Office of Highway Policy Information - Federal Highway Administration

Table of Contents

• Motor Fuel Meetings to Strengthen Data Partnerships
• HPMS and Census 2000 Urban/Urbanized Boundaries
• Interstate System Facts
• Highway Finance to Roll out Better Tool
• Interstate System Posted Highway Speed Limits Rise
• Traffic Data Quality Workshop Proceedings and Action Plan: Final Report

This edition is in electronic (web) only format.

Motor Fuel Meetings to Strengthen Data Parnerships

The Office of Highway Policy Information of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is hosting two special meetings for FHWA field and State transportation and revenue staff to discuss "Ensuring Quality of Motor-Fuel Data for Apportionment Purposes." To save staff time and resources, one meeting is in the "East"; the other in the "West". The meetings are as follows:

Eastern Motor Fuel Meeting: Where: Newark, New Jersey When: January 22/23,2004

Western Motor Fuel Denver: Where: Colorado When: February 5/6,2004

OHPI encourages Division office and appropriate State staff to participate in discussion and breakout sessions on the following issues:

• Smart Tool/Usage- "Lessons Learned"- There will be discussion on what has been learned about Smart Tool input. OHPI will focus on what States need to do to improve data submittals and to avoid common errors.
• Changes in FHWA Headquarters Processing- There will be a discussion of policy changes, new gasohol model, and Headquarters data base processing.
• Quality Data-FHWA/State Partnership - There will be discussion on where we are now and, what we need to do next to ensure data quality.
• Legislation - OHPI will share any information we have on Federal re-authorization proposals, particularly insofar as these impact factors.

If you are interested in attending and for registration, contact Sheila Moore at mooresa@ornl.gov or fax your request at [(865) 574-3851].

Eastern Motor Fuel: Newark, New Jersey, Jan. 22-23, 2004: To be held at the Newark Marriott at Newark International Airport, Newark, NJ 07114 PHONE: (973) 623-0006, Hotel per diem: $125 per night: Cut-off Date is Dec. 31, 2003

Western Motor Fuel: Denver, Colorado, Feb. 5-6, 2004: To be held at the Marriott City Center, 1701 California Street, Denver, CO 80202 PHONE: (303) 297-1300, Hotel per diem: $112 per night: Cut-off Date is Dec. 31, 2003

Registration Name: ________________________________ Badge Name: ________________________________

Agency/Company: __________________________________________________________________

City: _____________________________ State: ________________ Zip Code: _________________

HPMS and Census 2000 Urban/Urbanized Boundaries

The States should make every effort to move to the use of updated urban or urbanized area boundaries when reporting 2003 HPMS data in June 2004. Further guidance on Census reporting has been posted on our web site under "Frequently Asked Questions" at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policy/ohpi/hpms/index.htm.

For other questions about applying 2000 Census data to urban or urbanized areas, refer to the Q's and A's at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/census/faqa2cdt.htm. For more information, contact Paul Svercl at 202-366-5036 or email paul.svercl@fhwa.dot.gov.

Interstate System Facts

The Interstate System by the end of calendar year 2002 had grown to over 46,700 miles in length; it accounts for about 1.1 percent of the Nation's total public road mileage and carries 24 percent of the highway travel. At least three routes exist in every State, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The following are additional facts about the Interstate System:

The 5 longest Interstate System Numbered Routes, not including any overlap with a lower or higher numbered route, are I-80 (2,887 miles), I-90 (2,702), I-40 (2,554), I-10 (2,456), and I-70 (2,062).

The 5 States with the most Interstate System numbered routes are: NY (29 routes), CA (25), IL (23), OH (21), and PA (21).

The 6 Interstate System Numbered Routes that pass through the most States are: I-95 (16 States), I-90 (13), I-80 (11), I-70 (10), I-10 (8), and I-40 (8).

The 5 Interstate System Numbered Routes that pass through the most urbanized areas (i.e., 50,000 or more population) are: I-95 (26 areas), I-80 (22), I-75 (22), I-10 (21), and I-90 (20).

