Congestion impacts Southeast Michigan’s economy, environment, and quality of life. Congestion occurs when the number of vehicles on a road exceeds its capacity, leading to slower speeds and longer travel times. Congestion levels are most severe during time periods when there are more reasons to travel, in places where more activity happens, and on roads where there are fewer alternate routes. Congestion can unpredictably delay travelers, increase the risk for vehicles crashes, contribute to lower regional air quality.

SEMCOG develops and implements a Congestion Management Process (CMP) (pdf, 3.5MB) to improve mobility in the region. The CMP helps SEMCOG and its regional partners develop policies for managing congestion and projects that mitigate congestion. The CMP has three basic uses:
– To monitor and evaluate transportation system performance
– To identify congestion problems, and
– To evaluate and recommend mitigation strategies

In managing congestion, the CMP draws from congestion mitigation strategies that promote pooled travel options (carpool, vanpool, transit, biking, walking), emphasize improving how roads operate (ITS, access management), and increasing roadway capacity when other management strategies are not effective.

Cover for SEMCOG's congestion report

    Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)

    ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) involves the use of computer and electronic technologies, communications, or information processing to improve the safety and efficiency of the transportation system. The use of ITS in Southeast Michigan is not new. Examples currently in use include:
    – dynamic message signs
    – closed circuit TV cameras
    – roadway vehicle detection sensors
    – coordinated signal systems, and
    – transportation operations centers.

    Traffic Incident Management

    Transportation systems work best when people and goods are can move freely, efficiently, and safely. A perfect system would continually have these conditions., but unfortunately, crashes happen disrupting flow which ripples across the entire region. When crashes happen, it takes the coordination, collaboration, and relationships of traffic incident professionals to quickly clear the scene and return the affected roadways to normal operations. 

    Other highway travel information resources:
    Mi-Drive (statewide travel information)
    Oakland County Road Commission Real-Time Traffic Map
    Macomb County Road Commission traffic information
    Wayne County Compass

    Regional Operations

    Background

    The Metropolitan Detroit Traffic Incident Management Committee started as an ad hoc group in 1992 when organizations interested in improving response to traffic incidents joined forces to develop a program for Metropolitan Detroit. In 2005, SEMCOG led the efforts of the Southeast Michigan Regional Concept for Transportation Operations (RCTO), built upon the relationships developed during the earlier traffic incident management process. It outlined broader objectives to improve regional transportation operations. Recognizing the overlapping objectives of these two efforts, they were merged and is now led by the Southeast Michigan Regional Transportation Operations Coordinating Committee.

    Two outcomes of the RCTO effort are: an update of the original incident management action plan (i.e., Blueprint for Action) which describes the mission, vision, goals, and objectives for improving transportation operations, regionally, and more importantly a renewed formal agreement (pdf, 91KB) between MDOT, Michigan State Police, and SEMCOG for addressing operations issues.

    Mission of the Coordinating Committee

    To strengthen and guide regional transportation operations collaboration and coordination, by:

    • presenting an operations vision and direction for the future of transportation systems management and operations based on a holistic view of the region,
    • garnering commitment from agencies and jurisdictions for a common regional approach to transportation management and operations, and
    • strengthening the link between regional planners and various stakeholders responsible for transportation operations by providing a sound operations strategy for consideration in the planning process.

    Vision

    A major emphasis of transportation operations is to develop a common vision among transportation operators which defines where the region’s transportation system wants to be in the future:

    Southeast Michigan will have reliable and managed transportation operations across jurisdictional, geographic and modal boundaries for both routine traffic operations and traffic incident management that saves lives, time, and money for its travelers.

    Goals and Objectives

    From the major operational goals, several themes emerged, such as: 

    • the need to obtain real-time accurate information, 
    • the ability to share information among agencies and with the public, 
    • the availability of appropriate resources to respond to situations, and 
    • to accomplish all of this safely and efficiently.