910.1 The Need for ITS

ITS is needed to better manage the growing amount of traffic on Missouri's roadways. Cost, space and environmental concerns limit MoDOT's ability to add more pavement. By using ITS, the use of our existing road system is maximized. Incidents on the road can easily tangle traffic:

• 1 minute of lane blockage = 5 minutes of traffic congestion
• During peak hours, 1 minute of lane blockage can cause about 20 minutes of traffic congestion.
• A vehicle on the shoulder of the road reduces the capacity of the closest lane by 20 percent.
• Approximately 60 percent of congestion is caused by incidents.