12th International HOV Systems Conference: Improving Mobility and Accessibility with Managed Lanes, Pricing, and BRT

Conference Proceedings

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BREAKOUT SESSION — OPERATION UPDATES

Edward Mark, New York State Department of Transportation, Presiding

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I-95 HOV System-Wide Operations Study

Jeff Weidner, Florida Department of Transportation and Gregory Kyle, Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.

Jeff Weidner and Greg Kyle discussed the I-95 HOV lanes in southern Florida and recent efforts focusing on improving operations. They provided an overview of the I-95 HOV system-wide operations study, the current operating characteristics of the lanes, the strategies identified for enhancing operations, and the action plan for the improvements.

• The I-95 HOV system-wide operations study represented the joint efforts of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Districts Four and Six. The study included an analysis of existing traffic operations. Vehicle volumes, speeds, and LOS were examined. Vehicle-occupancy, person throughput, and violation rates were analyzed. The use of transit services and park-and-ride lots in the corridor were reviewed. Strategies for HOV system improvements were identified. These strategies focused on operational adjustments, signing and marking, and improved marketing and public information.
• There are a number of reasons why it is important to make the I-95 HOV lanes more effective. First, south Florida's population continues to grow, resulting in an increase in hours per day of congested conditions. Second, right-of-way in the corridor is limited and adding lanes is not an option. The HOV lanes provide capacity by moving more people in fewer vehicles. Third, the HOV lanes provide increased incentives to ride the bus or join a carpool. Finally, the HOV lanes provide community and environmental benefits from lowered vehicle emissions.
• The I-95 HOV lanes are concurrent flow, non-barrier separated lanes. A 2+ occupancy requirement is used. The lanes are marked by signs and painted diamonds in the pavement. The HOV lanes currently operate from SR 112 (Airport Expressway) to Palm Beach County. The future system will extend the lanes 84 miles and will be the longest HOV facility in country. This lane operates in the peak period from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. In Miami-Dade County, the HOV lanes operate only in the peak-period, peak direction of travel.
• An HOV workshop was held early in the study. Part of the workshop focused on identifying possible action items to enhance HOV lane operations. Action item identified included increasing use of HOV lanes, considering other potential user groups, establishing policies and performance measures, improving interagency coordination, and reducing violation rates. The goals and objectives for the HOV system identified were to increase the person movement capacity of the congested I-95 corridor; to encourage carpooling, vanpooling, and bus use by providing mobility options and intermodal connections; to provide travel time savings to HOV lane users; and to enhance public support for alternative transportation modes.
• The strategies defined for HOV system improvements focus on seven general areas. These areas are operational adjustments, enhanced enforcement, signing and marking, improved marketing and public information, preferential treatments, ITS, and transit service.
• Seven Priority I HOV treatments were identified. The first improvement that was identified was to extend the HOV operating hours. The new operating hours will be 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The second improvement was to develop a master signing and marking plan. The third improvement identified was to coordinate with local transit providers to expand express bus routes and service levels. The fourth improvement was to develop and execute a marketing and public information program. The fifth improvement was to initiate a peer-enforcement program like the HERO program in the Seattle area. The sixth improvement identified was to obtain additional funding for enforcement. The final improvement identified was to increase the fine for HOV violations.
• A number of Priority II HOV improvements were also identified in the study. The first recommendation was to implement a package of interrelated improvements, including enhancing the buffer separation and limiting access to the HOV lanes, adding and improving enforcement areas, and adding ITS features. A second recommendation was to add HOV-only lanes on exit ramps at congested interchanges.
• Priority III improvements focused on adding direct connection ramps between HOV facilities, at major park-and-ride lots, and at interchanges where high volumes of HOVs access system. Adding HOV bypass lanes at selected metered freeway entrance ramp locations represents another Priority III improvement.
• Obtaining approval from the technical committee was the first step in implementing the identified improvements. The committee was comprised of local MPO staff, local traffic operations staff, local transit staff, and FDOT District Four and Six staff. Approval was also needed from FDOT District Four and Six management personnel and management personnel at the FDOT Central Office in Tallahassee.
• The action plan is scheduled for implementation starting July 1, 2005. The main components of the plan focus on signs, enforcement, and public awareness. There are currently some 100 mainline HOV signs and 40 HOV ramp signs on the I-95 HOV lanes. The signs vary in size and structure. Elements of the action plan for signs include a complete inventory of signs and structures, incorporating Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) recommendations to existing panels, and plan development. Information on new truck restrictions will also be added. A Request For Proposals will be developed and issued with a condensed schedule. The changes will be implemented in a contiguous format from north to south.
• The elements of the action plan for enforcement included providing additional funding for Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) officers during the expanded hours. A 75-day grace period will be provided. Tickets will not be issued to HOV lane violators during this period. Rather, violators will be given flyers explaining the HOV lanes and the new operating hours.
• The public awareness elements of the action plan are based on the model used by Florida's Turnpike with the recent toll increase. Elements included public official outreach, a public information and media program, an editorial board, and focus groups. The public awareness program will address the addition of ramp metering and truck restriction changes. There is a need to develop an umbrella public awareness program and to use multiple awareness efforts.
• In addition to the HOV lanes, ramp meters, and truck restrictions, the public awareness program will focus on the Road Rangers, 511 Travel Information, transit improvements, and an extended vanpool program. The SunGuide, including a traffic management center, variable message signs, and cameras will also be included.
• The schedule for implementing the priority improvements starts this month with letters to Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) boards and editorial board meetings. The state legislative session ends in May. The first signs will be installed by mid-May 15. No tickets will be issued during this time period. Billboards will be installed in June and radio advertisements will begin. The last sign is scheduled to be installed on June 23 and VMS indicating the July 1 start for the new regulations will start on June 28. The first day of the new regulations is July 1. The no-ticket grace period ends in August and FHP officers will begin issuing tickets.

