Write Up:

In the first quarter of 2024, the average travel times trended higher in the evenings than in the first quarter of 2023. In the St. Louis region, average travel times increased by three seconds during the morning peak and increased by two minutes and three seconds during the evening peak period. In the Kansas City region, the average travel time increased by 14 seconds during the morning peak and increased by two minutes and 24 seconds in the evening peak. Average speeds across both regions and rush periods ranged from 48 to 62 mph. The morning average travel times were below or just above the targets, and the evening average travel times were above the target times by more than two minutes across both regions.

Planning time accounts for unexpected delays and indicates how much time customers should plan for their trip to arrive on time 95% of the time. In St. Louis, motorists traveling during the morning rush needed to plan just 17 seconds more for a 10-mile trip than they would otherwise need in free-flow conditions. During the evening rush period, however, customers needed to plan for an additional three minutes and 23 seconds for a 10-mile trip. Customers traveling during the Kansas City morning rush should plan on an additional 23 seconds for a 10-mile trip than they would need in free-flow conditions. During the evening rush, customers needed to plan for an additional three minutes and 12 seconds of travel. The planning times in both regions were lower in the morning and higher in the evening than in the first quarter of 2023. The planning times for both regions represent average rush-hour speeds between 45 and 58 mph.

Purpose of the Measure:

This measure tracks the mobility of significant state routes in St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield and Columbia.

Measurement and Data Collection:

Travel time data is collected continuously via wireless technology. To assess mobility, MoDOT compares travel times during rush hour to free-flow conditions where vehicles can travel at the posted speed limit. This measure also assesses reliability, an indicator of how variable those travel times are on a daily basis.

The charts in this measure show the average travel time and the 95th percentile travel time, which is the time motorists should plan in order to reach their destinations timely 95% of the time.

The maps display the reliability of specific sections of roadways during rush hour.

The targets for average travel time are updated quarterly. The targets are established by projecting a 10% improvement over the average of the same quarter over the previous two years. The minimum value for the target time is 10 minutes. This corresponds to the time it takes to travel 10 miles at the posted speed limit of 60 miles per hour.