Write Up:

A traffic incident is an unplanned event that blocks travel lanes and temporarily reduces the number of vehicles that can travel on the road. The speed of incident clearance is essential to the highway system returning to normal conditions. Responding to and quickly addressing the incident (crashes, debris and stalled vehicles) improves system performance.

As a result of a recent ransomware attack in Kansas City, no data is available this quarter for Kansas City or rural counties of I-70. Additionally, there are some inaccuracies in the data for Springfield and St Louis. This is due in part to the transition to a different Advanced Traffic Management System software during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023, but also during another transition in June of FY 2024.

St. Louis recorded 2,711 traffic incidents, with an average time of 29.0 minutes to clear those incidents in the fourth quarter of FY 2024. Compared to the same period in 2023, there was an increase of 7.1% in the number of incidents and a decrease of 3.0% in clearance times.

Springfield recorded 343 traffic incidents, with an average time of 30.7 minutes to clear those incidents in the fourth quarter of FY 2024. Compared to the same period in 2023, there was an increase of 88.5% in the number of incidents and a decrease of 0.3% in clearance times.

Rural counties of Interstate 44 between MM 0 (Oklahoma) and MM 69 (Springfield), as well as between MM 91 (Strafford) and MM 224 (Sullivan), recorded 77 incidents and an average clearance time of 67.6 minutes in the fourth quarter of FY 2024. Compared to the same period in 2023, there was an increase of 32.8% in the number of incidents and a decrease of 0.7% in clearance times.

This reporting period saw an increase of 13.0% in traffic-related incidents captured in MoDOT's Advanced Traffic Management System in the combined measured areas and an overall decrease of 1.2% in clearance times.

For FY 2024, none of the areas met the target time to clear. There has been an overall increase in clearance times the past couple of years due to increased traffic incidents and reduction in Motorist Assist staff. As staffing levels continue to recover by hiring additional personnel, clearance times should improve and be closer to the new target times that have been established.

An important component of traffic incident management is using Intelligent Transportation System devices, such as CCTV cameras, DMS boards and traffic detectors. With the Improve I-70 project that is currently under construction and the upcoming I-44 corridor study, called Forward 44, additional installations of these ITS devices in both urban and rural areas, where needed, will improve incident detection and response, and provide important and timely information to the traveling public.

Purpose of the Measure:

This measure is used to track the trends in incident clearance on the state highway system.

Measurement and Data Collection:

Advanced transportation management systems are used by traffice management centers in St. Louis, Kansas City and Springfield to record the incident start time and the time when all lanes are declared cleared. Traffic incidents can be categorized into three general classes of duration set forth by the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, which include minor, intermediate and major incidents. Each class has unique traffic- control characteristics and requirements.

This target is established by projecting a 10% improvement over a 5-year average.