surrounding transportation network at varying 

times, including the weekday evening commute. This results 

in congestion on Corridor 3 roadways as well as surges in 

transit ridership that often exceed capacity.

 Variability in trip reliability. Average trip time varies 

widely from day to day. During the evening peak for example, 

trip time through Corridor 3 can be as short as 15 minutes 

and as long as 45 minutes.

 Financial constraints and priorities. Corridor 3 competes 

for funding with other regional programs and other similar 

corridors within the region. Many resources are also allocated 

to roadway maintenance related to the adverse winter 

weather.

Figure 11 depicts the key motivators occurring in the corridor that 

stakeholders are keen to address with TSMO strategies.
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Figure 11. Illustration. Corridor 3 motivators and goals.

(snow in winter).
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The MPO convened key corridor stakeholders including planners, 

engineers, operators, and maintenance crews from the State, county, 

local transportation agencies, and emergency responders to build a 

set of goals and SMART operations objectives that address the 

identified corridor motivators and provide guidance for the selection 

of a package of TSMO strategies. The seven goals and their 

supporting operations objectives include:

Goal 1: Reduce the number and severity of crashes.

 Reduce time to alert travelers of events (e.g., road weather, 

standing queues) by 15 percent within 5 years.

Goal 2: Reduce recurring delay.

 Decrease the seconds of control delay per vehicle on corridor 

arterial roads by 15 percent within 5 years.

 Reduce the daily hours of recurring congestion on the 

freeway and arterial corridors by 15 percent within 5 years.

 Reduce excess fuel consumed due to congestion by 25 percent 

within 5 years.

Goal 3: Reduce non-recurring delay.

 Reduce the person hours of non-recurring delay associated 

with weather, incidents, and road work by 10 percent within 

5 years.

 Reduce average travel time into and out of the arena by 

15 percent within 5 years.

 Decrease the percentage of special event attendees traveling 

to the event in single-occupancy vehicles by 25 percent 

within 5 years.

 Decrease average freight point-to-point travel times through 

Corridor 3 by 10 minutes within 3 years.

 Reduce the variability of travel time on Corridor 3 routes by 

15 percent during peak and off-peak periods within 5 years.

 Improve average on-time performance for Corridor 3 transit 

routes by 15 percent within 5 years.

Goal 4: Reduce traffic incident duration.

 Reduce mean time for needed responders to arrive on-scene 

after notification by 15 percent over 5 years.

 Reduce mean incident clearance time per incident by 

15 percent over 5 years.

Goal 5: Manage travel demand.

 Increase average pedestrian and bicyclist comfort level by 

30 percent within 5 years.

 Increase the number of trips made by walking and bicycling 

by 15 percent over 5 years.

 Develop and provide travel option services to all Corridor 3 

communities and stakeholder audiences within 5 years.

Goal 6: Improve construction coordination.

 Decrease the number of work zones on parallel routes or 

along Corridor 3 by 10 percent within 5 years.

Goal 7: Improve traveler information dissemination.

 Increase customer satisfaction ratings for timeliness, 

accuracy, and usefulness of traveler information in Corridor 3 

by 50 percent within 5 years.
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Figure 12 depicts how the seven corridor goals and operations 

objectives established by the stakeholders connect to a set of TSMO 

program areas and strategies that reflect the metropolitan area’s 

identified constraints, motivations, and values for the corridor. 

For this highly urban corridor, the TSMO program areas that 

address crashes, recurring and non-recurring delay, adverse weather 

conditions, traffic incidents, and frequent special events include:

 Traveler information.

 Traffic management and operations.

 Weather management.

 Incident management.

 Emergency management.

 Work zone management.

 Travel demand management.

 Special events management.

 Public transportation management.

While each of these TSMO program areas has a discrete focus on a 

different element of managing and operating the transportation 

system, Figure 12 demonstrates how each of the strategies selected 

for this model corridor support multiple TSMO program areas. The 

result is a comprehensive approach to corridor management.
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Figure 12. Illustration. Links between Corridor 3 goals and transportation systems management and operations strategies.

,
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Corridor 3 stakeholders apply a scenario planning process that 

identified alternative operating conditions tied to the unique 

combination of motivators and goals for the corridor. Using this 

approach, stakeholders narrow down a broad array of potential 

TSMO strategies to a subset that are further screened for feasibility, 

potential benefits, and cost impacts. The strategies that best fit 

Corridor 3 advance toward the implementation phase. 

Figure 13 depicts the set of TSMO strategies selected by the 

corridor’s stakeholders. The relative sophistication of transportation 

services in this corridor along with the high degree of institutional 

capability provide a solid foundation for implementing an advanced 

program of TSMO strategies. The planning effort pulls together and 

augments these elements with new devices, communications, and 

activities to establish a focused TSMO approach to be championed 

and implemented by the corridor’s stakeholders. 

Given the advanced state of TSMO activities in Corridor 3, the 

stakeholders recognize an opportunity to apply an integrated 

corridor management (ICM) approach to coordinate responses 

between multiple owners/operators of facilities and modes in the 

corridor. ICM can play an important role in managing incidents, 

planned special events, adverse weather, and work zones by 

establishing coordinated response protocols. Any combination of 

the Corridor 3 TSMO strategies can be used within an ICM 

process.

The package of TSMO strategies selected for Corridor 3 include:

 Active traffic management. Active management of real-time 

traffic conditions on congested mainlines can help reduce 

rear-end collisions and smooth traffic flow. For Corridor 3 this 

includes strategies such as adaptive ramp metering to control 

the flow of traffic entering the freeway, part-time shoulder use 

to add capacity on a temporary basis, variable speed limits to 

slow travel speeds approaching slow or standing queues, and 

dynamic lane use control to open and close lanes or to allow 

shoulder use. 

 Active demand management (ADM). Across the corridor, 

real-time information and technology can be used to actively 

manage demand by redistributing trips to less congested 

times of day or routes or to reduce overall vehicle trips by 

influencing mode choice. This can be done in Corridor 3 

through dynamic pricing where roadway tolls dynamically 

change in response to congestion levels or through dynamic 

transit fare reduction that reduces the Corridor 3 transit fares 

as congestion increases on the interstate and arterials.

 Active parking management (APM). Active management of 

parking facilities can help optimize the utilization of those 

facilities while influencing travel behavior at various stages of 

the trip-making process. In Corridor 3, dynamic parking 

contraflow wayfinding can provide parking space availability 

and location near the arena to minimize the time spent 

looking for parking. This can also be used for transit parkand-ride lots to encourage a shift in mode choice.

 Special event management. Apply coordinated operations 

strategies to inform the traveling public about travel 

conditions, monitor changing travel conditions, and manage 

travel demand associated with each planned special event. 

Strategies may include signal timing plans optimized for 

arena traffic demand, contraflow lanes or changeable lane 

assignment on roadways with a dominant travel direction 

during event ingress or egress, and any of the ATM, ADM, or 

APM strategies described for Corridor 3.
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 Traffic incident management. With a high level of 

institutional capability, TIM teams and dedicated service 

patrols already provide TIM services on Corridor 3. The 

agencies can further optimize these practices with strategies 

such as computer-aided dispatch (CAD) integration between 

emergency management and transportation agencies or 

activating ICM, ATM, ADM, or APM strategies when traffic 

incidents occur.

 Enhanced safety at locations where roads cross the 

shared-use path. Provide enhanced visibility for bicycles and 

pedestrians at crossings with treatments such as pavement 

markings, push button-activated rectangular rapid flashing 

beacons, pedestrian hybrid beacons, or traffic signals.

 Traffic signal operations. Due to the many agencies that 

operate within the corridor and the metro area, a regional traffic 

signal coordination program can help seamlessly operate traffic 

signals across jurisdictional boundaries. Adaptive signal control 

may also be considered for densely populated urban areas where 

travel demand changes are not limited to morning and evening 

commutes. Commuter rail preemption and transit signal priority 

for the buses can help the transit routes maintain schedule 

performance and reduce transit trip variability.

 Work zone management strategies. Many of the Corridor 3 

ATM and ADM strategies can be installed in advance of 

construction re-paving activities on the interstate to help with 

work zone management. Additionally, the use of real-time 

performance data can be used to actively monitor and update 

work zone traffic control, such as using threshold performance 

targets to determine when a closed lane should be added back 

into service. Close continued coordination between agencies 

11 Federal Highway Administration, Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM) Program Brief: ATDM and Work Zones, FHWA-HOP-16-015 (Washington DC: May 2016). 

Available at: https://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16015/index.htm.

can also help to schedule maintenance and construction 

activities in a way to minimize disruptions to travel within 

Corridor 3. For more information on influencing travel demand 

during the planning and operational phases of work zones, see 

FHWA’s Active Transportation and Demand Management 

(ATDM) Program Brief: ATDM and Work Zones.

