Managing urban traffic congestion.

This report was prepared by an international Working Group of the Joint OECD/ECMT Transport Research Centre and provides a thorough overview of thenature, scope and measurement of congestion, necessary for any effective management policy. It provides policy-oriented, research-based recommendations for effectively managing traffic and cutting excess congestion in large urban areas. The eradication of congestion is not considered possible, but excessive congestion should be avoided. Measurement of congestion is discussed. Recurrent congestion is generally the consequence of factors that act regularly or periodically on the transport system but its duration and severity may not be predictable. Non-recurrent congestion is the effectof unexpected, unplanned or large events. The costs of congestion and ways of calculating these are discussed. Coordination of land use policies and congestion management policies is suggested. Access policies, parking policies and road pricing policies are discussed. Improving traffic operations, improving public transport, modifying existing infrastructure and building new infrastructure are also considered. The politics of congestion management are outlined. This publication is also available in French , title 'Gerer la congestion urbaine'.