Signs from Above

This article describes how the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has built one of the most intensive Active Traffic Management (ATM) systems on the road today. Like many Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) deployments, the state has gained benefits but also faces many challenges. Smart Lanes is the brand name of MnDoT ATM system on I-35W in the Twin Cities Metro Area. The original system covered 16 miles of I-35W south of Minneapolis starting in 2009, and was extended by two miles in 2011. Additional ATM equipment was installed on an eight mile section of I-94 between downtown Minneapolis and downtown St. Paul in 2012. The article discusses how Minneapolis and Seattle are the only cities that have deployed full ATM, and Minneapolis is the only city with a dynamic shoulder high occupancy toll (HOT) lane. What first drove the City to deploy the ATM system was the dynamic shoulder lane on 35W. The city wanted to do a low-cost capacity improvement, and so it added the lane control signals to manage the dynamic shoulder lane, and operate five lanes of traffic in a section that was built for four. After seeing the benefits of the Smart Lanes, the City decided to expand ATM to the entire 35W corridor. The goals are to reduce collisions, improve mobility and increase throughput. In addition, the ATM system was expanded to 94, originally to help reroute traffic around the 35W Mississippi River Bridge after it collapsed in 2007. When the bridge reopened in 2008, however, public pressure convinced MnDoT to keep the detour and Smart Lanes operational.

• Record URL:
  http://www.itsinternational.com/sections/nafta/features/active-traffic-management-challenges-and-benefits/
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/35183091
• Supplemental Notes:
  • The article was published online with the title: Active Traffic Management - Challenges and Benefits.
• Authors:
  • Goldin, Pete
• Publication Date: 2013

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: pp NA5-NA6
• Serial:
  • ITS International
  • Volume: 19
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Route One Publishing Limited
  • ISSN: 1463-6344
  • Serial URL: http://www.itsinternational.com

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automated highways; High occupancy toll lanes; Highway traffic control; Intelligent transportation systems; Mobility; Road shoulders; Traffic congestion; Traffic lanes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Active traffic management
• Geographic Terms: Minneapolis (Minnesota); Seattle (Washington)
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01482882
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jun 3 2013 9:21AM