11

 Predictive traveler information. Develop predictive algorithm 

applications to generate travel forecasts based on both archived 

and real-time data. Disseminate forecasted conditions to the 

traveling public.

 Transportation demand management. Use TDM strategies to 

reduce commute and special event trips to influence travel choice 

related to mode, time, location, or route. TDM strategies for 

Corridor 3 may include subsidies for transit passes and carpool/

vanpool programs, high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on the 

freeway, trip reduction programs (in partnership with employers, 

the university, and the arena), and many of the strategies 

(particularly ADM and APM) described in this section.

 Emergency management. To better manage major events 

such as heavy snow storms, integrate or co-locate the regional 

traffic management center with the regional emergency 

operations center. While regional emergency management 

plans have well-thought-out protocols and procedures, they do 

not always consider TSMO strategies that may be used to 

assist during a major event. For example, if a heavy snow 

storm has made many roads impassable in Corridor 3, 

dynamic lane control and part-time shoulder use may be used 

to increase freeway capacity once the interstate has been 

cleared of snow while the arterial roads and rail lines are still 

being cleared. 
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Figure 13. Illustration. Corridor 3 transportation systems management and operations strategies.

,

,
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To realize an integrated deployment of the TSMO strategies, 

Corridor 3 transportation agencies adjust their institutional 

capabilities under each of the following categories:

Business Processes

 Continue to incorporate TSMO strategies into regional and 

agency long-range transportation plans. Coordinating the 

TSMO strategies with other regional or agency efforts helps 

align policies and goals and often helps develop project 

support and funding allocations. 

 Continue to develop life-cycle costs (total cost for procuring, 

installing, operating, and maintaining a system throughout its 

use) for TSMO strategies and incorporate these costs into 

regional and agency transportation programming.

 Use ITS standards for new field devices and central systems 

to support interoperability between agencies and to support 

data sharing. 

 Institute a schedule of preventative maintenance for new field 

devices/systems in the corridor.

 Develop operations and maintenance agreements if needed 

for agencies to operate other agency’s ITS devices or traffic 

signals. For example, a city may want the State DOT to post 

messages on arterial DMS about freeway conditions or pooled 

funding may allow for a regional transportation management 

center to provide after-hours operations for multiple agencies 

more cost-effectively than a single agency can for its 

jurisdiction.

 Develop SOPs to define procedures, roles, and responsibilities 

for new TSMO systems. The SOPs may be incorporated into 

existing operations and maintenance manuals (e.g., an existing 

agency manual or regional TIM manual) or a new regional 

manual may need to be developed (e.g., ICM SOP manual).

Systems and Technology

 Optimally locate field devices to minimize power and 

communications costs, provide maintenance accessibility, and 

to use devices to support multiple strategies (e.g., camera and 

detector locations that support as many TSMO strategies as 

possible).

 Provide center-to-field interfaces to allow all device data to 

feed into systems at a traffic management center. Update 

center-to-center interfaces as needed (e.g., allow city and State 

to operate traffic signals based on pre-defined SOPs).

 Automate procedures to the extent possible. For example, 

develop software (or software modules that integrate into 

existing advanced traffic management systems) that operates 

TSMO strategies based on pre-determined thresholds (e.g., 

change variable speed limits based on real-time 85th percentile 

travel speeds).

 While systems engineering is an important part of 

implementing any TSMO strategy, it is especially important 

for many of the more advanced TSMO strategies identified 

for Corridor 3 that require the most stakeholder collaboration 

and system automation.

Performance Measurement

 Update data sharing policies and archive structure to 

accommodate easy data access for new stakeholders (e.g., 

parking facility operators for APM).
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 Continue to share data with public and private partners to 

support traveler information. This allows the data to be used 

in a variety of formats (e.g., mobile device applications that 

show real-time posted speeds, dynamic lane use control, 

dynamic pricing, and parking wayfinding).

 Develop a routine performance management process for 

continuing improvements in operating policies, procedures, 

systems, and deployments. This may include quarterly 

performance metrics prior to regional collaboration meetings 

to determine if adjustments are needed anywhere where 

TSMO strategies are falling short of reaching the corridor’s 

operations objectives.

Culture

 Continue to link TSMO program activities with 

transportation agencies’ strategic plans. Finalize servicerelated cost-effectiveness to compare the TSMO program to 

other transportation programs to justify the expansion of the 

TSMO program.

 Continue to hold regular meetings to ensure on-going 

dialogue on integrated management activities across 

transportation and emergency response agencies. Include 

additional stakeholders as needed.

Organization/Workforce

 Train staff on operating and maintaining new systems (e.g., 

dynamic lane control, dynamic pricing).

 Update database of personnel and resources across 

organizational units in each agency responsible for TSMO 

activities.

 Develop a TSMO management and organizational structure 

within key agencies (e.g., State DOT and city) equivalent to 

that of other major agency programs.

Collaboration

 Continue to hold regular (e.g., monthly) TSMO collaboration 

meetings with regional stakeholders.

 Develop working groups for TSMO strategies that require an 

expanded stakeholder set beyond the typical transportation 

and emergency response stakeholders and meet regularly 

(e.g., quarterly, prior to a planned event, post-event). For 

example, an active parking management working group may 

include private and public parking facility operators and 

transit agencies that operate park and ride lots. Some working 

groups could be scheduled to meet following a regularly 

scheduled regional TSMO meeting to optimize attendance.
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3. Model Subareas

This section portrays three example subareas based on fictional 

locations with unique geographic characteristics, motivators, and 

institutional capabilities that provide the backdrop for 

demonstrating how a package of transportation systems 

management and operations (TSMO) strategies can be planned and 

implemented to achieve a set of operations objectives. 

MODEL SUBAREA 1 – NEIGHBORHOOD

Subarea 1 is a neighborhood within a large metropolitan area with a 

predominantly cul-de-sac street pattern as depicted in Figure 14. 

The roadway network includes one principal arterial, several minor 

arterials and collectors, and one shared-use path for pedestrians and 

bicycles. The network provides access to mixed generation singlefamily residential areas, mixed-use residential/commercial areas 

(e.g., retail, local services, restaurants), primary and secondary 

schools, and several parks. 

The city and local transit agency manage the transportation 

facilities and operations in Subarea 1. Transportation modes include 

automobiles, truck freight, local transit, bicycles, and pedestrians. 

On-street parking is provided throughout Subarea 1 to support the 

adjacent land uses. Truck freight includes a combination of large 

multi-axle and smaller six-tire vehicles making local deliveries 

throughout the community. Local transit includes local routes on 

the minor arterials and a frequent backbone bus route on the 

subarea’s one principal arterial. Most of the roadways in Subarea 1 

have sidewalks. Other than the shared-use path, bicycles typically 

travel in the automobile lanes or on the sidewalk.

The agencies managing and operating the transportation systems in 

Subarea 1 demonstrate the following institutional capabilities for 

implementing a TSMO program:

Business Processes – A multi-year TSMO plan and program exists 

at the regional level. Agencies are working towards targeted multijurisdictional business processes.

Systems and Technology – Operator-driven TSMO deployments 

have been implemented in parts of the subarea.

Performance Measurement – Some performance measurement of 

the system is regularly done but there is room for growth in this 

area.

Culture – Agencies within the subarea appreciate the value and role 

of TSMO.

Organization/Workforce – Agencies within the corridor, 

particularly the city, employ engineers with some TSMO skill sets, 

primarily those related to traffic signal operations.

Collaboration – Informal collaboration occurs on a somewhat 

regular basis between the transportation and public safety agencies 

within the subarea.
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Figure 14. Illustration. Subarea 1 geography.
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The motivators driving the need to implement TSMO strategies in 

Subarea 1 include:

 Capacity bottlenecks. The signalized intersections, 

particularly at locations where arterials or collectors intersect, 

are the key bottlenecks in Subarea 1. The intersection 

bottlenecks typically occur during the morning and evening 

peak commute periods and near the primary and secondary 

schools during morning arrival and afternoon dismissal. 

Roadway bottlenecks occur during school arrival and 

dismissal on the roadways adjacent to and near the schools. 

Roadway bottlenecks also occur in the evenings and on 

weekends adjacent to and near the commercial districts 

during the holiday shopping period from Thanksgiving to 

New Year’s Day.

 Limitations to capacity expansion. The neighborhood has 

developed over many decades and land uses have been well 

established. This limits available right-of-way to expand 

capacity at bottleneck locations.

 Land use access. Few limitations have been placed on access 

to land uses within Subarea 1. Property frontages contain 

numerous driveways and arterial roadways have continuous 

two-way left turn lanes or traversable center lines, both of 

which can degrade safety and efficiency. Freight deliveries 

often block arterial travel lanes during peak periods.

Figure 15 depicts the key motivators occurring in the corridor that 

stakeholders are keen to address with TSMO strategies.

