Influence of HOV Lane Access on HOV Lane Utilization
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 136, Issue 11
Abstract
High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes are employed in many cities as a traffic congestion mitigation technique. These lanes are intended to provide a travel time benefit to carpools and buses, providing an incentive to choose those modes. The time and frustration involved in finding and using HOV lane access points may act as a deterrent to HOV lane use. Thus, proper planning of HOV lane access may be able to improve convenience for potential users, increasing HOV lane utilization. This paper investigated the possible relationship between the time required to access the HOV lane and travelers’ choice of HOV lane as their mode. Additionally, the distance to HOV lane access points and the type of access point were examined for their influence on HOV lane use rates. It was concluded that neither the type of HOV lane access point (for example, a T-ramp versus a slip ramp) nor the added time necessary to access the HOV lane were significant factors in HOV lane use rates. Instead, the convenience of carpool formation and the convenience of HOV lane access to traveler’s origins and destinations were found to be the most important factors in HOV lane use rates.
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Acknowledgments
The writers would like to thank the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, TX (METRO), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the U.S. Census Bureau for making the data used for this paper available. Financial support for the collection of the data was provided by TxDOT and FHWA, for which we are grateful. In addition to TTI, the University of Texas at Arlington provided assistance with data collection for one of the surveys used. The writers also thank Dr. Wunneburger and Dr. Quadrifoglio of Texas A&M University for their assistance in resolving technical issues encountered during the research. The contents of this paper reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or polices of the Federal Highway Administration or the Texas Department of Transportation.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 136 • Issue 11 • November 2010
Pages: 1030 - 1038
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Oct 29, 2008
Accepted: Apr 20, 2010
Published online: Jun 9, 2010
Published in print: Nov 2010
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