The operational characteristics of a corridor are all the physical features and modes of transportation found along it. Typical elements include:
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Questions to Ask
Assessing the physical and technical attributes of a corridor is fundamental in determining its suitability for an ICM project. Here are some basic operational questions to consider when choosing a site:
Is there at least one freeway and one parallel arterial? | This is the minimum configuration that must be present when considering a corridor. |
Is it a highly congested freeway and arterial? | The goal of an ICM project is to reduce congestion and improve mobility along a corridor. |
Is fiber available? How highly instrumented is the corridor? | An ICM project requires traffic data for the various elements of the corridor. Is the infrastructure available for gathering the sensor data needed for the project? |
Do the arterials have signal timing? | The ability to time signals along arterials is important for improving traffic flow and accommodating overflow traffic from the freeway. |
Is the corridor multi-modal? | Additional transit modes (bus, rail, etc.) create more options for both travelers and traffic flow along the corridor. |
What adjacent uses are there along the corridor (retail, employment, airport, schools, etc.)? | The adjacent uses can identify trip generators and patterns of congestion. |
Is there opportunity for replicability around the state and nationally? | Are the corridor's characteristics representative enough to make its study useful for other corridors? Does the corridor have special or unique features that make it difficult to apply the lessons learned to other situations? |