Nearly all of the Interstate System is free of tolls, except for about 2,944 miles; the bulk of this toll mileage is in: NY (516 miles), PA (473), IL (280), OK (260), OH (241), KS (229), IN (157), MA (137), PR (134), ME (109), and NJ (106).

Most of the Interstate System is owned by the State highway agencies, except for about 2,511 miles that are owned by State Toll Commissions (2,494 miles) and Local & Municipal Toll Commissions (17 miles). The Federal Highway Administration owns about 1 mile of Interstate System (the Wilson Bridge crossing the Potomac River).

The 5 States that have the longest length of Interstate System are: TX (3,233 miles), CA (2,454), IL (2,170), PA (1,758), and NY (1,674).

The 5 States that have the shortest length of Interstate System are: DC (13 miles), DE (41), HI (55), RI (71), and NH (224).

The States with 14 or more through lanes on the Interstate System include GA on I-75 and I-85, CA on I-405, NJ on I-95, and NY on I-95. The widest section is 15 lanes in Cobb County on I-75 in GA.

The State with the narrowest Interstate System, excluding connecting ramps, is NH; I-93 through Franconia Notch consists of 2- and 3-lanes.

The 5 States that have the largest amount of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) on the Interstate System are:

California 225,601,981 Daily VMT

Texas 140,118,042 Daily VMT

Florida 85,960,667 Daily VMT

Ohio 85,086,750 Daily VMT

Illinois 83,214,437 Daily VMT

The 5 States that have the smallest amount of vehicle miles traveled on the Interstate System are:

District of Columbia 1,165,148 Daily VMT

Delaware 3,766,085 Daily VMT

Alaska 4,062,991 Daily VMT

North Dakota 4,385,906 Daily VMT

Vermont 4,572,428 Daily VMT

Some States have a high portion of their statewide travel using the Interstate System while others have a low portion. UT, CT, WY, AK, and MD have at least 30 percent of their statewide travel using the Interstate System; DC, DE, VT, WI, and FL have less than 18 percent - Table 1.

Table 1: Most or Least Served by the Interstate System Based on Travel - 2002 *

MOST SERVED:

LEASED SERVED:

* Based on Highway Peformance Monitoring System data.

In 2002, sections of Interstate System carrying 50,000 or more vehicles per day totaled nearly 10,700 miles (less than 23 percent of the system) and carried nearly 59 percent of the travel. Those sections carrying 100,000 or more vehicles per day totaled about 4,400 miles (over 9 percent) and carried about 35 percent of the total Interstate System travel. The Map shows that most of these high volume Interstate System sections are in and near the major cities.

Table 2 shows the highest traveled sections (200,000 or more vehicles per day) by State, county, and route. These high sections are found in 19 States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Table 2: Highest Interstate System Traffic Volume by State, County, and Route - 2002 *

(Sections with 200,000 or More Vehicles per Day)

AADT = Annual Average Daily Traffic. * Based on the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data.

For more information, contact Paul Svercl at 202-366-5036 or email paul.svercl@fhwa.dot.gov.

Highway Finance to Roll out Better Tool

In FY 2003, Highway Statistics 2002 saw the introduction of a State Highway Finance State Input tool for States to use in providing data for State Highway Income (Form 531) and State Highway Expenditures (Form 532). This tool proved very successful with 25 States opting to take advantage of the benefit of this software submittal tool. This data is key in the FHWA decision-making process and the biennial Conditions and Performance Report to Congress.

This system, titled Finance Analysis System (FASH) and significantly up-graded from initial concept, is an important element of the Office's capacity to deliver high quality information products through improved analytical tools.

For 2004, this software submittal tool will be significantly improved for State use, and has the following features:

• FASH will replace the current highway finance input tool that was used earlier this year for 2002 data.
• FASH will be a web-enabled tool. FASH will have a higher level of security than the prior input tool.
• FASH will have a restricted access.
• FASH users will need to be registered in the FHWA User Profile and Access Control System (UPACS);
• FASH will be far easier to use, and will improve data quality of State-reported data;
• FASH will have additional validations to pretest the data and provide immediate feedback to State data providers.