Key stakeholders—including transportation and land use planners, 

traffic engineers, and maintenance crews from the city and the 

transit agency—collaborate with the school district, park district, 

and business and neighborhood associations to establish a set of 

goals and SMART (specific, measurable, agreed upon, realistic, 

and time-bound) operations objectives that address the identified 

motivators and provide guidance for the selection of a package of 

TSMO strategies. The two goals and supporting operations 

objectives include:

Goal 1: Reduce recurring delay.

 Decrease the seconds of control delay per vehicle on corridor 

arterial roads by 15 percent within 5 years.

 Reduce the daily hours of recurring congestion on the arterial 

corridors by 15 percent within 5 years.

 Improve average on-time performance for Subarea 1 transit 

routes by 15 percent within 5 years.

Goal 2: Manage travel demand.

 Increase average pedestrian and bicyclist comfort level by 

30 percent within 5 years.

 Increase the number of trips made by walking and bicycling 

by 20 percent over 5 years.

 Increase transit mode share by 20 percent within 5 years. 
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Figure 15. Illustration. Subarea 1 motivators and goals.
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 Develop and provide travel option services to all residents 

with children in primary and secondary schools within 

5 years.

Figure 16 shows how the two subarea goals and operations 

objectives established by the stakeholders connect to a set of TSMO 

program areas and strategies that reflect the community’s 

constraints, motivations, and values. 

For this neighborhood, the TSMO program areas that address 

capacity bottlenecks and land use access include:

 Traffic management and operations.

 Travel demand management.

 Public transportation management.

While each of these TSMO program areas have a discrete focus on 

different elements of managing and operating the transportation 

system. Figure 16 demonstrates how each of the strategies selected 

for this model subarea support multiple program areas. The result 

is a comprehensive approach to neighborhood multimodal traffic 

management. 
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Figure 16. Diagram. Links between Subarea 1 goals and transportation systems management and operations strategies.
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Subarea 1 stakeholders apply a scenario planning process that 

identifies alternative operating conditions tied to the unique 

combination of motivators and goals for the subarea. Using this 

approach, stakeholders narrow down a broad array of potential 

TSMO strategies to a subset that are further screened for feasibility, 

potential benefits, and cost impacts. The strategies that best fit 

Subarea 1 advance toward the implementation phase. 

Figure 17 depicts the set of TSMO strategies selected by the 

Subarea 1 stakeholders. This neighborhood has a traffic signal 

system in place and the city has a traffic management workstation 

they use during regular business hours. The planning effort pulls 

together and augments these elements with new devices, 

communications, and activities to establish a focused TSMO 

approach to be advanced by the subarea’s stakeholders. 

The package of TSMO strategies selected for Subarea 1 include:

 Access management. Develop neighborhood policies and 

short-, medium-, and long-term strategies to manage land use 

access. These may include spacing standards, geometric 

standards, access removal or consolidation, curb-cut 

reductions, medians with well-placed openings, turn lanes, 

and circulation improvements (adjacent roadways and within 

private properties). Short-term strategies often target 

strategies that are amenable to current land and business 

owners whereas long-term strategies often target an ideal 

conceptual layout for if and when redevelopment occurs.

 Enhanced traffic signal operations. Signal timing can be 

fine-tuned to meet the travel demand needs of the 

neighborhood. This includes signal timing plans that favor a 

lower progression speed, more green time for approaches 

with reduced automobile travel lanes, turn pocket queue 

clearance, adequate pedestrian clearance intervals, bicycle 

detection, transit signal priority to support on-time transit 

performance, transit queue jumps, and truck traffic signal 

priority.

 School transportation demand management (TDM).

Develop TDM strategies specific to each school such as 

staggered start and end times, evaluation of bus boundaries, 

walking school buses (e.g., adult-led group of children who 

walk from a nearby underutilized retail parking lot), and 

“school pool” (carpools and vanpools for school arrival and 

dismissal).

 Complete streets. Re-allocate existing right-of-way to 

support and encourage multiple modes. Strategies for Subarea 

1 may include bus pull-outs, freight loading zones, 

comfortable bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and enhanced 

bicycle and pedestrian crossings (e.g., traffic signals, hybrid 

beacons, rapid rectangular flashing beacons, bicycle 

detection, bicycle boxes, multi-stage bicycle turns, and 

pedestrian scrambles).

 Travel speed reduction. Reducing travel speeds in 

neighborhoods supports access management and complete 

streets efforts. TSMO strategies to reduce travel speeds 

include lowering posted speed limits, driver-feedback speed 

advisory signs, automated speed enforcement, and signal 

timing plans that favor a lower progression speed. More 

traditional physical traffic calming strategies (e.g., 

roundabouts, curb bulb-outs) may also be used.
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Figure 17. Illustration. Subarea 1 transportation systems management and operations strategies.
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 Freight management. Develop and implement freight 

loading zone policies to reduce conflicts between freight and 

arterial roadway demands. Strategies may include suggested 

delivery times, designated freight loading zones (these may be 

curbside and shared with on-street parking with time-of-day/

day-of-week restrictions), enforcement of loading zones, and 

truck routing analysis to update truck routes in Subarea 1.

To realize an integrated deployment of the TSMO strategies, 

Subarea 1 local transportation agencies adjust their institutional 

capabilities under each of the following categories:

Business Processes

 Incorporate TSMO strategies into regional and agency longrange transportation plans. Coordinating the TSMO strategies 

with other regional or agency efforts helps align policies and 

goals and often helps develop project support and funding 

allocations. 

 Develop life-cycle costs (total cost for procuring, installing, 

operating, and maintaining a system throughout its use) for 

TSMO strategies and incorporate these costs into regional and 

agency transportation programming.

 Use intelligent transportation system (ITS) standards for field 

devices and central systems to support interoperability 

between agencies and data sharing. 

 Institute a schedule of preventative maintenance for field 

devices in the corridor.

 Develop an operations and maintenance manual to define 

procedures, roles, and responsibilities for new TSMO 

systems. For example, define what parameters (e.g., bus 

behind schedule) will trigger traffic signal priority activation.

Systems and Technology

 Optimally locate field devices to minimize power and 

communications costs, provide maintenance accessibility, and 

to use devices to support multiple strategies (e.g., detector 

locations that collect data for traffic signal operations, school 

TDM efforts, and freight management).

 Provide center-to-field interfaces to allow all device data to 

feed into systems at the city’s traffic management 

workstation.

 Automate procedures to the extent possible. For example, 

develop pre-set holiday signal timing plans to depict the 

typical travel demand from Thanksgiving through the New 

Year that can be implemented yearly with minimal updates.

Performance Measurement

 Establish data sharing policies and an archive structure to 

facilitate easy data access.

 Share data with public and private partners to support traveler 

information. This allows the data to be used in a variety of 

formats (e.g., mobile device applications that show freight 

parking availability, school travel options, and real-time 

queues at traffic signals or schools).

 Measure performance of all the systems periodically and 

compare the performance to the corridor’s operations 

objectives. Adjust the corridor strategies if needed. For 

example, if walking and bicycling trips do not appear to be on 

track for a 20 percent increase within 5 years, re-evaluate the 

school TDM and complete street strategies in use and try 

other strategies that may support the objective.
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Culture

 Link TSMO program activities with transportation agencies’ 

strategic plans.

 Hold regular meetings to ensure on-going dialogue on 

integrated management activities across transportation and 

transit agencies.

Organization/Workforce

 Train staff on operating and maintaining new systems (e.g., 

driver-feedback speed advisory signs). Consider contracting 

out some maintenance responsibilities if it is more costeffective for specialty items that are not needed often (e.g., 

fiber optic cable maintenance, in particular splicing and 

emergency restoration).

 Compile a database of personnel and resources across 

organizational units in each agency responsible for TSMO 

activities.

Collaboration

 Develop working groups for TSMO strategies that require an 

expanded stakeholder set beyond the typical transportation 

and emergency stakeholders and meet regularly (e.g., 

quarterly, prior to a planned event such as a new school year 

or the start of holiday shopping). For example, a school TDM 

working group may include the city, neighborhood schools, 

school bus operators, and neighborhood associations. A 

freight management working group may include the city, the 

freight community, the local chamber of commerce, and 

business owners/operators with freight needs.

MODEL SUBAREA 2 – URBAN ACTIVITY CENTER

Subarea 2 is an activity center within a large metropolitan area as 

shown in Figure 18. The roadway network is a conventional grid 

that includes principal arterials (including one interstate), minor 

arterials, collectors, local streets, and a shared-use path for bicycles 

and pedestrians. Many of the roadways provide for one-way travel. 

Subarea 2 is both an employment destination and a shopping 

destination for locals and tourists. The network primarily provides 

access to commercial properties that include retail, restaurants, and 

office space and to multi-story mixed-use residential and 

commercial developments. 

A combination of State, city, and transit agencies operate and 

maintain the transportation facilities. The State department of 

transportation (DOT) district office maintains a 24/7 traffic 

management center (TMC).

