TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL WASHINGTON, D.C. HOV SYSTEM NOTES

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1 NUMBER 10 AUGUST 1998 TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL WASHINGTON, D.C. HOV SYSTEM NOTES HOV System Notes Summer 1998 Updates on HOV Lane Openings, Planning Studies, and Construction Activities Los Angeles: New HOV lane projects and extensions were opened on I-605, State Route 60 and I-405. When the balance of the I-405 HOV lanes open later this year, this project will mark the longest HOV treatment in the nation, stretching across more than 55 miles of the LA Basin in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Seattle: Project design has begun development of a series of HOV direct access ramps in the Seattle area. The ramps, funded from the newly created Regional Transit Agency mobility program, will greatly enhance the region s HOV network. Portland: Studies were undertaken this spring to determine if the potential exists to create a PM peak period HOV lane along a portion of I-5 north. If implemented, this would mark the area s first HOV lane to be pursued since the Banfield HOV lane demonstration in the mid 1970s. Cleveland: A regional HOV evaluation will be undertaken starting this summer. Several interstate routes in the region will be the focus of this feasibility study. Houston: New HOV direct access ramps is nearing completion to enhance the I-45 North and I-10 Katy HOV lanes. A study will be undertaken this summer to look at improving the user friendliness of HOV signs along the Katy and Gulf Freeway corridors. New York: Exits 40 through 49 of the I-495 Long Island Expressway concurrent-flow HOV lanes were opened in July The portion between exits 57 and 64 are scheduled to be completed in the Summer of Implementation of the proposed Cross Westchester HOV project was terminated in late 1997 due to constituent opposition. Charlotte: Major investment studies are underway in five corridors to assess alignments for potential busways in the region. The studies are intended to be completed in time for an upcoming referendum this fall. New Jersey: The I-287 HOV lanes reopened this year following completion of construction activities. This project will be closely monitored over the next year to ascertain the project s effectiveness in providing increased mobility to car pools and transit users. Sonoma County, California: Results of a study sponsored the Metropolitan Transportation Commission indicated that a HOV/toll lane option was financially feasible along a 20-mile section of US 101 extending from Petaluma to Santa Rosa. HOV lanes have been programmed, but funding for this project has been limited. The tolling option may be pursued following results of a county wide transportation referendum slated for this fall. Updates provided by Chuck Fuhs, Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas, Inc., Houston, Texas ( ).

2 HOT Lanes With Congestion Pricing, Electronic Tolls, Start Successfully Thousands Sign up to Use I-15 System Electronic toll collection began early April on the high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane on I-15 in San Diego. The electronic toll collection system, called FasTrak, allows single occupancy vehicles (SOVs) to pay to use the I-15 car pool lanes. To participate, a FasTrak customer receives a transponder, which is affixed to the car s windshield behind the rearview mirror. Overhead antennas read the transponder and deduct a toll from the customer s prepaid account. Toll price varies based on actual traffic speed on the I-15 main lanes. Electronic roadside signs located before the entrance to the car pool lanes give FasTrak customers advance notice of the current toll. SANDAG (the San Diego Association of Governments), which administers the I- 15 FasTrak program, has set the toll range from $0.50 to $4.00 for a one-way trip on the 8-mile facility located in the center of I- 15. Toll prices are set to maintain free-flow on the car pool lanes at all times. For the past year, 900 SOV drivers have been paying a flat monthly fee of $70 for unlimited use of the car pool lanes. 2 SANDAG s electronic upgrade will allow up to 5,000 SOV drivers to use the FasTrak system and pay only when they choose to drive on the I-15 car pool lanes. The I-15 car pool lanes are open weekdays southbound from 5:45 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and northbound from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Commuters who wish to participate in the FasTrak program are accepted on a first come, first served basis. To establish a prepaid I-15 FasTrak customer account, customers can pay by credit card, check or money order. There are no enrollment or minimum usage fees. As required by state law, all tolls collected are being used to pay for transit and car pool services along the I-15 corridor. FasTrak also gives customers access to other California toll roads and bridges. SANDAG officials are trying to determine if pricing