Travel Time Reliability & Freight Movement Performance Measures & TIP Analysis
Performance Measures & Conditions Data
The tables below show the current WisDOT target levels of travel time reliability, adopted by the MPO, for both the Interstate and non-Interstate NHS systems. They also show travel time reliability performance and trends in the Madison Metro Area.
Percentage of Person-Miles Traveled on the Interstate that are Reliable
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| WisDOT Baseline (2021) | 96.4% |
| WisDOT 2-Year Target (2023) | >92.5% |
| WisDOT 4-Year Target (2025) | >93% |
| Madison Metro Area Performance (2021) | 100% |
| Madison Metro Area Performance (2022) | 100% |
| Madison Metro Area Trend | Stable, meets target |
Percentage of Person-Miles Traveled on the Non-Interstate NHS that are Reliable
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| WisDOT Baseline (2021) | 93.9% |
| WisDOT 2-Year Target (2023) | >91% |
| WisDOT 4-Year Target (2025) | >89.5% |
| Madison Metro Area Performance (2021) | 91% |
| Madison Metro Area Performance (2022) | 92% |
| Madison Metro Area Trend | Improving, meets target |
The percent of person-miles traveled with unreliable travel times in the Madison Metro area on the non-Interstate NHS system exceeds the four-year target. Even still, the relatively high percentage of the Madison area system that meets the reliability measure is skewed by the 4-hour peak periods used for the federal measure.
The AM and PM peak periods in Madison are 60 or 90 minutes at most.
Freight Movement
The table below shows the existing WisDOT truck travel time reliability index targets for the Interstate system, adopted by the MPO. The table also shows truck travel time reliability performance and trends in the Madison Metro Area.
Truck Travel Time Reliability Index
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| WisDOT Baseline (2021) | 1.20 |
| WisDOT 2-Year Target (2023) | 1.3 |
| WisDOT 4-Year Target (2025) | 1.3 |
| Madison Metro Area Performance (2021) | 1.2 |
| Madison Metro Area Performance (2022) | 1.2 |
| Madison Metro Area Trend | Stable, meets target |
The 2022 data shows that the Madison Metro area currently meets the two- and four-year targets for freight travel time reliability on the Interstate system. An index of 1.2 indicates a high reliability of system performance.
The Interstate typically only experiences heavy congestion and slower travel times on summer Friday nights and Sundays due to tourist traffic.
Project Analysis
Five projects in the Madison Metropolitan Area will add travel lanes and therefore improve travel time reliability. The Interstate 39/90/94 expansion project (S. Beltline to Hanson Road; Hanson Road to North County Line) is the most significant expansion project.
The 2027–2031 TIP contains 24 projects that will include a transportation systems management (TSM) component. The goal of these projects is to maximize the efficiency, safety, and utility of the transportation infrastructure.
TSM considers the full range of options for maximizing the performance of existing transportation infrastructure without expanding the infrastructure itself (e.g., adding general purpose lanes, etc.). TSM strategies can include physical changes to the roadway, changes to how the roadway is used, and efforts aimed at reducing demand for use of the roadway (travel demand management).
Many of the TSM projects listed in the 2027–2031 TIP are intended to increase vehicle throughout at intersections and reduce average delay along with improving safety. The following are examples of TSM projects in the 2027–2031 TIP:
- Three Wisconsin Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (WEVI) Charging Station projects, funded by the NEVI program
- City of Madison's Curb Management Action Plan, funded by the Carbon Reduction Program (CRP)
- City of Madison's Advancing Safety and Emergency Operations Through a Regional Connected Vehicle Corridor: Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) Program
- MPO TDM program (“RoundTrip"), which includes employer-based programs and an online transportation matching service that allows commuters to quickly find carpool partners, vanpool options, bike buddies, transit routes, and park and ride lots based on their specific circumstances.
Planning Activities
The MPO completed an update to its Congestion Management Process (CMP) in conjunction with the RTP Update. Part of the analysis for the update included purchase of StreetLight Analytics travel time data used to help identify bottlenecks that might be alleviated through lower cost intersection improvements and TSM strategies.
StreetLight data will be used moving forward to assess the impacts of major TSM projects. The MPO is currently developing a Regional Transportation Systems Management and Operations Plan (TSMO).