The major urban areas in texas have experienced a period of unprecedented growth. Along with that growth came significant increases in traffic congestion with corresponding declines in urban mobility. A procedure was developed to estimate the relative traffic congestion levels on urban-area roadway systems. The data elements of the methodology are available from planning agencies and are based on an urban-area designation rather than specific political boundaries. The methodology can be utilised by agencies in urban areas that rely on the freeway and street system to provide person movement. The methodology was illustrated using 1975-1984 data from Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. An estimate of the number of years before congestion reaches an undesirable level was generated for each major urban area.
Abstract