can be used to better manage the I-15 corridor and test the value which commuters place on the time they save in their daily commutes. Carpoolers and bus riders still remain the top priority and will continue to experience an uninterrupted commute on the I-15 car pool lanes for free. The number of FasTrak participants may increase depending on how well traffic flow can be maintained on the car pool lanes. The Federal Highway Administration has awarded SANDAG a $7.96 million grant to operate the project in close coordination with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans District 11), the Federal Transit Administration, the California Highway Patrol, and the San Diego Metropolitan Transit Development Board. During the three-year program, SANDAG is testing various pricing structures, monitoring traffic flow and evaluating the barrier-free, electronic toll collection system. SANDAG also is conducting customer surveys to help ensure the most userfriendly system. The California Highway Patrol will continue to enforce the car pool lanes by visual inspection. In addition, violators will be tracked by electronic surveillance equipment. It is a violation of the California Vehicle Code to use the car pool lanes without two or more people in a vehicle, or a current FasTrak transponder visibly displayed in a car s windshield and a current FasTrak account. Car pool violations carry a minimum $271 fine. Contact: Kim Kawada with SANDAG in San Diego, California This article was reproduced with the expressed, written consent of the Urban Transportation Monitor (April 10, 1998 Issue), Lawley Publications (telephone ; fax ).

3 HOT Usership Lower Than Expected in Houston Marketing Campaign to be Launched to Increase Usership HOV-2 and a $2.00 per trip toll might be too restrictive to generate sufficient users to fill available capacity on the newly implemented HOT lane on Houston s Katy Freeway. The HOT project, called QuickRide, opened to traffic on January 26, 1998 and some 464 transponders have been activated. Trips per day are in the range of 94 to 148, split 53/47 between a.m. and p.m. peak periods. It is estimated that there is enough space to allow for 600 HOV-2 buy-ins per hour. However, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro) of Houston, which is managing the project, has indicated that a further marketing campaign to promote the HOV concept could increase usership. In exchange for a $2.00 per trip per vehicle fee, enrolled QuickRide participants in twoperson car pools may travel in the Katy HOV lane during periods otherwise restricted to 3+ occupancy. Participants use a toll collection transponder to pay the trip fee when traveling between the hours of 6:45 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. or 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. while 3+ car pools continue to operate for free. Single occupant vehicles are still not permitted on the HOV lane. 3 Preliminary results suggest the trial is a modest success. The primary goal of demonstrating the use of pricing to increase peak-hour HOV lane utilization is being met. During January, a targeted marketing campaign was completed in the Katy Freeway Corridor. Advertisements were placed in the Houston Chronicle (both general and neighborhood editions), radio spots were played during rush hour traffic reports, and QuickRide applications were distributed to households. The various marketing activities were timed to produce a publicity blitz beginning with the first day applications were to be received, January 5. Daily operations on the HOV lane have been, by design, largely unaffected by the QuickRide program. Participants travel the route just as any other car pool or bus does, without stopping to pay a toll. Participation rates are not high enough to induce congestion. Transponder records suggest this is a representative participation rate, which means that approximately 15 percent of the enrolled vehicles/transponders use QuickRide in a typical rush hour. The budget for implementing the one year trial is $462,000 in gross expenditures. Funding for this amount is split between the Federal Highway Administration ($370,000) and METRO ($92,500). Revenues include some $4,245 received as refundable participant transponder deposits. At current enrollment and utilization rates, monthly revenues from the trip fees are estimated at $5,600, and $825 from the $2.50 per account statement processing fee. Contact: Loyd Smith is with METRO in Houston, Texas ( ). This article was reproduced with the expressed, written consent of the Urban Transportation Monitor (April 10, 1998 Issue), Lawley Publications (telephone ; fax ). TravInfo and RIDES Help Commuters Use New I-80 Diamond Lane Network Sixteen-and-a-Half Mile Span Offers Toll-Free, Fast Travel to Those Who Triple Up Commuters in the San Francisco Bay area who are tired of sitting in traffic along I-80 will be able to bypass gridlock by using the Interstate s new high-occupancy vehicle (HOV), or diamond, a lane network. By using alternatives to driving alone, commuters can take advantage of the new I-80 diamond lane network that will allow them to bypass traffic for 16.5 miles of westbound travel between State