Transportation modes include automobiles, truck freight, streetcar, 

buses, bicycles, and pedestrians. On-street parking is provided 

throughout Subarea 2 to support access to the adjacent land uses. 

Shared mobility is present in the form of transportation network 

companies. Truck freight travels through the area using the interstate 

but also makes many delivery trips within Subarea 2, particularly to 

the commercial sites. The streetcar provides connections to the 

regional transit network and the local bus line circulates within 

Subarea 2. Wide sidewalks that accommodate higher volumes of 

pedestrian traffic are present throughout Subarea 2. Bicycle lanes are 

limited and primarily consist of the shared-use path.
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The agencies managing and operating the transportation systems in 

Subarea 2 demonstrate the following institutional capabilities for 

implementing a TSMO program:

Business Processes – Regional TSMO programming, development, 

and deployment processes are standardized system-wide and are 

well-documented.

Systems and Technology – Agencies use advanced technologies 

within the region but with a limited level of automation.

Performance Measurement – Agencies routinely identify desired 

outcomes and measure performance to improve strategy 

deployment and overall operations.

Culture – Agencies recognize TSMO as a core program that they 

regularly coordinate with other programs.

Organization/Workforce – Agencies within the corridor have 

in-house engineers and maintenance crews with TSMO skill sets.

Collaboration – Agencies collaborate on traffic management at a 

high level via regional stakeholder engagement and coordination.
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Figure 18. Illustration. Subarea 2 geography.

(population 400,000),
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The motivators driving the need to implement TSMO strategies 

within Subarea 2:

 Congestion and limitations to capacity expansion. Subarea 

2 is typically congested throughout the morning and evening 

peak periods and often on the weekends. Signalized 

intersections are the primary bottlenecks, often contributing 

to gridlock. The area is essentially built-out, which limits 

available right-of-way to expand capacity at bottleneck 

locations.

 Land-use access. Although Subarea 2 has ample parking 

(garages and some surface lots), automobiles and truck freight 

compete for on-street parking.

 High prevalence of crashes. A wide variety of crashes 

(involving vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles) occur in 

Subarea 2 at intersections, driveways, and adjacent to onstreet parking.

 Variability in trip reliability. Average trip time varies 

widely from day to day and can differ by as much as 

35 minutes for the same time period.

 Financial constraints and priorities. Subarea 2 competes 

for funding with other regional programs and other similar 

activity centers within the region.

Figure 19 depicts the key motivators occurring in the corridor that 

stakeholders are keen to address with enhanced TSMO strategies.
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Figure 19. Illustration. Subarea 2 motivators and goals.
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Key stakeholders including transportation and land use planners, 

traffic engineers, and maintenance crews from the State, city, and 

transit agencies collaborate with the area business and 

neighborhood associations, emergency responders, transportation 

network companies, and bicycle and pedestrian advocacy groups to 

establish goals and SMART operations objectives that address the 

identified motivators and provide guidance for the selection of a 

package of TSMO strategies. The six goals and supporting 

operations objectives include:

Goal 1: Reduce number and severity of crashes.

 Reduce the crash rate by 50 percent within 5 years.

Goal 2: Reduce recurring delay.

 Decrease the seconds of control delay per vehicle on subarea 

roads by 15 percent within 5 years.

 Reduce the daily hours of recurring congestion on subarea 

roads by 20 percent within 5 years.

Goal 3: Reduce non-recurring delay.

 Reduce the variability of travel times by 15 percent during 

peak and off-peak periods within 5 years.

 Decrease average freight point-to-point travel times within 

Subarea 2 by 15 percent within 3 years.

 Improve average on-time performance for Subarea 2 transit 

routes by 15 percent within 5 years.

Goal 4: Reduce traffic incident duration.

 Reduce mean incident clearance time per incident by 

15 percent over 5 years.

Goal 5: Manage travel demand.

 Develop and provide travel option services to all Subarea 2 

stakeholder audiences within 5 years.

Goal 6: Improve traveler information dissemination.

 Increase customer satisfaction ratings for timeliness, 

accuracy, and usefulness of traveler information in Subarea 2 

by 50 percent within 5 years.

Figure 20 depicts how the six subarea goals and operations 

objectives established by the stakeholders connect to a set of TSMO 

program areas and strategies that reflect the identified constraints, 

motivations, and values for Subarea 2. 

For this urban activity center, the TSMO program areas that address 

capacity bottlenecks and land use access include:

 Traveler information.

 Traffic management and operations.

 Traffic incident management.

 Travel demand management.

 Public transportation management.

While each of these TSMO program areas have a discrete focus on 

different elements of managing and operating the transportation 

system, Figure 20 demonstrates how each of the strategies selected 

for this model corridor support multiple program areas. The result is 

a comprehensive approach to multimodal transportation 

management.
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Figure 20. Diagram. Links between Subarea 2 goals and transportation systems management and operations strategies.
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Subarea 2 stakeholders apply a scenario planning process that 

identifies alternative operating conditions tied to the unique 

combination of motivators and goals for the subarea. Using this 

approach, stakeholders narrow down a broad array of potential 

TSMO strategies to a subset that are further screened for feasibility, 

potential benefits, and cost impacts. The strategies that best fit 

Subarea 2 advance toward the implementation phase. 

Figure 21 depicts the set of TSMO strategies selected by the 

subarea’s stakeholders. The relative sophistication of transportation 

services in this subarea along with the high degree of institutional 

capability provide a solid foundation for implementing an advanced 

program of TSMO strategies. The planning effort pulls together and 

augments these elements with new devices, communications, and 

activities to establish a focused TSMO approach to be championed 

and implemented by the subarea’s stakeholders. 

The package of TSMO strategies for Subarea 2 include:

 Access management. Develop policies and strategies to 

manage land use access. Strategies for an activity center may 

include turn lanes, circulation improvements (public right-ofway and private properties), and parking and freight strategies 

described below.

 Parking management. To better manage on-street and 

off-street parking in Subarea 2, strategies may include shareduse parking, incentives to use under-utilized parking facilities, 

and electronic payment systems.

 Freight management. Develop and implement freight 

loading zone policies to reduce conflicts between freight and 

motor vehicle demands. Strategies may include suggested 

delivery times, designated freight loading zones (these may be 

curbside and shared with on-street parking with time-of-day/

day-of-week restrictions), enforcement of loading zones, and 

electronic payment systems for freight parking.

 Enhanced traffic signal operations. Signal timing can be 

fine-tuned to meet the travel demand needs of the activity 

center. This includes signal timing plans that provide 

progression to and from the freeway, balance demand on the 

grid network, use coordinated or adaptive signal control, 

provide streetcar preemption or bus transit signal priority, 

accommodate transit queue jumps, and provide longer yellow 

times for vehicles to clear intersections and not block 

crosswalks.

 Traffic incident management (TIM). With existing 

institutional capability, TIM teams already focus on the 

region’s freeways. Develop a city TIM program focused on 

arterials within Subarea 2 and integrate computer-aided 

dispatch (CAD) systems with freeway TIM teams.

 Public transportation management. Strategies may include 

advanced transit operations management (e.g., CAD/

automated vehicle location (AVL) systems), center-to-center 

connection with the regional transportation management 

center, electronic fare collection, and transit surveillance and 

security.

 Enhanced crossings for pedestrians and bicycles. 

Improve visibility of pedestrians and bicycles at 

intersections and driveways using signing, pavement 

markings, and detection to activate signals or warning 

systems (e.g., electronic signs on driveway exits, 

particularly where sight distance is limited).
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Figure 21. Illustration. Subarea 2 transportation systems management and operations strategies.
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 Traveler information. Expand traveler information systems 

to include dynamic route choice (e.g., dynamic message signs 

(DMS) on arterials about travel times on key routes), dynamic 

on-ramp information, multimodal trip planning, real-time 

transit arrival information, real-time on- and off-street 

parking availability and making agency data available to 

third-party data providers in standardized format.

 Transportation demand management. Use TDM strategies 

to reduce commute trips. Subarea 2 strategies may include 

employer programs and commuter incentives, route planning 

tools, and traveler information marketing campaigns.

To realize an integrated deployment of the TSMO strategies, 

Subarea 2 transportation agencies adjust their institutional 

capabilities under each of the following categories:

Business Processes

 Continue to incorporate TSMO strategies into agency and 

regional long-range transportation plans. Coordinating TSMO 

strategies with other regional or agency efforts helps align 

policies and goals. It can also increase project support and 

funding allocations. 

 Continue to develop life-cycle costs (total cost for procuring, 

installing, operating, and maintaining a system throughout its 

use) for TSMO strategies and incorporate these costs into 

regional and agency transportation programming.

 Use ITS standards for new field devices and central systems 

to support interoperability between agencies and to support 

data sharing. 

 Institute a schedule of preventative maintenance for new field 

devices in the subarea.

 Develop maintenance agreements with city if needed for the 

State DOT to maintain and operate ITS devices on city 

roadways such as cameras, detectors, or traffic signals.

 Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) to define 

procedures, roles, and responsibilities for new TSMO 

systems. The SOPs may be incorporated into existing 

operations and maintenance manuals (e.g., transit agency 

operations manual) or a new regional manual may need to be 

developed (e.g., regional traveler information SOP manual).

 Develop agreements, if needed, for the city or State DOT to 

operate the other agency’s traffic signals if tied into the same 

coordinated timing system. Depending on staffing, the city 

may operate the signals during their standard business hours 

and the State DOT may operate them after hours if there is an 

unexpected system outage or change in travel demand due to 

a crash or special event.

Systems and Technology

 Optimally locate field devices to minimize power and 

communications costs, provide maintenance accessibility, and 

use devices to support multiple strategies (e.g., camera and 

detector locations that support TIM, TDM decisions, and 

freight management).

 Provide center-to-field interfaces to allow all device data to 

feed into systems at the State or city traffic management 

center. Update center-to-center interfaces as needed (e.g., 

allow both city and State to update messages on arterial DMS 

based on pre-defined SOPs).

 Automate procedures to the extent possible. For example, 

develop volume thresholds to determine what travel time 

messages to post to traveler information systems.
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Performance Measurement

 Update data sharing policies and archive structure to 

accommodate easy data access for new stakeholders 

(e.g., freight community for freight loading zone strategies).

 Continue to share data with public and private partners to 

support traveler information. This allows the data to be used 

in a variety of formats (e.g., mobile device applications 

provide parking or freight loading wayfinding, neighborhood 

travel options, electronic parking, or transit payment).

 Measure performance of all the systems periodically and 

compare the performance to the subarea’s operations 

objectives. Adjust the subarea strategies if needed. For 

example, if average freight point-to-point travel times within 

Subarea 2 do not appear to be on track for a 15 percent 

reduction within 3 years, re-evaluate the freight management 

strategies in use and try other strategies that may support the 

objective.

Culture

 Continue to link TSMO program activities with 

transportation agencies’ strategic plans. Use service-related 

cost-effectiveness to compare TSMO program to other 

transportation programs to justify the expansion of the TSMO 

program.

 Continue to hold regular meetings to ensure on-going 

dialogue on integrated management activities across 

transportation and emergency response agencies. Include 

additional stakeholders as needed.

Organization/Workforce

 Train staff on operating and maintaining new systems (e.g., 

electronic payment systems).

 Update database of personnel and resources across 

organizational units in each agency responsible for TSMO 

activities.

 Develop a TSMO management and organizational structure 

within key agencies (e.g., State DOT and city) equivalent to 

that of other major agency programs.

Collaboration

 Continue to participate in TIM teams (emergency responders 

and State DOT) by meeting regularly to conduct joint 

training, tabletop exercises, and major incident debriefs. 

Expand participants to include arterial stakeholders such as 

the city, subarea businesses, and freight distribution centers. 

 Develop working groups for TSMO strategies that require an 

expanded stakeholder set beyond the typical transportation 

and emergency stakeholders. For example, a parking 

management working group may include private and public 

parking facility operators and transit agencies that operate 

park and ride lots. Meet on a routine basis to determine the 

effectiveness of the strategies and make updates as needed.
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MODEL SUBAREA 3 – URBAN SUB-REGION

Subarea 3 covers a large sub-region within a metropolitan area of 

approximately 200,000 people. The roadway network is a mix of 

conventional grid and curvilinear loops and includes multiple 

interstates, other principal arterials, minor arterials, collectors, and 

a regional shared-use path for bicycles and pedestrians as shown in 

Figure 22. Land use in Subarea 3 is predominantly residential 

interspersed with major activity centers, including a downtown 

mixed-use district, a regional retail district, industrial centers, an 

international airport, a large university campus, a theater district, 

and a regional park. The downtown and retail districts also include 

residential/commercial mixed use. 

City, county, State, and transit agencies manage the transportation 

facilities in Subarea 3. A metropolitan planning organization 

(MPO) supports regional planning, programming, and 

collaboration. A consortium of regional transportation agencies 

support a 24/7 TMC. 

Transportation modes include automobile, truck freight, heavy 

passenger and freight rail, light rail, streetcar, local buses, bicycles, 

pedestrians, and shared mobility services for cars and bicycles. 

On-street parking is prevalent throughout the subarea, but the 

activity centers also include off-street parking facilities. Truck and 

rail freight travel through the region but have a heavy presence in 

the industrial centers. Truck freight also makes local delivery trips. 

A passenger rail line connects the sub-region to neighboring cities. 

Light rail, streetcar, and bus routes provide transit connections 

across the region. Sidewalks are generally provided throughout the 

sub-region, and some on-street bicycle lanes are provided in 

addition to the regional shared-use path.

This subarea has a “Vision Zero” policy; the purpose of which is to 

achieve zero fatalities. The community has embraced and instituted 

strategies like greater enforcement, blanket speed limit reductions, 

driver education, and traffic calming.

The agencies managing and operating the transportation system in 

Subarea 3 demonstrate the following institutional capabilities for 

implementing a TSMO program:

Business Processes – TSMO development and deployment 

processes are standardized system-wide but need more integration 

of formal procedures across agencies.

Systems and Technology – Within the sub-region, agencies use 

advanced technologies, some with advanced automation.

Performance Measurement – Agencies routinely identify desired 

outcomes and measure performance to improve strategy 

deployment and overall operations.

Culture – Agencies recognize TSMO as a core program and are 

working toward making the case for it based on cost-effectiveness. 

Organization/Workforce – Agencies within the corridor have 

in-house engineers and maintenance crews with TSMO skill sets or 

they share resources across agencies.

Collaboration – Agencies collaborate on TSMO via regional 

stakeholder engagement and are working towards negotiating 

region-wide roles and responsibilities.
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Figure 22. Illustration. Subarea 3 geography.

(population 200,000).
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Figure 23 depicts the motivators driving the need to implement 

TSMO strategies in Subarea 3:

 Adverse environmental issues. Subarea 3 is located within a 

non-attainment area where air pollution levels persistently 

exceed standards for ozone and particulate pollution. The 

industrial centers in Subarea 3 contribute to the city’s nonattainment.

 Congestion and limitations to capacity expansion. 

Congestion occurs throughout Subarea 3 during the morning 

and evening peak periods. Additional congestion occurs at 

some of the activity centers, including weekend congestion at 

the retail and downtown districts. Limited right-of-way is 

available to expand capacity at bottleneck locations.

 Land-use access. Automobile traffic competes for coveted 

on-street parking spots in the activity centers despite the 

availability of parking garages and surface lots.

 Development pattern changes. Development has occurred 

rapidly and the pattern has altered travel demand, particularly 

route choice and time of day, causing additional unplanned 

congestion.

 High reliance on single-occupancy vehicles. Transit options 

notwithstanding, residents in Subarea 3 rely heavily on 

single-occupancy vehicles for most trips, taxing roadway 

capacity, especially the routes into and out of the core 

downtown area.

 High prevalence of crashes. Many crashes occur throughout 

Subarea 3 including rear-end crashes on freeways and 

arterials due to standing queues; turning movement crashes at 

congested signalized intersections; and crashes adjacent to 

on-street parking spots.

 Special event congestion. The theater district holds events 

year-round that sometimes coincide with and add to the 

congestion of the weekday evening commute. Many events 

are held at the regional park that require roadway closures on 

the weekend.

 Variability in trip reliability. Average trip time varies 

widely from day to day (up to a 50 minute difference), not 

only during the peak periods but also on weekday afternoons 

and weekends.

 Financial constraints and priorities. Subarea 3 is located 

within a large MPO and competes for funding with other cities 

of similar and larger sizes with similar transportation issues.
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Figure 23. Illustration. Subarea 3 motivators and goals.
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Key stakeholders—including transportation and land-use planners, 

traffic engineers, and maintenance crews from the city, county, 

State transit agencies and metropolitan planning organization 

(MPO)—collaborate with the area business and neighborhood 

associations, key employers, freight haulers, emergency responders, 

transportation network companies, parking management 

companies, and bicycle and pedestrian advocacy groups to establish 

a set of goals and SMART operations objectives that address the 

identified motivators and provide guidance for advancing a package 

of TSMO strategies. The six goals and supporting operations 

objectives include:

Goal 1: Reduce number and severity of crashes.

 End traffic fatalities and severe injuries within 5 years.

Goal 2: Reduce recurring delay.

 Decrease the seconds of control delay per vehicle on corridor 

arterial roads by 15 percent within 5 years.

 Reduce the daily hours of recurring congestion on the 

freeway and arterial corridors by 15 percent within 5 years.

 Reduce excess fuel consumed due to congestion by 25 percent 

within 5 years.

Goal 3: Reduce non-recurring delay.

 Reduce the person hours of non-recurring delay associated 

with incidents by 10 percent within 5 years.