High-Occupancy Vehicles Hours of Operation Pilot Project

Mark Hallenbeck, Washington State Transportation Center

Mark Hallenbeck discussed the HOV hours of operation pilot project in the Puget Sound Region. He described the background to the pilot program and the key elements of the one-year evaluation sponsored by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

• The HOV lanes in the Seattle area have traditionally been restricted to HOVs 24 hours a day, seven days a week (24/7). While there is strong public support for HOV lanes and heavy peak period use of HOV lanes, there has also been vocal public support for allowing single-occupant vehicles (SOVs)to use HOV lanes during off-peak periods.
• An analysis of existing general-purpose and HOV lane demand indicated that there is little unused HOV lane capacity in peak periods, but considerable excess capacity in evening periods. Concerns with opening the HOV lane to SOVs focused primarily on safety and transit reliability issues. Some HOV lanes were constructed with deviations from design standards, providing safety concerns. The HOV lanes are very important for bus on-time reliability. Even in the mid-day, buses need to get from bases to afternoon starting locations on time.
• A decision was made by WSDOT to open HOV lanes on the eastside of the Seattle metropolitan area at night — from 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. It was determined that this change would provide some congestion relief, should not impact transit reliability, and should not decrease safety significantly as long as specific roadway improvements are made.
• The one-year evaluation of the pilot program focused on five major elements. The elements were vehicle volumes in the general-purpose and the HOV lanes, roadway performance as defined by speeds and frequency of congestion, violation rates, accident rates, and public perception. The I-90, I-405, and SR 167 HOV lane corridors were included in the assessment.
• The one year evaluation indicates that the overall changes in system performance have been very small. Late evening vehicle volumes increased slightly, but speeds remained basically unchanged. There were minor increases on a few of the general-purpose lanes in the late evening. Violation rates increased marginally. While it appears much of the public did not know about the change, the general public reaction was positive.
• Increases in HOV lane vehicle volumes occurred after 7:00 p.m. at most locations. The level of the increases varied, however. Some slight increases also occurred just prior to the 5:00 a.m. morning start of the HOV lane restrictions. Corresponding reductions in vehicle volumes in the general-purpose lanes occurred at some locations.
• Vehicle-occupancy levels decreased after 7:00 p.m. in those HOV lanes experiencing increases in vehicle volumes. This decrease was the result of increased SOVs using the HOV lanes. Vehicle volumes increases in the HOV lanes between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. ranged from 89 to 589 vehicles.
• On freeways where congestion still exists at 7:00 p.m., some measurable changes have occurred with increases in total vehicle volumes. On freeways where congestion is minor or non-existent at 7:00 p.m., some shift in volumes from the general-purpose lanes to the HOV lane occurs, but the total facility vehicle volume has not changed significantly.
• The overall performance of the freeways changed very little as a result of the change in operational rules. The frequency of general-purpose roadway congestion did not change. The average general-purpose lane speeds on most congested roadways — SR 167 and southbound I-405 — increased slightly by 1-to-3 mph. HOV lane performance did not change. The analysis indicates that on a limited number of occasions and on a limited number of road segments, moderate numbers of general-purpose vehicles were able to avoid some general-purpose lane congestion by moving into the HOV lane. This shift does not appear to have changed the speed with which the congested general-purpose lane returned to normal operation, however.
• Violation of HOV requirements were monitored after the change. Violations generally increased only just prior to the 7:00 p.m. evening start time of the new access rules. The increases were generally small. The actual violation rates ranged from 0-to-9 percent, except for SR 167, in the afternoon southbound direction, which already had a high violation rate.
• Public opinion was measured after the change in operation through surveys of freeway users. Only 36 percent of the respondents knew about the change in operations. Many respondents were unable to respond to questions about perceived changes to facility performance. Those that did notice the new regulations generally reported positive changes.
• The safety concerns with the new operating hours related to the potential for increased vehicle volumes in the HOV lanes equating to an increased number of vehicles running off the road. There was also concern that the change may significantly impact the operation of the planned HOV direct access ramps.
• The majority of the Eastside freeway HOV lanes are located adjacent to shoulders that are at least eight feet wide. Stopping sight distance is deficient along some segments, particularly on I-405, and a few unprotected fixed objects remain in place. Collision data indicates that the facilities have similar run-off-the road experience as urban Interstates statewide.
• An increase of up to 10 percent in run-off-the-road collisions was forecast. Projecting to 2007, the speed and reliability of the HOV lanes are not expected to be significantly compromised. The forecast change at direct access interchanges is significant, with a difference between a LOS A and a LOS C for northbound direction at both NE 6th and NE 128th. A LOS C is still acceptable operations, however.
• Safety enhancements were made at some locations. Over 75 lane-miles of ground-in rumble-strips and over 13 lane-miles of profiled edge stripe were added. On I-90 a small number of median trees were removed and an additional guardrail was installed.
• Before and after data for run-off-the-road accidents was nearly identical. No obvious trouble spots are apparent. Preliminary indications are that the number of King County freeway collisions dropped by approximately 9 percent from 2002 to 2003.

