Active Traffic Management (ATM) strategies have become more common in the United States as state departments of transportation grapple with increasing congestion and fewer dollars available to add capacity to keep pace. The TRB National Cooperative Highway Research Program's NCHRP Web-Only Document 286: Principles and Guidance for Presenting Active Traffic Management Information to Drivers develops and details principles and guidance for presenting drivers with dynamic information that can be frequently updated based on real-time conditions. These principles and guidance should improve the effectiveness of ATM strategies, which include systems to manage congestion, incidents, weather, special events, and work zones.

This report considers the innovative use of existing infrastructure and the adoption of emerging digital technologies to optimise the use of road capacity. It focuses on using big data to identify the traffic bottlenecks in real-time and manage peak demand with innovative measures at the local and network levels. The report examines the effectiveness and efficiency of a range of instruments for active traffic demand management and also considers application issues. It includes a review of the latest road pricing technologies used in several Asian cities.

"Active traffic management (ATM) includes a suite of traffic management and control strategies that improve operational efficiency. These strategies are used to manage traffic flow to enhance capacity and safety. This synthesis documents the state of the practice associated with designing, implementing, and operating ATM on arterial roadways."--Preface.