The Commonwealth is focusing on performance-based planning, using today’s readily available big data to identify transportation problems at a corridor level. Performance-based planning provides a holistic approach to problem identification and serves as the basis for targeted solutions that most effectively address underlying transportation issues…

This approach begins with combing through transportation data sets to identify key problem areas. The Commonwealth, in turn, engages with the public to validate these data points and incorporate travelers’ input into the process. Following validation, a stepwise approach centered on targeted solutions begins. The first step is to maximize the efficiency of existing infrastructure—this entails a corridor-level review of operations upgrades to the interstate (including cameras, changeable message signs, towing and quick clearance of incidents, motorist assistance patrols, ramp metering, and variable speed limits), as well as improvements to parallel facilities (e.g., signal upgrades and coordination) that can become de facto interstates during incident situations.
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