Managed Lanes: The Future of Freeway Travel, Ginger Goodin, ITE Journal, February 2005
Managed Lanes Research in Texas, Beverly Kuhn, and Carlos Lopez, ITE Journal, February 2005
Managed Lanes - Jon Obenberger, Public Roads, November/December 2004 · Vol. 68 · No. 3

In addition to technical sessions, one item of note is the following Workshop #125 - Road Pricing Workshop with Managed Lanes Focus (Sunday, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM, Hilton - International). The agenda for this workshop is located here.

Conference Proceedings From the 11th International HOV Conference Available
Proceedings from the 11th International Conference on HOV Systems held in Seattle, WA on October 27-30, 2002 are available. The theme of this conference was "HOV Facilities: Evolution or Revolution." The proceedings, summarizing the presentations from both the plenary and conference sessions, can be access on the Federal Highway Administration's HOV Facility Web page at http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/Travel/traffic/hov/index.htm or through the ITS Electronic Document Library at http://www.its.dot.gov/ (11th International Conference on High-Occupancy Vehicle Systems: Conference Proceedings; Publication No. FHWA-OP-03-100; EDL Doc. #13810). Please note that these documents are only available electronically.

Houston QuickRIde Program Enhancements in the Works
Houston's present value pricing program, QuickRide, is now being studied and refined in an effort to increase usage, improve customer satisfaction, reduce net operating costs, and smooth the traffic flow. Currently, QuickRide allows two-person carpools (HOV2) to use the HOV lane on the Katy and US 290 freeways for $2 per trip during peak hours when larger carpools (HOV3) and buses use it for free. These High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes are the first in Texas and among the first in the United states. The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) is developing recommendations for the current and future operation of these HOV lanes in the areas of enforcement, pricing, signing, and marketing.

A project handout regarding HOT lanes is now available. The handout includes background information, project objectives, and the current project status. The project findings and recommendations are being developed to help enhance HOT lanes now, as well as serve as a model for the expansion of the QuickRode program to other HOV lanes as congestion warrants. It is located at the following location:

http://managed-lanes.tamu.edu/related_work/houstonmktgpamphlet.pdf

Eastside Car-pool Lanes Might Open to All at Night
Eastside freeway car-pool (HOV) lanes may soon be open to all drivers every night of the week, according to a report published in the Seattle Times. The report also states that solo drivers who want to use the HOV lanes during daylight hours may be able to do so by paying a fee. Transportation planners from the state Department of Transportation recommended the plan to the Washington Transportation Commission. The move, which affects nearly 100 miles of freeway, would impact Interstate 405 (I-45), I-90 east of I-405, Highway 167, and Highway 520 east of 405. The proposal excludes I-5 in the Puget Sound area. Studies show that the HOV lanes on I-5 are heavily traveled throughout the day. The estimated cost of opening the HOV lanes to general use from 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. seven days of week is $3.5 million. This cost pays for the new signs, lane striping, rumble strips, education, enforcement, and evaluation of the program.

Orange County Transportation Authority Wins Approval to Purchase 91 Toll Lanes
A report by the Los Angeles Times announced that after more than a year of study the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) approved a final agreement to buy the 91 Express Lanes. The 91 Express Lanes is a privately funded toll road which operates on 10 miles of Riverside Freeway.
The sale of the toll lanes will signal the end of a noncompete agreement, that clears the way for $1.6 billion in improvements for the Riverside Freeway. OCTA intends to maintain the toll road operation until the lanes’ $135 million debt is retired. Cofiroute, a French toll road company which joined Level 3 Communications and Granite Construction Company to build the 91 Express Lanes toll road, will continue to manage the day-to-day operations of the system.

I-25 Value Pricing Pilot Program Scheduled
An item in the Federal Highway Administration weekly report for September 30, 2002, states that the Colorado Department of Transportation has received $1.7 million in federal funds to assist in the conversion of existing HOV lanes on I-25 in Denver to a high-occupancy toll facility. The converted facility will use value pricing as a congestion management tool to make capacity available to single-occupant vehicles and still ensure that HOV users will not be adversely affected. FHWA and FTA jointly funded the construction of the existing HOV facility and have succeeded in resolving the respective agencies’ legal, technical, and policy issues. NEPA evaluation and project development are expected to begin this month. no schedule has been proposed for the timing of the conversion.

Carpool Lanes a Success in Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County is the home to a 420-mile system of carpool lanes, the largest carpool system in the nation. A recent Los Angeles Times article reported that the system is popular with the public and works well enough that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) plans to add 250 more miles in the next decade. A study conducted by the MTA found that the special lanes cut travel time for most carpoolers, encouraged ride-sharing, and helped to reduce smog. The study which included a survey of more than 3,000 residents, found the carpool lanes had an 88 percent public support rating and that 60 percent of the carpool users were members of the same family, while 40 percent were co-workers.