The Office of Highway Policy Information plans to put FASH on-line for State's data input on or about March 1, 2004, with "roll-out" and technical support through May 2004.

2003 Reporting of Highway Finance Statistics - Highway Finance Analysis System - State Tool (FASH) Training and Roll-out Schedule

November 15 - February 1 State Pilot -FASH test version (Pilot States);

March 1, 2004 - FASH "On-Line";

March 15 and March 16 - Video Conferences on Using FASH (Washington DC and FHWA Field Offices);

March 29 and March 30 - "Hands on" FASH Training for State Data Providers and FHWA staff - NHI Computer Laboratory - (Ballston, Virginia);

April 5 and April 6 - "Hands on" FASH Training for State Data Providers and FHWA staff - NHI Computer Laboratory - Ballston;

Interstate System Posted Highway Speed Limits Rise

Higher speed limits for automobiles have been posted on many parts of the Interstate System during the past decade. In 1993, an estimated 29,800 miles of Interstate System were posted at 65 miles per hour. By 1995, about 1,800 miles of Interstate System were signed at 75 miles per hour, another 1,600 miles at 70 miles per hour, and another 29,500 miles at 65 miles per hour. In 1997, one State had an unlimited daytime speed limit that was later capped at 75 miles per hour. By 2002, about 7,500 miles of Interstate System were signed at 75 miles per hour, another 13,900 miles at 70 miles per hour, and another 17,700 miles at 65 miles per hour.

Estimated Miles of Interstate System by Posted Speed Limits* 1/

* Includes administrative Interstate System in Alaska and Puerto Rico. 1/ Based on sample data from the Highway Performance Monitoring System. mph= miles per hour.

Estimated Daily Vehicle-Miles Traveled on Interstate System by Posted Speed Limits* 1/

* Includes administrative Interstate System in Alaska and Puerto Rico. 1/ Based on sample data from the Highway Performance Monitoring System. mph= miles per hour.

More Interstate System travel is occurring at higher speed limits. In 1993, about 37 percent of the total Interstate travel was along sections posted at 65 (or more) miles per hour; by 2002, this rose to over 67 percent. y 2002, 75 mile per hour daytime speed limits had been posted in twelve Rocky Mountain States. Generally, these posted sections of Interstate System are located where population densities are in the range of less than 10 persons per square mile. About 88 percent of the facilities posted at 75 miles per hour operate at less than 20,000 vehicles per day. See Map for maximum daytime posted speed limits.

Speed limits of less than 70 miles per hour appear to be posted when volumes of traffic exceed about 50,000 vehicles per day; an estimated 9,000 miles of Interstate System in this category carried nearly 53 percent of the total Interstate System travel in 2002.

For more detailed information, contact Paul Svercl at 202-366-5036 or email paul.svercl@fhwa.dot.gov.

Traffic Data Quality Workshop Proceedings and Action Plan: Final Report

The report entitled "Traffic Data Quality Workshop" was released by the Office of Highway Policy Information in September 2003. The primary objective of this project is to define an action plan to address traffic data quality issues.

The quality of traffic data and the information produced from the data are critical factors that affect the abilities of transportation agencies to ensure the security of transportation and the management of the nation's transportation resources. The development of this plan involved several steps. First, the issues associated with traffic data quality were reviewed. Second, three white papers were developed on issues identified from published reports and through interviews with state and local agencies involved with traffic data collection, use, and management. These white papers were then used to stimulate discussions and obtain inputs from workshop participants to develop an action plan that addresses traffic data quality issues. To view online, go to:

http://www.itsdocs.fhwa.dot.gov//JPODOCS/REPTS_TE//13839.html

For more information contact Ralph.Gillmann@fhwa.dot.gov or call 202-366-5042.

Office of Highway Policy Information / Federal Highway Administration

Director: Barna Juhasz

Newsletter Editors: Bryant Gross and Sharon Smith

Division Chiefs: Ed Kashuba, Travel Monitoring & Surveys | Tom Howard, Highway Funding and Motor Fuel | Jim Getzewich, Highway System Performance

(202) 366-0160 | 400 7th Street, SW | Washington, DC 20590

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