Project Scope

The San Antonio District of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has been awarded a grant through the Federal Highway Administration's Value Pricing Pilot Program to evaluate value pricing for the I-35 express lanes.

Specific Goals for the Study

• To examine the use of value pricing on the Northeast Corridor (I-35) express lanes, both from demand management and public acceptability perspectives
• To examine how value pricing is integrated with financial and person-movement goals for the project
• To establish a baseline of travel characteristics in the corridor to compare and evaluate changes over time

Project Background

The Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG) estimates that population will grow in the San Antonio region from 1,395,880 in 1995 to 2,023,235 in 2025, a 45% increase. Related traffic congestion will continue to increase particularly outside of Loop 410 towards the county line, and in downtown San Antonio as employment opportunities increase in these areas. Truck travel on I-35 north of Loop 410 is over 80% higher than the next heaviest-traveled highway in the San Antonio area. This makes truck travel a major factor when considering traffic congestion issues, particularly in the northern part of San Antonio/Bexar County area. San Antonio currently just passes the current federal air quality standards.

TxDOT is evaluating express lane options for the Northeast (I-35) Corridor from Loop 1604 (outer loop) through the Loop 410 interchange to US 281/I-37 near downtown, a 15-mile section. Currently, I-35 is typically comprised of three general-purpose lanes in each direction, serving approximately 175,000 vehicles per day. Traffic volumes are estimated to reach 300,000 by 2025. The value pricing strategies that will be examined as part of this grant-funded project have the potential to achieve these demand management objectives.

A Major Investment Study/Corridor Study for the Northeast Corridor has been completed that recommends a 14-lane cross section consisting of four general purpose lanes in each direction and three barrier-separated mixed-use express lanes in each direction. The proposed project spans a 13 to 14-mile stretch of the corridor. The objective of this value pricing study is to evaluate the potential operating strategies that can evolve over time for the express lane section using value pricing.

Traffic models consistently produce a peak hour high occupancy vehicle (HOV) demand that points to the viability of an HOV lane in this corridor. However, the HOV lane concept has received limited support thus far and is not justified in the early stages of project implementation. Future preferential treatment for HOV within the express lane section is desired, but the conversion of established mixed-use lanes to HOV lanes has not been successful in cases where it has been attempted in congested corridors. The use of the High Occupancy Toll (HOT) concept appears to be a viable approach. A Traffic and Revenue Study has been conducted for the express lanes. The analysis considered full tolling of all vehicles, including HOVs. It is unknown what impact "free" HOVs would have on revenue estimates. The continued growth in truck traffic is also a concern, and separation of trucks is a potential operating strategy for the express lanes.

Study Tasks and Timeframe

The study will run from October 2004 through September 2005, and will involve the following general tasks:

• Establish a Project Advisory Committee
• Assemble and collect baseline traffic data
• Evaluate public acceptability of pricing through focus groups and a survey
• Use the perception data to evaluate price elasticity in the corridor
• Identify and evaluate the revenue impacts of variable pricing and exempt HOVs

Project Advisory Committee

The advisory committee for the San Antonio Value Pricing project will play a key role in two aspects of the project. First, researchers will seek their input in developing focus groups and traveler surveys. The focus groups and surveys will provide researchers insight into San Antonio I-35 traveler's feelings towards several value pricing options and their willingness to pay tolls for improved travel conditions. Therefore, it is important to reach a broad spectrum of potential I-35 travelers and we will look to this advisory committee to help ensure we reach the appropriate target populations and ask the appropriate questions.

Secondly, the advisory committee will be introduced to the value pricing concepts under consideration and can see first hand (prior to the focus group and survey participants) what options are being discussed. This will allow advisory committee members to discuss all potential value pricing options with researchers in the early stages of developing those options.

Contact Information:

Texas Transportation Institute

Ginger Goodin
Voice: (512) 467-0946
E-mail: g-goodin@tamu.edu

Mark Burris
Voice: (979) 845-9875
Email: mburris@tamu.edu

Andy Ballard
Voice: (210) 979-9411
Email: a-ballard@tamu.edu

Texas Department of Transportation

Judy Friesenhahn
Voice: (210) 615-5814
E-mail: JFRIESE@dot.state.tx.us