Active Demand Management

Introduction

Active demand management (ADM) is any method that changes the time, route, or number of trips taken by a vehicle. ADM includes many new methods, generally defined as “…information and technology to dynamically manage demand, which could include redistributing travel to less congested times of day or routes, or reducing overall vehicle trips by influencing a mode choice.”

ADM solutions are not necessarily tied to a specific road or lane; they can also include options that do not require changing the physical structure of the roads. New smartphone apps encourage alternate routes or travel times through incentives and coordinate carpools in real time.

Some specific active demand strategies include:

• Dynamic lanes: The high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane requirement changes based on the time of day and traffic conditions. This could mean increasing the requirement from 2+ to 3+ people during peak periods. Or, the HOV restrictions could be removed
  during certain hours to allow all vehicles.
• Dynamic pricing: The toll rate increases based on the traffic congestion at that moment.
• Dynamic transit schedule. Instead of a fixed bus schedule, the public transit schedule adjusts based on real-time demand, covering the most overcrowded stops on the route.

Executive Summary

 

Tech-Savvy People with Flexible Work Schedules
Some ADM programs make trips during rush hour more expensive. This gives people who have flexible work times and locations an incentive to travel when it’s not rush hour or to take a less-traveled route. For example, in Los Angeles, drivers used a smartphone app to decide when to leave for work and home to miss traffic and save money on tolls. People who already use smartphones for managing time and travel are most likely to use these types of ADM.

Managed Lanes
Tolling authorities, metropolitan planning organizations, and city jurisdictions can work together to include ADM in future managed lanes plans. ADM components should be integrated into a project’s development process early to achieve the highest effectiveness.

• Reduces congestion by giving users information on alternatives to driving alone during rush hour on congested roads.
• Improves the efficiency of the existing road system. ADM offers incentives and disincentives, such as rewards for traveling during non-busy times, discounted tolls for carpooling, or increased tolls for travel during rush hour.

Integrate Planning
ADM projects affect nearly every aspect of transportation plans. Planners should work with local jurisdictions, metropolitan planning organizations, transit agencies, and state departments of transportation to manage ADM methods to meet collaborative goals. Many planners want to reduce congestion and increase safety, and certain tools may be more effective in achieving stated goals than others.

Monitor New Technologies
ADM technologies are changing rapidly, particularly in software and incentives to change travel behavior. Planners should keep up to date on the latest methods by talking to implementers who have been in similar situations.

Consider Regulatory Obstacles
Many states and local jurisdictions have laws that may restrict the use of some ADM techniques. Regulations often control dynamically changing pricing, speed limits, and lane use. Therefore, planners need to review these laws before more detailed planning.

Seek Diverse Funding Opportunities
Many ADM projects funded from federal and/or state sources focus on results from innovative techniques. Planners should partner with local jurisdictions and research organizations to find the appropriate funding mechanisms for specific projects. Also, staffing changes may need to be considered before funding and implementation. 

Who Is Responsible?

The state department of transportation (DOT) is usually responsible for major corridor projects. The DOT works closely with transit and mobility authorities to plan, construct, and manage these major projects. Local jurisdictions, working with private-sector developers or a university research group, usually use software-driven solutions. For both levels of ADM use, successful solutions often depend on a broad team from the transportation community working together.

Project Time Frame

Software solutions, such as dynamic ridesharing or roadway notifications, can be implemented in a short time if no infrastructure is involved, depending on the need for local adaptation and promotion.

Projects such as changeable message signs and other information technology take months or years to implement. Fortunately, few ADM projects are likely to need the environmental reviews associated with changing a project footprint, which can take a long time.

Cost

ADM programs range from no direct costs (such as private-sector smartphone apps) to millions of dollars for major infrastructure improvements.

Seattle, Washington, constructed a project on IH 5 that included active lane control technology, changeable message signs, and other features. The project totaled $43.7 million, paid through a variety of sources including a federal Urban Partnership Agreement program.

Data Needs

The type of data needed to evaluate program success depends on the ADM strategy. For example, managed lanes are typically evaluated using traffic counts. Evaluators compare the traffic counts on the managed lane to traffic counts on general-purpose lanes. They also look at those traffic counts over time.