Managed Lanes CE 550: Advanced Highway Design Damion Pregitzer

Managed LanesManaged LanesCE 550: Advanced Highway CE 550: Advanced Highway

DesignDesign

Damion PregitzerDamion Pregitzer

BackgroundBackground

VMT has increased 70% in last 20 VMT has increased 70% in last 20 yearsyears

Highway Capacity increase only 0.3%Highway Capacity increase only 0.3% DOTs and MPOs can’t keep up with DOTs and MPOs can’t keep up with

growing needgrowing need

Transportation IssuesTransportation Issues

Construction CostsConstruction Costs Right-of-Way ConstraintsRight-of-Way Constraints Environmental ConcernsEnvironmental Concerns Social ImpactsSocial Impacts Economic ImpactsEconomic Impacts

What are managed Lanes?What are managed Lanes?

““Freeway within a Freeway”Freeway within a Freeway” High Degree of FlexibilityHigh Degree of Flexibility Continued OptimizationContinued Optimization Defined: “’Managed Lanes’ are Defined: “’Managed Lanes’ are

highway facilities or a set of lanes highway facilities or a set of lanes where operational strategies are where operational strategies are proactively implemented and proactively implemented and managed in response to changing managed in response to changing conditions”conditions”

Management StrategiesManagement Strategies

PricingPricing– TollsTolls– Congestion PricingCongestion Pricing

Vehicle EligibilityVehicle Eligibility– TypeType– Minimum OccupancyMinimum Occupancy

Access ControlAccess Control– Express LanesExpress Lanes– Dynamic ClosuresDynamic Closures

Manage Lane ApplicationsManage Lane Applications

Active ManagementActive Management

Primary difference from traditional Primary difference from traditional strategiesstrategies

Use to achieve free-flow conditionsUse to achieve free-flow conditions Defined Performance MeasuresDefined Performance Measures Example:Example: raise toll to achieve desired raise toll to achieve desired

traveling speedstraveling speeds

Why Managed Lanes?Why Managed Lanes?

Increasing VMT and CongestionIncreasing VMT and Congestion Funding ShortagesFunding Shortages Provides drivers multiple Provides drivers multiple

transportation optionstransportation options

Success StoriesSuccess Stories

State Route 91: Orange State Route 91: Orange County, CaliforniaCounty, California

Project GoalProject Goal: Provide motorists a : Provide motorists a congestion-free alternative and congestion-free alternative and maintain financial viability of the maintain financial viability of the lanes.lanes.

State Route 91: Orange State Route 91: Orange County, CaliforniaCounty, California

Toll Express LanesToll Express Lanes 10 Miles in center median of SR9110 Miles in center median of SR91 2 Lanes in each direction2 Lanes in each direction Fully automated; must have Fully automated; must have

registered accountregistered account Privately developedPrivately developed Tolls vary by time of dayTolls vary by time of day

QuickRide: Houston, TexasQuickRide: Houston, Texas

Project GoalProject Goal: Utilize available HOV : Utilize available HOV capacity while preserving bus capacity while preserving bus operating speedsoperating speeds

QuickRide: Houston, TexasQuickRide: Houston, Texas

HOT LanesHOT Lanes I-10, 13 mile single lane reversibleI-10, 13 mile single lane reversible US 290, 13.5 mile single lane reversibleUS 290, 13.5 mile single lane reversible Fully automated; must have registered Fully automated; must have registered

accountaccount Allows 2 occupant vehicles access during Allows 2 occupant vehicles access during

3+ restriction (added fee)3+ restriction (added fee) $2.00 per trip flat fee$2.00 per trip flat fee Operates only during peak hoursOperates only during peak hours

Interstate 15: San Diego, Interstate 15: San Diego, CaliforniaCalifornia

Project GoalProject Goal: Utilize available HOV : Utilize available HOV capacity to fund new transit service capacity to fund new transit service in the corridorin the corridor

Interstate 15: San Diego, Interstate 15: San Diego, CaliforniaCalifornia

8 mile HOT lane8 mile HOT lane 2 lane reversible2 lane reversible Fully automated; must have Fully automated; must have

registered accountregistered account Tolls vary dynamicallyTolls vary dynamically Tolls rates based on level of Tolls rates based on level of

congestion in the lanescongestion in the lanes

New Jersey Turnpike: Dual-New Jersey Turnpike: Dual-Dual Section, New JerseyDual Section, New Jersey

Project GoalProject Goal: Enhance safety and : Enhance safety and improve operations through improve operations through increased flexibilityincreased flexibility

Best Practices in Managed Best Practices in Managed LanesLanes

Planning and Project DevelopmentPlanning and Project Development Facility Monitoring and EvaluationFacility Monitoring and Evaluation Life-Cycle ConsiderationsLife-Cycle Considerations Combination of StrategiesCombination of Strategies

Planning and Project Planning and Project DevelopmentDevelopment

Agency CollaborationAgency Collaboration– Project covers multiple jurisdictionsProject covers multiple jurisdictions– Not Typically in LTRPNot Typically in LTRP

Affected StakeholdersAffected Stakeholders– Transit AgenciesTransit Agencies– Regional transportation authorizesRegional transportation authorizes– Toll AgenciesToll Agencies– Law Enforcement personnelLaw Enforcement personnel– Court PersonnelCourt Personnel– Environmental GroupsEnvironmental Groups– Special Interest GroupsSpecial Interest Groups– CitizensCitizens


