Congestion Management Process

The Grand Valley Metro Council utilizes a Congestion Management Process (CMP) as a tool in the transportation planning process. This tool was developed to better meet the needs of the Grand Rapids Metro Area.

Background

Federal transportation legislation requires Metropolitan Planning Organizations to develop and implement Congestion Management Process (CMP) as part of the metropolitan transportation planning process (23 CFR 500). The CMP is intended to be a systematic way of monitoring, measuring and diagnosing the causes of current and future congestion on a region's multi-modal transportation system; evaluating and recommending alternative strategies to manage or mitigate current and future regional congestion; and monitoring and evaluating the performance of strategies implemented to manage or mitigate congestion.

In Transportation Management Areas that are in non-attainment of ozone or carbon monoxide (CO) standards, Federal funds may not be expended for any new project that will significantly increase the carrying capacity for single-occupant vehicles (SOVs) unless the project results from a CMP. For the Grand Rapids area, a significant increase in carrying capacity for SOVs is defined as a project that adds one or more through-travel lanes for one mile or more on a roadway classified as a Collector or higher on the Federal functional class map for the area.

In the early 1990's MPO staff developed a CMP to meet the federal regulations and serve the transportation planning needs of the urban area. The CMP includes an ongoing method to provide information on the performance of the transportation system and on alternative strategies to alleviate congestion and enhance mobility. The CMP emphasizes effective management of existing facilities through use of travel demand and operational management strategies. In cases where these methods are deemed ineffective to resolve the congestion issue of a corridor, capacity enhancing projects will be selected as the preferred alternative.

Grand Valley Metro Council ( GVMC ) as the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Grand Rapids urban area serves as the central focus for a wide variety of transportation planning activities that encompass all modes of transportation. GVMC coordinates and provides technical support for many regional planning studies. GVMC is also an important source of transportation data used in various traffic engineering studies and roadway design projects undertaken by its member jurisdictions and private consultant organizations. Consequently, GVMC needs accurate and objective data in order to maintain both the validity and the credibility of the decisions that may be based on these studies.

To view the Level of Service (LOS) Map for the MPO click here

To view the GVMC Congestion Management Process report click here