For more information
contact Jim Hubbell
at 816/474-4240.
MARC Home > Transportation Department > Resources > Data and Tools > MARC Travel Time Study – 2007 Update
| REPORT DOCUMENTS |
| Travel Time Study final report will be posted online when completed (June 2007) |
HISTORY |
1929 1944 and 1949 1958 1977 1993 1996 2000 |
| MARC LINKS |
| 2000-2001 Travel Time Study |
MARC Travel Time Study – 2007 UPDATE
MARC's Travel Time Study helps monitor the performance of the roadway system, and observes trends in automobile travel time, delay and congestion during peak travel periods for the Kansas City metropolitan area.
How the study is conducted
MARC has attempted to maintain consistency from study to study in terms of the methods used to collect and analyze data. This allows staff to identify and observe trends in travel time and traffic conditions on the study routes.
Traffic flow is monitored in the morning and evening peak hour commute times, and average travel time, speed, delay, and causes of delay are evaluated.
Staff began using GPS technology for the 2007 study. MARC purchased mobile GPS units (GeoLoggers) and travel time analysis software (TravTime) from GeoStats. These tools greatly improved the data collection and analysis process involved with preparing the 2007 report, both in terms of efficiency and accuracy.
Brief history of MARC studies
In 1977, MARC conducted its first comprehensive travel time study in cooperation with the Kansas and Missouri Departments of Transportation. The study was conducted for the p.m. peak only. It showed that much of the inner urban area could be reached within 15 minutes driving time, while most suburban areas could be reached within 25 to 30 minutes of driving time.
During the 1990s, travel time studies showed an improvement in travel speeds throughout the region. These increases were likely the results of capacity improvements from the previous decade and changes in travel patterns. Also, in 1995 the national speed limit was repealed, allowing higher speed limits on freeways and expressways. Sampling of a.m. peak period speeds started in the 1993 study and have continued in the 1997, 2001 and 2007 studies. Because a.m. data was not collected before the 1993 study, some of the historical comparisons that appear in this study are confined to the p.m. peak period.
2007 update
For this update, data was collected in 2005 and 2006 on more than 1,600 miles of roadway from Leavenworth to Leawood in Kansas, and from Belton to Platte City in Missouri. The study logged 70 routes throughout Kansas City metro area, including a cross-section of road types.
The information gained from the Travel Time Study is used to:
- Identify the extent and location of traffic congestion or problem areas within the metro area, as defined by the regional Congestion Management System.
- Judge transportation system needs related to MARC's Long-Range Transportation Plan.
- Assess the Level of Service provided by the current transportation system.
- Indicate the effectiveness of the Congestion Management System.
- Perform more advanced GIS (geographic information systems) route analysis with latest data.
- Calibrate and validate speeds in MARC's travel demand forecasting model.