The 19 years of data in the Urban Mobility Study are used to identify trends and examine issues related to urban congestion. This study includes information for 75 U.S. urban areas from 1982 to 2000. The measures and discussions presented in this edition of the Annual Report provide a basis for discussion about the significance of the mobility problems and the need for solutions. Improvements might include a variety of projects, programs, strategies and practices but they all have three important things in common. To be broadly effective, they must: 1) gain public confidence, 2) have sufficient funding and 3) provide a valued service. The mix of improvements will be different depending on local conditions and needs but gaining consensus on a plan – whether at the national, state or local level – appears to be a very important early step. The relatively easy-to-understand information in the 2002 Annual Mobility Report can be used to help communicate some basic statistics about mobility and travel time reliability issues. Major transportation system improvements require time for planning, design and implementation, and often a significant amount of funding as well. Communicating the condition and the need for improvements is a goal of this report. The decisions about which, and how much, improvement to fund will be made at the local level according to a variety of local goals, but there are some broad conclusions that can be drawn from this research database that apply to the areas studied. More information is available on the study website: http://mobility.tamu.edu/ (Author/publisher)
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