Safety Considerations in the Development of HOV Facilities and Managed Lanes in Houston

Suhag Kansera and Ned Levine, Houston-Galveston Area Council

Suhag Kansera and Ned Levine discussed a recent study examining crash data for the Houston HOV lane. They discussed the purpose of the study, the data sources used, the preliminary results, and the areas for further research.

• The main objective of the project was to document crashes on the HOV lanes in Houston. A second objective was to compare the safety of HOV lanes with non-HOV freeway lanes. A third objective was to identify the characteristics of HOV crashes on the HOV lanes.
• Two data sources were used for the study. The first data source was Houston METRO's HOV crash records for 2001 through 2004. METRO police officers document crashes on the HOV lanes and maintain the crash records. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) freeway crash data for 1999 through 2001 was the second source of information. Data from both sources were examined for the six freeway corridors in Houston with HOV lanes.
• According to the METRO database, there were slightly fewer than 100 crashes in the HOV lanes in 2001. The number of crashes in the HOV lanes declined to approximately 85 in 2002. In 2003, the number of crashes increased to approximately 125. The number of crashes declined slightly to 120 in 2004.
• The time-of-day the crashes in the HOV lanes occurred was examined. Crashes typically occurred during the congested periods in the morning and afternoon. The number of crashes in the HOV lanes appears to peak more than crashes in the freeway lanes.
• In 2001, the I-10 West HOV lane had one of the highest number of crashes, with 44. No other HOV lanes had 20 crashes during 2001. The Eastex HOV lane had the fewest recorded crashes with only two.
• A crash risk assessment was conducted comparing crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) on the HOV and the freeway lanes. The locations with multiple crashes were also identified. A few problem spots were identified through this process.
• A crash risk assessment was conducted comparing crashes per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) on the HOV and the freeway lanes. The locations with multiple crashes were also identified. A few problem spots were identified through this process.
• Factors contributing to the crashes were also examined. Single vehicle crashes accounted for 30 percent of the crashes on the HOV lanes and 24 percent on the freeways. Speeding was a contributing factor in 53 percent of the crashes on HOV lanes and 56 percent of the freeway crashes. Following too close was a contributing factor in 5 percent of the HOV lane crashes and 3 percent of the freeway crashes.
• Tentative conclusions from the analysis indicate that HOV lanes are safe. Design compromises can increase crash risks, however. There also appears to be a safety trade-off between barrier facilities versus concurrent flow lanes.
• Future research will include a comparison of barrier facilities with concurrent flow lanes. The characteristics of drivers involved in the crashes will also be explored. It appears that a disproportionate number of males are involved in crashes and a disproportionate number of persons in the 30 to 50 age group. Research will also consider if certain groups have more difficulty with barrier facility.

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