Matching Technique with Authority: A Study of How Local DOTs Can Narrow the Gap between their Network Management Authority and their Analytical Capacity

This report explores how local DOTs can leverage advanced traffic modeling software to narrow the gap between their network management authority and their analytical capacity. Limited computational and analytical capacity among local DOTs has historically made detailed on-demand analytics inaccessible. Using the Mobiliti traffic simulation platform, we examine the City of San José's Safer Streets program to determine the operational and social impacts of the city’s traffic management strategies. We find that imposing a 20 mph speed limit cap on residential streets in San José’s Equity Priority Communities leads to a 39% reduction in passthrough traffic on those streets, but a 76% increase in traffic on streets in the surrounding network. Using this analytical approach, instead of relying on technical assistance from MPOs network managers can more quickly gain quantified insights into the response of network dynamics to localized interventions.