4 Route 4 and the San Francisco- Oakland Bay Bridge Toll Plaza. Vehicles with three or more passengers will be able to skip all metering lights and have a toll-free commute across the Bay Bridge, Monday through Friday from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Commuters can use the diamond lanes by riding public transit, car pooling or van pooling with three or more people, riding in a two-seater vehicle carrying two people, or driving or riding a motorcycle. The opening of the diamond lane network presents an excellent opportunity for people to improve their commutes, says John E. Hirten, executive director of RIDES for Bay Area Commuters, the region s commute services organization. By not driving alone, commuters can avoid bridge tolls and save time and stress while commuting. RIDES is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping commuters find and use alternatives to driving alone. RIDES is funded by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the California Department of Transportation, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and the Federal Highway Administration. Visit RIDES online at Contact: Katy Katzenberger with RIDES for Bay Area Commuters, Inc. at State-funded Ridesharing Programs Cost Little, But Do a Lot in California Report Proves Efficiency and Benefits of State s Car pool Programs A recently-released report produced for the California Association of Councils of Governments (CALCOG) demonstrates that ridesharing programs make a cost-effective and significant contribution to improving the performance of California s transportation systems. By helping California commuters find and use alternatives to driving alone, ridesharing agencies not only increase the use of highoccupancy vehicle facilities, but lessen congestion by reducing the number of vehicles on the road. In addition, ridesharing programs help reduce fuel consumption and air pollutants, and help individuals cut their own commuting costs. The bottom line is that ridesharing is one of the most cost-effective ways to better utilize the State s existing highway and transit systems, commented John Hirten, Executive Director of RIDES for Bay Area Commuters. With California s economy back on track and employment on the rise, travel and congestion will continue to increase. We cannot simply build our way out of the problem. He notes that car pooling (including van pooling) is the number one alternative to driving alone for California s 13 million daily commuters. According to the 1990 census, 72% of California commuters drive alone, 15% car pool or van pool, 8 percent bike, walk or telecommute, and 5 percent use public transit. Statewide Ridesharing: Accomplishments In fiscal year , California s regional ridesharing agencies provided services to nearly 890,000 Californians. As a direct result of those services, nearly 160,000 additional commuters elected to use a high occupancy vehicle mode of travel. Ridesharing Around the State In addition to helping 160,000 commuters change their travel behavior, ridesharing programs around the state conduct a variety of other activities that support more effective use of the state s transportation infrastructure: In the Bay Area, RIDES for Bay Area Commuters furnishes traveler information, ridematching assistance, and transit referrals. In Southern California, Southern California Rideshare and the San Diego Association of Governments Rideshare both focus heavily on assisting and working

5 5 with major employers and Transportation Management Associations. In the Sacramento area, the Sacramento Council of Governments maintains a ridesharing database accessible via the Internet, and automated phone system, and eight on-line users including employers. In San Joaquin, Commute Connection provides ridesharing services, a guaranteed ride home program and support for an expanding longdistance vanpool market. Contact: Stacey Paris ( ) or John Hirtin ( ) with RIDES for Bay Area Commuters, Inc. Arterial HOV Facilities at Work in the Pacific Northwest The basic objective for arterial high-occupancy vehicles (HOV) facilities are the same as that for freeway HOV facilities--to provide travel-time savings for HOVs by enabling them to bypass congestion. Other objectives include connectivity to regional HOV systems and improved transit speed and reliability. Arterial HOV treatments can be more complex than traditional HOV lanes found on freeways because of the unique environment and multiple uses of arterials. Since the primary congestion points on arterials are signalized intersections, many arterial HOV treatments focus on minimizing delay for HOVs at intersections. The most common treatments include signal queue jumps, HOV or transit-only turn lanes, and transit signal priority. Continuous HOV and/or transit lanes