 Reduce average travel time into and out of the theater district 

by 15 percent within 5 years.

 Decrease the percent of special event attendees traveling to 

the event in single-occupancy vehicles by 25 percent within 

5 years.

 Decrease average freight point-to-point travel times through 

Subarea 3 by 10 minutes within 3 years.

 Reduce the variability of travel time on Subarea 3 routes by 

15 percent during peak and off-peak periods within 5 years.

 Improve average on-time performance for Subarea 3 transit 

routes by 15 percent within 5 years.

Goal 4: Reduce traffic incident duration.

 Reduce mean time for needed responders to arrive on-scene 

after notification by 15 percent over 5 years.

 Reduce mean incident clearance time per incident by 

15 percent over 5 years.

Goal 5: Manage travel demand.

 Increase average pedestrian and bicyclist comfort level by 

30 percent within 5 years.

 Decrease single-occupancy vehicle trips by 30 percent within 

5 years.

 Develop and provide travel option services to all Subarea 

3 communities and stakeholders within 5 years.

Goal 6: Improve traveler information dissemination.

 Increase customer satisfaction ratings for timeliness, 

accuracy, and usefulness of traveler information in Subarea 3 

by 50 percent within 5 years.

Figure 24 depicts how the six subarea goals and operations 

objectives established by the stakeholders connect to a set of TSMO 

program areas and strategies that reflect the identified constraints, 

motivations, and values for Subarea 3. 
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For this urban sub-region, the TSMO program areas that address 

local capacity bottlenecks and land-use access include:

 Traveler information.

 Traffic management and operations.

 Traffic incident management.

 Travel demand management.

 Special events management.

 Public transportation management.

While these TSMO program areas have discrete focus on different 

elements of managing and operating the transportation system, 

Figure 24 demonstrates how each of the strategies selected for this 

model subarea support multiple program areas. The result is a 

comprehensive approach to multimodal transportation 

management.
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Figure 24. Diagram. Links between Subarea 3 goals and transportation systems management and operations strategies.
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Subarea 3 stakeholders apply a scenario planning process that 

identifies alternative operating conditions tied to the unique 

combination of motivators and goals for the subarea. Using this 

approach, stakeholders narrow down a broad array of potential 

TSMO strategies to a subset that are further screened for feasibility, 

potential benefits, and cost impacts. The strategies that best fit 

Subarea 3 advance toward the implementation phase. 

Figure 25 depicts the set of TSMO strategies selected by the 

subarea’s stakeholders. The sophistication and maturity of 

transportation services in this subarea, along with a high degree of 

institutional capability, provide a solid foundation for implementing 

an advanced program of TSMO strategies. The planning effort pulls 

together and augments these elements with new devices, 

communications, and activities to establish a focused TSMO 

approach to be championed and implemented by the subarea’s 

stakeholders. 

Like Corridor 3, the stakeholders in Subarea 3 recognize an 

opportunity to apply an integrated corridor management (ICM) 

approach to coordinate responses between multiple owners/operators 

of facilities and modes in the subarea. ICM can play an important 

role in managing incidents, planned special events, adverse weather, 

and work zones by establishing coordinated response protocols. Any 

combination of the TSMO strategies identified for advancement in 

Subarea 3 can be used within an ICM process.

The package of TSMO strategies for Subarea 3 include:

 Mobility hubs including options for shared mobility.

Shared use mobility is changing the way people travel, 

especially in large metropolitan areas. Strategies for Subarea 3 

include mobility hubs that integrate modes at key transfer 

12 Federal Highway Administration, Shared Mobility: Current Practices and Guiding Principles, FHWA-HOP-16-022 (Washington DC: April 2016). Available at: http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/

publications/fhwahop16022/index.htm.

points such as activity centers or last-mile connections. A hub 

may include transit connections, transportation network 

company waiting/loading areas, shared-use parking, and a 

bicycle sharing station all in one location for easier transfers 

and a larger mode choice. See FHWA’s Shared Mobility: 

Current Practices and Guiding Principles for more shared 

mobility ideas.12

 Traffic signal operations. Due to the many agencies that 

operate within the subarea, a regional traffic signal 

coordination program can help seamlessly operate traffic 

signals across jurisdictional boundaries. Adaptive signal 

control may also be considered where travel demand patterns 

fluctuate unpredictably. Light rail/streetcar preemption and 

transit signal priority for the buses can help the transit routes 

maintain schedule performance and reduce transit trip 

variability. Truck signal priority, or green light extension, can 

help keep truck freight and the traffic behind them moving on 

truck routes. Bicycle travel at signals can be enhanced with 

detection, separate phases, bicycle-specific passage time, 

bicycle boxes, and staged turn movements. Pedestrian travel at 

signals can be enhanced with countdown timers and phasing 

to reduce automobile-pedestrian conflicts.

 Traffic incident management. With a high level of 

institutional capability, TIM teams and dedicated service 

patrols already provide TIM services in Subarea 3. The 

agencies can further optimize these practices by expanding 

TIM teams to include the freight community, expanding TIM 

services to arterials, or adding strategies such as staged or dry 

run towing.
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 Active parking management (APM). Active management of 

parking facilities (on- and off-street) can help optimize the 

utilization of those facilities while influencing travel behavior 

at various stages along the trip making process. Several 

strategies may be considered for Subarea 3: dynamic parking 

pricing adjusts prices based on demand such as reduced 

prices at under-utilized facilities, dynamic parking 

wayfinding provides space availability by location, dynamic 

parking reservations allows users to reserve available parking 

spaces in advance, and shared-use parking uses time-of-day 

strategies such as leasing residential parking to commuters. 

 Dynamic route choice. This active traffic management 

strategy provides alternate route information, including 

parallel transit options, based on real-time information about 

congestion along with a traveler’s current route.

 Special event management. Apply coordinated operations 

strategies to inform the traveling public about travel 

conditions, monitor changing travel conditions, and manage 

travel demand associated with each planned special event. 

Regular stakeholder coordination, including pre- and postevent for larger events, is key for year-round management of 

events. Coordination should include planning for multimodal routes, event access, and traffic control and address 

stakeholder roles and responsibilities. Subarea 3 uses many 

techniques today (e.g., police directing traffic at signalized 

intersections), but these could be automated or improved 

upon using other TSMO strategies described for this 

subarea, such as APM, enhanced signal timing operations, 

and traveler information.

13 Federal Highway Administration, Smartphone Applications to Influence Travel Choices: Practices and Policies, FHWA-HOP-023 (Washington DC: April 2016). Available at: http://www.ops.

fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop16023/index.htm.

 Transportation demand management. Use TDM strategies 

to reduce commute, retail, and special event trips to influence 

travel choice related to mode, time, location, or route. TDM 

strategies for Subarea 3 may include subsidies for transit 

passes and carpool/vanpool programs, trip reduction 

programs (in partnership with employers, the university, 

theater district, and special event operators), ride-matching 

services, automobile-free or access-restricted zones, and 

many of the strategies (particularly active demand 

management and APM) described in this section.

 Traveler information. Although Subarea 3 has a traveler 

information system in place, it primarily addresses the 

automobile and transit networks. Expand this system to 

include integrated multi-modal trip planning that considers 

public and private modes such as private bicycle sharing 

systems and transportation network companies. Develop 

predictive algorithm applications to generate travel forecasts 

based on both archived and real-time data. Disseminate 

forecasted conditions to the traveling public. Develop publicprivate partnerships for open data sharing and interoperability 

to support publicly or privately developed mobile device 

applications that help influence travel behavior. Common 

applications impacting transportation include mobility, 

vehicle connectivity, smart parking, and courier network 

services applications. See FHWA’s Smartphone Applications 

to Influence Travel Choices: Practices and Policies for more 

background information and guiding principles for public 

agencies.13
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 Network surveillance and dynamic message signs. Subarea 

3 already includes a healthy coverage of network surveillance 

(cameras and a variety of detectors) and DMS. However, 

additional deployments may be needed to support more 

advanced TSMO strategies or to measure system performance 

as it relates to the operations objectives. In the area, the use of 

probe data especially from third-party data providers may be 

particularly useful given the high penetration of such services 

in the area. 

 Active traffic management (ATM) and active demand 

management (ADM). These strategies described under the 

Corridor 3 scenario may also be applied within Subarea 3, 

particularly for the freeways.
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Figure 25. Illustration. Subarea 3 transportation systems management and operations strategies.
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To realize an integrated deployment of the TSMO strategies, 

Subarea 3 transportation agencies adjust their institutional 

capabilities under each of the following categories:

Business Processes

 Continue to incorporate TSMO strategies into regional and 

agency long-range transportation plans. Coordinating the 

TSMO strategies with other regional or agency efforts helps 

align policies and goals and often helps develop project 

support and funding allocations. 

 Continue to develop life-cycle costs (total cost for procuring, 

installing, operating, and maintaining a system throughout its 

use) for TSMO strategies and incorporate these costs into 

regional and agency transportation programming.

