This book on road traffic congestion in cities and suburbs describes congestion problems and shows how they can be relieved. The first part (Chapters 1 - 3) shows how congestion reflects transportation technologies and settlement patterns. The second part (Chapters 4 - 13) describes the causes, characteristics, and consequences of congestion. The third part (Chapters 14 - 23) presents various relief strategies - including supply adaptation and demand mitigation - for nonrecurring and recurring congestion. The last part (Chapter 24) gives general guidelines for congestion relief and provides a general outlook for the future. The book will be useful for a wide audience - including students, practitioners and researchers in a variety of professional endeavors: traffic engineers, transportation planners, public transport specialists, city planners, public administrators, and private enterprises that depend on transportation for their activities.

Offers policy-oriented, research-based recommendations for effectively managing traffic and cutting excess congestion in large urban areas.

The objective of this research project was to develop a methodology for evaluating alternative midblock left-turn treatments on urban and suburban arterials. The methodology had to be applicable to three common midblock left-turn treatments: the raised-curb median, the flush median with two-way left-turn lane (TWLTL) delineation, and the undivided cross section. The methodology developed for this research focuses on the evaluation of midblock street segments on urban and suburban arterials. The basis for NCHRP Report 395.