Evaluation of Freeway Motorist Assist Program

This evaluation of the Motorist Assist (MA) program in St. Louis estimated that MA has an annual benefit-cost ratio (B/C) of 38.25:1 using 2009 dollars. This estimate was based on nationally accepted AASHTO methodology and was based on 1082 secondary crashes reduced per year and an average crash value of $72,350/crash. This B/C is an astonishing figure that is larger than all of the B/Cs reported in literature for other similar freeway service patrol programs. One factor that contributed to this B/C was the large secondary crash reduction ratio estimated using actual data from the years prior to and after MA was first deployed in 1993. Other factors include the low cost of operations and the high cost of secondary crashes. MA is a critical component of an overall Traffic Incident Management (TIM) strategy. Responders, such as the police, validate this perspective by commenting that MA is better equipped to handle traffic control, which allows the police to take other actions such as investigating the incident. The evaluators recommend for MA to be strengthened.

• Record URL:
  https://spexternal.modot.mo.gov/sites/cm/CORDT/or10018.pdf
• 
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/17686
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Missouri, Columbia

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  Columbia, MO  United States  65211-2200

  HDR Engineering, Incorporated

  326 S 21st Street, Suite 400
  St Louis, MO  United States  63103

  Missouri Department of Transportation

  2271 St. Mary's Boulevard
  Jefferson City, MO  United States  65102

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Sun, Carlos
  • 0000-0002-8857-9648
  • Chilukuri, Venkat
  • Ryan, Tom
  • Trueblood, Michael
• Publication Date: 2010-2

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Glossary; Maps; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 52p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Freeway service patrols; Highway traffic control; Incident management; Motorist aid systems; Secondary crashes; Traffic incidents
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01155722
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: OR10-018, FHWA MO-2009-004
• Contract Numbers: Task Order MTI RI07-006, RD 09 - 004
• Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 29 2010 4:32PM