Transportation reliability and trip satisfaction.

Travel delays and associated costs have become a major problem in Michigan over the past several decades as congestion has continued to increase, creating significant negative impacts on travel reliability on many roadways throughout the State. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) possesses the capability to distribute real-time travel time, speed, and reliability related information to the public through a variety of communication channels. If properly conveyed, such information would help facilitate necessary trip planning decisions both before and during a trip. Research was performed to develop appropriate communication techniques for distribution of travel reliability and related information to travelers through the MDOT MiDrive website based on the needs of users of the transportation network in Michigan. A number of tasks were performed to achieve this objective, including surveys of travelers, commuters, and the freight industry, in addition to the state-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice reviews. Synthesis of the information obtained from these tasks allowed for conclusions and recommendations to be drawn, including recommended techniques for reliability measurement, specifically buffer time and planning time, in addition to strategies for communication of this information through the MiDrive website.