Selecting Managed Lane StrategySelecting Managed Lane Strategy– What are the desired project What are the desired project

objectives/outcomes?objectives/outcomes?– New or existing facilityNew or existing facility– Availability of ROWAvailability of ROW– Current operational characteristics of Current operational characteristics of

corridorcorridor– Environmental and societal concernsEnvironmental and societal concerns


Identifying a Hierarchy of UsersIdentifying a Hierarchy of Users– High priority vs. Low priority usersHigh priority vs. Low priority users– Low priority experience most of the Low priority experience most of the

costscosts– Ensures LOS for target mode(s) of Ensures LOS for target mode(s) of

transportationtransportation


Establishing Threshold ValuesEstablishing Threshold Values– Threshold valuesThreshold values– Performance measure: Speed, Volume, Performance measure: Speed, Volume,

DelayDelay– Changes to price and/or occupancy Changes to price and/or occupancy

allowedallowed


Communicating the Managed Lane Communicating the Managed Lane StrategyStrategy– Need to involve the PublicNeed to involve the Public– Politicians/Decision makersPoliticians/Decision makers– May require additional lawsMay require additional laws– Tolls perceived as “Unfair” by usersTolls perceived as “Unfair” by users– Difficulties informing users with dynamic Difficulties informing users with dynamic

systemsystem– Ongoing education and transparency is Ongoing education and transparency is

criticalcritical

Facility Operations with Facility Operations with Continual MonitoringContinual Monitoring

Project FlexibilityProject Flexibility– Alter operations as warrantedAlter operations as warranted– Dynamic toll changesDynamic toll changes– Moveable barriersMoveable barriers– Larger design vehiclesLarger design vehicles– Design roadway for all potential future Design roadway for all potential future

uses (Rail)uses (Rail)

Facility Operations with Facility Operations with Continual MonitoringContinual Monitoring

Monitoring and EvaluationMonitoring and Evaluation– Ongoing measurement of performance Ongoing measurement of performance

measuresmeasures– Update thresholdsUpdate thresholds– Goal: Free-Flow speedsGoal: Free-Flow speeds– Use of new technologyUse of new technology

Vehicle sensorsVehicle sensors Automatic vehicle identificationAutomatic vehicle identification License plate recognitionLicense plate recognition User information systemsUser information systems

Life-Cycle ConsiderationsLife-Cycle Considerations

Maintenance of actively managed Maintenance of actively managed roadway in futureroadway in future

Sustainable performanceSustainable performance Reassessment of Managed Lane Reassessment of Managed Lane

strategiesstrategies

Life-Cycle ConsiderationsLife-Cycle Considerations

Example: Colorado DOTExample: Colorado DOT

New ChallengesNew Challenges Access DesignAccess Design Driver Information and SigningDriver Information and Signing EnforcementEnforcement Revenue Generation and EquityRevenue Generation and Equity Legislative AuthorityLegislative Authority New Institutional ArrangementsNew Institutional Arrangements Analysis Techniques and Demand Forecasting Analysis Techniques and Demand Forecasting

modelsmodels Design FlexibilityDesign Flexibility Integrated Transpiration OpportunitiesIntegrated Transpiration Opportunities TechnologyTechnology

New ChallengesNew Challenges

Access DesignAccess Design– Ingress and Egress pointsIngress and Egress points– Enforcement considerationsEnforcement considerations– Spacing of at-grade ramp connectionsSpacing of at-grade ramp connections– Length of weaving sectionsLength of weaving sections– Integration with existing networkIntegration with existing network


Driver Information and SigningDriver Information and Signing– Ingress / Egress LocationsIngress / Egress Locations– Occupancy RequirementsOccupancy Requirements– Operating HoursOperating Hours– Toll AmountsToll Amounts– Operating AgenciesOperating Agencies– Electronic message boardsElectronic message boards


EnforcementEnforcement– Protects integrity of pricing strategiesProtects integrity of pricing strategies– Complexity of design creates challengesComplexity of design creates challenges– Simplify verification / identificationSimplify verification / identification– Dedicated Law Enforcement personnelDedicated Law Enforcement personnel– Potential legislative changesPotential legislative changes


Revenue Generation and EquityRevenue Generation and Equity– Multiple agenciesMultiple agencies– BudgetBudget– Economic impactEconomic impact– Community goalsCommunity goals


Legislative AuthorityLegislative Authority– State / National LawsState / National Laws– Automated EnforcementAutomated Enforcement– Cooperation between agenciesCooperation between agencies– Private Developer involvementPrivate Developer involvement


Analysis Techniques and Demand Analysis Techniques and Demand Forecasting ModelsForecasting Models– Inclusion into LTRPInclusion into LTRP– Scenario testingScenario testing– Data collectionData collection– Air quality estimationAir quality estimation


Integrated Transportation Integrated Transportation OpportunitiesOpportunities– Need for complex combinations of Need for complex combinations of

strategies to meet future growthstrategies to meet future growth– Regional planning efforts (DOT, MPO, Regional planning efforts (DOT, MPO,

RPA)RPA)– New methodologies (BRT)New methodologies (BRT)


TechnologyTechnology– Not a limiting factorNot a limiting factor– WirelessWireless– ITSITS– Ongoing improvements: Automated Ongoing improvements: Automated

EnforcementEnforcement

SummarySummary

Need to maximize use of existing Need to maximize use of existing networknetwork

Proactive approach to address future Proactive approach to address future growthgrowth

Ongoing implementation and Ongoing implementation and evaluation of Best Practices in evaluation of Best Practices in Managed Lane StrategiesManaged Lane Strategies

Questions?Questions?

Documents

Managed Lanes CE 550: Advanced Highway Design Damion Pregitzer