 Use ITS standards for new field devices and central systems to 

support interoperability between agencies and to support data 

sharing. 

 Institute a schedule of preventative maintenance for new field 

devices/systems in the corridor.

 Develop operations and maintenance agreements if needed for 

agencies to operate another agency’s ITS devices or traffic 

signals. For example, cities or counties may want the State 

DOT to provide after-hours traffic signal operations because it 

is more cost-effective.

 Develop SOPs to define procedures, roles, and responsibilities 

for new TSMO systems. The SOPs may be incorporated into 

existing operations and maintenance manuals (e.g., existing 

agency manual or regional TIM manual) or a new regional 

manual may need to be developed (e.g., dynamic route choice 

SOP manual).

Systems and Technology

 Optimally locate field devices to minimize power and 

communications costs, provide maintenance accessibility, and 

to use devices to support multiple strategies (e.g., camera and 

detector locations that support as many TSMO strategies as 

possible).

 Provide center-to-field interfaces to allow all device data to 

feed into systems at a traffic management center. Update 

center-to-center interfaces as needed (e.g., allow a city, county, 

or State agency to update signal timings for multijurisdictional signal groupings based on pre-defined SOPs).

 Automate procedures to the extent possible. For example, 

develop software (or software modules that integrate into 

existing advanced traffic management systems) that operates 

TSMO strategies such as active parking management based on 

pre-determined thresholds (e.g., real-time parking occupancy 

and 85th percentile travel speeds on subarea roadways).

 While systems engineering is an important part of 

implementing any TSMO strategy, it is especially important 

for many of the more advanced TSMO strategies identified for 

Subarea 3 that require the most stakeholder collaboration and 

system automation.

Performance Measurement

 Update data sharing policies and archive structure to 

accommodate easy data access for new stakeholders (e.g., 

parking facility operators, freight community).
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 Continue to share data with public and private partners to 

support traveler information. This allows the data to be used 

in a variety of formats (e.g., mobile device applications that 

show dynamic route choice, shared mobility options, parking 

wayfinding, and dynamic parking pricing).

 Develop a routine performance management process for 

continuing improvements in operating policies, procedures, 

systems, and deployments. This may include quarterly 

performance metrics prior to regional collaboration meetings 

to determine if adjustments are needed anywhere where 

TSMO strategies are falling short of reaching the subarea’s 

operations objectives.

Culture

 Continue to link TSMO program activities with 

transportation agencies’ strategic plans. Finalize servicerelated cost-effectiveness to compare the TSMO program to 

other transportation programs to rationalize expansion of the 

TSMO program.

 Continue to hold regular meetings to ensure ongoing dialogue 

on integrated management activities across transportation and 

emergency response agencies. Include additional stakeholders 

as needed.

Organization/Workforce

 Train staff on operating and maintaining new systems (e.g., 

dynamic route choice, active parking management).

 Update database of personnel and resources across 

organizational units in each agency responsible for TSMO 

activities.

 Develop a TSMO management and organizational structure 

within key agencies (e.g., State DOT, city, county) equivalent 

to that of other major agency programs.

Collaboration

 Continue to hold regular (e.g., monthly) TSMO collaboration 

meetings with regional stakeholders.

 Develop working groups for TSMO strategies that require an 

expanded stakeholder set beyond the typical transportation 

and emergency stakeholders and meet regularly (e.g., 

quarterly, prior to a planned event, post-event). For example, a 

shared mobility working group may include agencies and 

stakeholders who operate electric vehicle charging stations 

and bicycle sharing stations, transit agencies, parking facility 

operators, and transportation network companies. Some 

working groups could be scheduled to meet following a 

regularly scheduled regional TSMO meeting to maximize 

attendance.

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4.Implementation Considerations

14 Federal Highway Administration, Systems Engineering for Intelligent Transportation Systems. FHWA-HOP-07-069 (Washington, DC: January 2007). Available at: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/

publications/seitsguide/index.htm.

The previous section focused on describing illustrative examples for 

planning and deploying combinations of transportation systems 

management and operations (TSMO) strategies in a variety of 

contexts. This section presents a collection of considerations for the 

implementation of TSMO strategies to facilitate an integrated 

approach to deployment and operation of TSMO strategies. The 

intent is to highlight critical factors in the systems engineering 

process that emerge when designing and deploying TSMO projects. 

Many of these factors can be addressed in the planning and design 

phases of a project.

Travelers experience the transportation system as a single entity. 

However, the silos created around agencies, modal networks, and 

service providers can result in disconnected delivery of 

transportation services. The essence of TSMO depends on both the 

integrated and active delivery of the transportation network and 

services. Management of the transportation network and services 

must be coordinated between partners, and partners must 

cooperatively operate the transportation system to achieve a 

seamless traveler experience.

SYSTEMS ENGINEERING PROCESS

The systems engineering process is a key element in successful 

delivery and operation of TSMO strategies. In brief, systems 

engineering develops processes that account for interdisciplinary 

issues, needs, and requirements (e.g., customer needs, user needs, 

reliability, logistics, testing, maintenance) to design, manage, and 

realize successful systems over their life cycles.14

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Some guiding principles to consider when implementing TSMO 

strategies:

 Establish a strategy team specifically for addressing 

implementation factors, especially for more complex TSMO 

strategies.

 When implementing a TSMO strategy for the first time, 

consider pilot or phased deployments.

 Strategies and policies evolve over time. Maintain enough 

flexibility to make adjustments later.

 Measure performance of strategies and adapt them as needed.

IMPLEMENTATION FACTORS

Implementation factors to consider when implementing TSMO 

strategies are grouped into three categories:

 Physical factors.

 Operations and maintenance factors.

 Institutional factors.

The following tables identify common factors and associated best 

practices.
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Implementation Factors – Physical

Physical factors include the characteristics necessary to design and build a TSMO system such as field devices, central systems, firmware/

software, communications, and power connections. 

Table 2. Physical implementation factors.

Category Effective Practice

Engineering design

Field devices

 Ensure proper placement of sensors, signs, and other devices.

 Perform traffic analysis to inform where blind spots or problem areas exist.

 Address maintenance access issues (e.g., avoid the need to close travel lanes to service field devices).

Structures  Leverage existing overcrossings and structures to reduce cost.

Right-of-way

 Ensure availability of right-of-way.

 Confirm agency ownership.

 Address utilities and design conflicts.

Power connections  Coordinate with electrical utility to develop connections.

Communications  Ensure networks are redundant and reliable.

Central systems

User interfaces

 Design a system management interface.

 Make data available to the private sector in an industry standard format.

Compatibility  Ensure system-to-system interface compatibility.

Firmware/software  Ensure firmware/software budget includes procurement and development costs.

Interoperability  Use applicable intelligent transportation systems (ITS) standards for field devices and central systems.

Commissioning & 

testing

 Bench test field devices and central system integration prior to deployment to verify that the system 

meets requirements.

 Bring installed devices online to verify that and the system operates correctly in the field environment.

 Conduct verification and validation testing.

Note: Other physical/design considerations can be found in Federal Highway Administration, Designing for Transportation Management and 

Operations: A Primer, FHWA-HOP-13-013 (Washington, DC: February 2013). Available at: https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop13013/.
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Implementation Factors – Operations and Maintenance

Operations and maintenance factors are characteristics related to the processes and procedures needed for day-to-day operation such as 

agency roles and responsibilities, operating procedures, and performance measurement.

Table 3. Operations and maintenance implementation factors.

Category Effective Practice

Preventative maintenance

 Institute preventative maintenance including regular inspection, monitoring, and servicing of 

field devices.

 Regularly perform software and firmware updates.

Management

 Provide resources to staff personnel to manage and oversee operations, as TSMO strategies are 

often operationally intensive.

 Rely on partners, especially when their resources better align with TSMO strategies that are 

mutually beneficial (e.g., many State departments of transportation operate 24/7 and can help 

after hours).

 Identify stakeholder roles and responsibilities and work through potential conflicts of interest.

 Use decision-support systems developed in advance to facilitate a faster response when events 

occur in real time.

Notification/

Communications

 Establish contact lists and clear protocols for stakeholder notification of events and 

communications throughout the duration of the event.

Planning for failure

Addressing failure

 Automate processes to notify operators and technicians of system failures.

 Train maintenance staff on how to resolve issues with new equipment.

Operation during failure  Develop procedures and back-up plans in anticipation of system failures.

Prioritizing repair

 Implement a prioritization scheme for addressing issues, since resource limitations like staffing 

can extend down time.

System retirement & 

replacement

 Plan for end-of-life decommissioning and replacement of the system.
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Implementation Factors – Institutional

Institutional factors include the characteristics related to the legal, organizational, and behavioral roles associated with operating and 

managing a transportation system. These include policies, regulations, intra- and inter-agency coordination, and public-private 

partnerships.15

Table 4. Institutional implementation factors.