are also an option for arterials, but they are more complicated operationally than freeway HOV lanes (particularly in the suburban environment) because of the need to allow for turn-lane channelization at intersections, mid-block driveways, and bus stops. There are other treatments that have potential to be successful in the arterial environment, and they are described in detail in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program s (NCHRP s) HOV Systems Manual under development (see related story). There are several arterial 2+ HOV lanes in Washington, including Airport Road in Snohomish County, 2 nd Avenue and SR 99 in Seattle, SR 99 near SeaTac Airport, and transit-only lanes on the shoulder of the SR 522 Freeway in Seattle. Seattle is dotted with queue jump lanes that allow transit, and car pools at some locations, to bypass congestion at busy intersections. Kitsap Transit, on the west side of Puget Sound, has a successful transit signal priority system in place. Three transit agencies on the east side of Puget Sound King County Metro, Community Transit, and Everett Transit are working together to select a transit signal priority system that can serve all agencies since their jurisdictions overlap. One system will be tested in a demonstration project this summer. Pierce Transit, also servicing the east side of the Puget Sound, will utilize different technology (which they have already tested) but is working with the other transit agencies to see how transit priority can be shared across boundaries. In Vancouver, British Columbia there is curbside, peak hour/peak direction 2+ HOV lanes on Barnett-Hastings, a corridor that is an arterial near the city and a highway farther away from the city. In addition to these, there are studies being done all over the region to find more ways and locations to provide advantage to transit and HOVs through arterial HOV treatments. The 3.4 mile Airport Road arterial HOV facility has experienced a 4 percent increase in HOV usage since and is providing motorists approximately 1 minute per mile of travel time savings. The Pierce Transit demonstration project in Tacoma, Washington has shown a 5 to 15 percent travel time savings with a conservative timing strategy and a 13 to 24 percent savings with a more

6 aggressive timing strategy. Finally, 4.3 miles of Hastings Street in Vancouver, British Columbia is providing 3 minutes of travel time savings to motorists and has experienced a 7 percent increase in HOV usage. Contact: Susan Serres ( ) with the Washington Department of Transportation or Chris Wellander ( ) with Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas. Federal Highway Administration HOV Internet Site Under Development The latest information on HOV facilities from around the country is expected to be available during the fall of The HOV web site exclusively focusing on HOV facilities is currently under development by FHWA. This site will provide an opportunity to access information associated with a list of the different HOV facilities from around the country. Description of different types of facilities, available references and training, upcoming conferences, frequently asked questions, links to other HOV sites, and TRB HOV Committee information. Look for an announcement this fall, providing additional details and directions with how to access this new HOV web page. It is expected that the web site will be located within the FHWA 6 Office of Traffic Management and ITS Applications, which has a current address of Contact: Jon Obenberger is with the Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C. ( ). NCHRP HOV Systems Manual Available The NCHRP HOV Systems Manual has been published. The Manual is a comprehensive guide encompassing policy consideration, planning, designing, marketing, implementing, operating, enforcing, and evaluating various types of HOV facilities. The manual also identifies and recommends additional research needs related to HOV systems. The Manual is available through the normal NCHRP distribution process. Copies may be obtained through the TRB Publication Office at Contact: Katie Turnbull with the Texas Transportation Institute in College Station, Texas ( ). Upcoming HOV Conference Information The next International HOV Systems Conference is being held in conjunction with the 1998 ITE Annual Meeting in Toronto, Ontario on August 9-12, A set of sessions with an HOV focus track will be included as part of the ITE Annual Meeting. In addition, special tours of HOV facilities in the Toronto area will be offered. The TRB HOV Systems Committee meeting will be Sunday, August 9 th, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. in the Royal York Hotel. Contact: Katie Turnbull with the Texas Transportation Institute in College Station, Texas ( ). Please submit input on project status and available studies to the HOV System Notes editor, William Eisele, Texas Transportation Institute, The Texas A&M University System, College Station, TX or him at bill-eisele@tamu.edu.