Travel demand management (TDM) is a technique being used in many metropolitan areas to address growing traffic congestion problems. TDM strategies provide for better management of the transportation system, with emphasis on maximising the number of people carried, rather than vehicular volumes. TDM covers a variety of actions that better manage the demand on transportation facilities by acting to shift more commuters into transit and multioccupant vehicles and into less congested travel times. One approach to the development of a TDM program was used in the I-35W corridor in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The process provided a vigorous examination of the effectiveness of existing TDM measures, travel markets, the evaluation of additional TDM strategies, and the development of a short-term TDM program. The basis for the examination of the effectiveness of potential TDM strategies was the development and application of a microcomputer spreadsheet model. The process, which was conducted in a relatively short time period with a modest budget, may prove beneficial to other areas facing the same types of problems.
Abstract