Category Effective Practice

Intra-agency coordination

 Build and develop new working relationships with other departments (e.g., information technology 

maintenance, operations, planning, project development, public works, community development) 

and others that have a stake in transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) systems.

Inter-agency coordination

 Establish agreements (e.g., memoranda of understanding, intergovernmental agreements) between 

agencies.

 Consider full realm of public agency partners such as State departments of transportation, counties, 

cities, townships, metropolitan planning organizations, councils of government, transit service 

providers, and toll authorities. 

 Consider non-traditional partners (e.g., private sector information providers, communications 

network providers, chambers of commerce, neighborhood associations).

Outreach

 Educate communities and education decisionmakers about TSMO strategies to get public 

acceptance.

Performance measurement  Leverage private sector data as appropriate.

Public-private partnerships  Develop procedures and back-up plans in anticipation of system failures.

Data policy

 Establish data access policies.

 Establish data quality policies including considering how to consider how to manage failure and 

poor data.

 Create data storage and archiving infrastructure policies.

Costing  Use the life-cycle costing process to establish a total beginning to end cost for the TSMO strategy.

15 For more information, please see Federal Highway Administration, “Welcome to the Business Process Frameworks for Transportation Operations” web page at https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/

tsmoframeworktool/index.htm.
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Category Effective Practice

Staff capability

 Assign responsibility for maintenance; operations and maintenance staff may be reluctant to learn 

new technology.

 Train staff so they understand systems.

 Secure resources to manage systems, devices, and programming.

 Cross-train staff to establish clear understanding of all roles and responsibilities.

Path dependencies  Address path dependencies regarding equipment compatibility.

Performance monitoring & 

evaluation

 Collect quality “before” and “after” data for evaluation.

 Evaluate and report out the effectiveness of the TSMO strategies. 

Establish supporting 

regulations for strategies

 May need to update rules and laws (e.g., variable speed limits, part-time shoulder use).

 Create new rules if necessary.

Procurement

 Do not low-bid software.

 Look for opportunities to participate in another agency’s procurement.

Table 4. Institutional implementation factors. (Continued)

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Appendix: Menu of Transportation Systems Management and 

Operations Strategies

This appendix includes a listing of 

transportation systems management and 

operations (TSMO) strategies grouped by 

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) 

operations program area. This list is not 

exhaustive but includes many of the TSMO 

strategies most commonly used. Note, there is 

overlap between some of the strategies. Some 

program areas such as work zone management 

and planned special event management can use 

many of the TSMO strategies from other 

program areas for those specific applications. 

Each program area includes a web link where 

more information may be found about the 

strategies. The main website for the operations 

program areas is https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/

program_areas/programareas.htm.

Traffic Incident Management (TIM)

https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/eto_tim_pse/about/

tim.htm

 TIM teams.

 TIM training.

 Post-event after action debriefs.

 Incident detection, notification, and 

response.

 Roadway safety service patrols.

 Computer-aided dispatch (CAD) 

integration.

 Dispatch co-location.

 Emergency vehicle routing.

 Pre-planned detour/alternate routes.

 Incident traffic signal timing plans.

 Pre-established towing service 

agreements.

 Instant or staged towing.

 Towing recovery incentive program.

 Shared quick clearance goals.

 Supporting legislation (e.g., driver 

removal laws, authority removal laws, 

move over laws).

Planned Special Events Traffic 

Management

https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/eto_tim_pse/

about/pse.htm

 Pre- and post-event stakeholder 

coordination.

 Temporary traffic control.

 Network surveillance.

 Changeable lane assignment or 

contraflow lanes.

 Reversible lanes.

 Enhanced traffic signal operations for 

special events.

 Transit management.

 Parking management.

Work Zone Management

https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/index.asp

 Maintenance and construction activity 

coordination.

 Queue length detection.

 Mobile surveillance.

 Temporary ramp metering.

 Portable intelligent transportation 

system (ITS) technology for work zones.

 Dynamic speed control.

 Dynamic lane merge.

 Work zone ITS for traveler information.

 Work zone TIM.
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 Active transportation and demand 

management (ATDM) for work zones.

 Dynamic warning systems (e.g., 

queues, congestion, over-dimension 

vehicles, work space intrusions).

Road Weather Management

https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/index.asp

 Road weather information systems.

 Winter roadway operations.

 Weather warning systems.

Active Transportation and Demand 

Management 

https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/atdm/index.htm

 Active demand management (ADM).

▫ Dynamic ridesharing.

▫ On-demand transit.

▫ Dynamic transit fare reduction.

▫ Dynamic pricing.

▫ Dynamic route choice.

▫ Dynamic truck restrictions.

▫ Predictive traveler information.

 Active traffic management (ATM).

▫ Dynamic lane use control.

▫ Dynamic lane reversal.

▫ Dynamic merge control.

▫ Temporary shoulder running.

▫ Dynamic speed limits.

▫ Dynamic warning (e.g., queue, road 

weather conditions).

▫ Adaptive ramp metering.

 Active parking management (APM).

▫ Dynamically priced parking.

▫ Dynamic parking reservations.

▫ Dynamic parking wayfinding.

▫ Dynamic parking capacity.

▫ Dynamic overflow transit parking.

Arterial Management

https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/arterial_mgmt/

index.htm

 Traffic management center.

 Traffic network surveillance.

 Enhanced traffic signal operations 

(e.g., re-timing/optimization, adaptive 

detection, better detection).

 Emergency vehicle preemption.

 Transit traffic signal priority.

 Queue jump lanes at signalized 

intersections.

 Truck traffic signal priority.

 Bicycle and pedestrian operations and 

safety (e.g., crossing enhancements, 

bicycle detection, signal timing for 

bicycles and pedestrians).

 Access management.

 Complete streets.

 Improved traffic control schemes.

 Added capacity for critical movements.

 Travel speed reduction.

 Automated enforcement.

 Operations asset management.

Congestion Pricing

https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/congestionpricing/

index.htm

 Congestion pricing (e.g., variable 

pricing by lane, segment, time of day, 

or day of week).

 Managed lanes (e.g., high occupancy 

vehicle lanes, high occupancy toll 

lanes).
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Corridor Traffic Management

https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/program_areas/

corridor_traffic_mgmt.htm

 Traffic management center.

 Traffic network surveillance.

 Safety applications (e.g., warnings 

about queues, geometry (such as 

curves or over height/over width), 

intersections, animals crossing).

 Access management.

 Bottleneck removal.

 High performance transit.

Integrated Corridor Management 

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

icms/index.htm.

Freeway Management

https//ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freewaymgmt/index.

htm

 Traffic management center.

 Traffic network surveillance.

 Ramp metering.

 Ramp closures.

 Access management.

 Automated enforcement.

Travel Demand Management

https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/tdm/index.htm

 Traveler information marketing 

campaigns.

 Route planning tools.

 Shared mobility (transportation 

services that are shared among users 

such as public transit, ridesharing, 

carsharing, ridesourcing, or 

bikesharing).

 Employer trip reduction programs and 

commuter incentives (e.g., subsidies 

for transit passes, carpool, vanpool).

 Gamification.

 Rideshare/ride-matching support.

 Telecommuting.

 Congestion pricing.

 Corridor investments to support mode 

transfers or trip ends.

 Automobile-free or access-restricted 

zones.

 School transportation demand 

management (e.g., staggered start/end 

times, bus boundaries, walking school 

buses, school pool).

 Mass communication.

 Individualized marketing.

Real-Time Traveler Information

https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/travelinfo/index.htm

 Local/regional multimodal traveler 

information.

 Roadside traveler information 

dissemination (e.g., dynamic message 

signs, highway advisory radio).

 Predictive traveler information.

 Real-time transit arrival information.

 Real-time parking availability 

information.

 Multimodal trip planning and routing 

systems.

 Smartphone applications.

 Standardized data format for thirdparty data providers.

Freight Technology and Operations

https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/technology/

index.htm

 Roadside truck electronic screening/

clearance.

 Truck traffic signal priority.

 Freight Advanced Traveler 

Information System (FRATIS).

 Freight loading zone policies (e.g., 

delivery times, designated zones, 

electronic parking payment systems).
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Emergency Transportation Operations

https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/eto_tim_pse/index.htm

 Emergency operations center (EOC) and transportation 

management center integration.

 Emergency vehicle preemption.

 Roadway closure management plan.

Public Transportation Management

 Advanced transit operations management.

 Transit signal priority.

 Queue jump lanes at signalized intersections.

 Electronic fare collection and integration.

 Transit surveillance and security.

 Multimodal travel connections.

Parking Management

 Shared-use parking.

 Incentives to use under-utilized parking facilities.

 Electronic payment systems.

U.S. Department of Transportation

Federal Highway Administration 

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE 

Washington, DC 20590 

https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov

February 2018

FHWA-HOP-18-026