Texas Trans Corridor Update
A new concept in transportation moved closer to reality in June 2002 with the Texas Transportation Commission's approval of the Trans Texas Corridor action plan. The 95-page report accepted by tht three-member commission outlines the basic design of a statew2ide 4,000-mile multi-use transportation system. The corridor - upt to 1,200 feet wide - will include sepatare lanes for passenger vehicles and trucks, six rail lines (three in each direction for high-speed passenger rail as well as commuter and freight rail) and a dedicated utility zone for water lines, petroleum pipelines, electricity, and data. To read the full report or a 20-page summary and to find out the latest regarding this project, visit the Trans Texas Corridor website at http://www.keeptexasmoving.org/.

Report on Toll Truckways Available
The Reason Public Policy Institute (RPPI) has recently published a report on toll truckways. Policy Study 294 proposes long distance, inter-city toll truck lanes that would be added to existing interstate highways. They would be separated from regular traffic by continuous concrete Jersey barriers and would have their own entrance and exit ramps - to avoid mixing heavy truck traffic with car traffic in the regular lanes. To access the full report visit the RPPI website at http://www.reason.org/ps294.pdf.

10th International Conference on HOV Systems Proceedings and Compendium of Papers Now Available
The proceedings and compendium of technical papers from the 10th International Conference on High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Systems that was held in Dallas, Texas on August 27-30, 2000 have been published and are now available. This conference provided an opportunity for transportation professionals to share ideas on different topics, discuss current issues, and innovative opportunities that are available to HOV systems. The conference proceedings summarize the presentations that were provided at both the general and breakout sessions. The topics and subjects that were addressed in these sessions included the deployment, implementation, marketing, management, operation, enforcement, bus use, public and political interests, air quality, performance evaluation and benefits. Electronic copies are available at: http://www.hovworld.com/publications_assets/10thIntHOV.pdf. Paper copies can be obtained by sending an e-mail to: itspubs@fhwa.dot.gov stating the name, document number, and quantity of documents you would like. Please make sure to include the name and address of the receiver.

4th Integrated Transportation Management Systems (ITMS) Conference Proceedings and Compendium of Papers Now Available
The proceedings and compendium of technical papers from the 4th Integrated Transportation Management Systems (ITMS) Conference that was held in Newark, New Jersey on July 15-18, 2001 have been published and are now available. This conference identified the potential initiatives and opportunities that are available to help advance the state-of-the-practice associated with planning, design, deployment, operation, and evaluation of ITMS. These integrated systems provide agencies with the capabilities to enhance the management and operation of the surface transportation system through the use of advanced technologies for automated, real-time sharing of information, and the coordinated management of activities and resources. These systems also allow for the management, operation, or sharing information on a variety of transportation facilities, including freeways, arterial streets, toll facilities, emergency, and information services. The results from the conference combined with other efforts underway at the national, state, and local levels, provide an opportunity for all interests to develop a vibrant, ongoing research and deployment program to advance the planning, design, deployment, operation, and evaluation of ITMS. Electronic copies are available at: http://www.itsdocs.fhwa.dot.gov/JPODOCS/REPTS_TE/13661.pdf. Paper copies can be obtained by sending an e-mail to: itspubs@fhwa.dot.gov stating the name, document number, and quantity of documents you would like. Please make sure to include the name and address of the receiver.

Orange County HOV Study
The Orange County Register reported on 11 June 2002 that the county's transportation agency is evaluating whether to open car-pool lanes to single-occupant vehicles during off-peak hours, a strategy already in use in the Bay area. The move comes as the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) and Caltrans are planning to expand the 241-mile network by more than 50 percent to handle the county's 2.2 million daily commuters. By 2009, the first 24 miles are expected to be open on the Santa Ana (I-5) and Garden Grove (22) freeways, adding to the most extensive system in the state. Supervisor Todd Spitzer, OCTA's chairman, on Monday asked the agency's staff to return in 60 days with an evaluation of current placement of lanes, whether there should be more entry points and whether they can be opened to others when rush hour is over. For more information on OCTA, visit their website at http://www.octa.net.

Orange County Transportation Authority to Purchase 91 Express Lanes Toll Road
The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) board recently approved the purchase of the SR 91 Express Lanes Toll Road and operational franchise agreement for $207.5 million. The OCTA sees the purchase of the facility as an opportunity to improve mobility in the corridor. To read the entire press release regarding the buyout, visit the OCTA website at http://www.octa.net/91%20express.asp