Congestion Management Process

The Augusta Regional Transportation Study (ARTS) Congestion Management Process (CMP) report is completed annually in accordance with federal regulations, most recently, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act of 2012 (MAP-21) and Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act of 2015. 

Congestion occurs when the number of vehicles on a road reaches or exceeds the capacity of the road, resulting in slowed or stopped traffic. Congestion may also occur as a result of a highway incident or adverse weather. Consequences of congestion may lead to longer travel times, inefficient fuel consumption, excessive emissions of harmful toxins, road rage, increased potential for crashes, and missed appointments or delivery windows. 

Congestion Management is the application of strategies to improve transportation system performance and reliability by reducing the adverse impacts of congestion. CMP is a systematic approach for managing congestion that provides accurate, up-to-date information on transportation system performance and assesses alternative strategies for congestion management that meet state and local needs. More information on the ARTS CMP can be found below: