HOV lane fees could start by 2010 Metro Atlanta cars with one or two people could be paying tolls to drive the area's HOV lanes in as little as two years, state officials said. The state Transportation Board on Thursday passed a resolution to push the plan forward. While the measure does not give final approval to convert metro Atlanta's 45 miles of Interstate HOV lanes to a comprehensive system of "high occupancy toll" lanes, that is the direction the state is headed, said board leaders. "The feeling I get from the board and certainly my personal feeling is that's where we're at," said Chairman Mike Evans. The point is less about raising money than about creating at least one lane of the highways where drivers can find flowing traffic if they're willing to pay, Evans said, "giving our customers the confidence we can get them from point 'A' to point 'B.' " The state Department of Transportation has been working for years on high occupancy toll, or HOT, lanes that allow single drivers to use the HOV lane if they pay a toll. But DOT board members have voiced reservations about so far piecemeal proposals like adding HOT lanes to Ga. 400 or I-20. Instead, the resolution passed by unanimous voice vote Thursday moves toward a network. The board told its staff to recommend the best way to install and run a system of lanes that manage traffic flow by raising and lowering the toll price with congestion. That plan could include tolling existing HOV lanes or building new ones. Most immediately, the resolution is to "give us the authority to look into, to investigate what it would take to convert the HOV lanes to HOT lanes," chief engineer Gerald Ross said in a presentation. That converted lane system would be government-funded and managed, according to DOT spokeswoman Ericka Davis. The state has applied again for federal funds to put tolls on I-85's HOV lane in Gwinnett County, an innovative proposal that would encourage "green" commutes by giving teleworkers and transit riders small credits towards free tolls. Georgia first applied for funding for that project last year. It made the short list but lost in the end. Some said one reason was the proposal wasn't a comprehensive solution. And the state has filed an "expression of interest" with the federal government for help tolling all Atlanta's interstate HOV lanes. Staffs at the DOT and the State Road and Tollway Authority are studying issues significant to drivers, like how much the toll would cost. One of the first HOT lanes, on S.R. 91 in California, charges about $1 a mile during the most congested time of day. Other issues include where the exits and entrances should be, how to separate the lanes and how many passengers a car would need in order to qualify as a car pool and ignore the toll. Cars with only two occupants would almost certainly have to pay the toll, and maybe three-person cars too. Stretches of the HOV system are already so congested that if two-person cars stay in for free there wouldn't be any room for the toll-paying solo drivers. Installing electronic toll sensors on existing HOV lanes is by far faster and cheaper than building new lanes. Staff from DOT and the tollway authority told the board that while they expect the study to take 24 months to 48 months, they are optimistic it could fall on the low end of that scale. DOT's new commissioner, Gena Abraham, is working on a comprehensive transportation plan, and she said that converting HOV lanes is only a piece of the toll network that could emerge from the agency's studies. Private investment will almost certainly play a role in the plan. The proposals to build HOT lanes alongside Ga. 400 and I-20 envisioned private investment to be repaid by tolls. It's likely DOT will keep moving toward building new lanes with private funds, but the agency is re-evaluating whether to keep those specific proposals or go about it differently.
y ARIEL HART
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/20/08
Transportation
Friday, March 28, 2008
Georgia to join the HOT movement by 2010
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
LA Moves towards More HOT Lanes
News and Information Congestion pricing is the concept of charging for the use of a transportation facility, such as a roadway, based on the level of traffic congestion. The greater the level of congestion, usually occurring during morning and evening rush hours, the higher the cost to use the facility. Congestion pricing is not a panacea for congestion relief, but it is an important tool that many cities throughout the world have instituted or are exploring as a means to reduce congestion. It has been proven to ease congestion by shifting some rush hour highway traffic to other transportation modes such as vanpools and freeway express buses or to off-peak periods by charging for use of selected roads during a selected time. It has worked successfully in London, Stockholm, Singapore, Minneapolis, San Diego, and Orange County. Because it provides another alternative to managing traffic flow, which is growing increasingly worse. To fulfill our obligation to the people of Los Angeles County, Metro must consider all reasonable options that may contribute to improving our mobility and quality of life. As with any complex issue, many factors contribute to identifying and implementing solutions. At least a few of these challenges include increased population, increased flow of material goods on roadways, more auto ownership and declining funding from gas tax revenue and state and federal governments. Congestion pricing is one approach for efficiently managing capacity on our busy roadways by: In the United States, the conversion of high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes to high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes is one way to manage congestion. When driving on a HOT lane, the driver pays a toll that varies according to: Monitoring congestion makes it possible to control the traffic levels at all times and maintain the traffic speed at 50 mph. Congestion pricing, when integrating with other traffic management options, would help improve the travel speed of the managed lanes as well as the general-purpose lane. What kind of demonstration projects is Metro considering for the Los Angeles region? Under the current proposal, carpool lanes would be converted to HOT lanes along the following freeways: Metro has proposed a one-year demonstration pilot project to convert certain carpool lanes into High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes to give drivers (whether solo or carpooler) the option to drive on these facilities (at an minimum speed of 50 m.p.h.) in return for toll payments. When would the tolls be added to the demonstration projects? Implementation of the one year pilot program (I-10, I-110 and I-210) is expected to start summer 2009. Why select these three projects? These demonstration projects meet one or more basic criteria for successful congestion pricing: How would the toll be paid or collected? The latest technology involves an easy to use electronic "fast pass" collection system so that patrons do not have to wait in line at toll booths. Are there any HOT lanes being used in Southern California? Yes. Two examples of HOT lanes in Southern California include SR 91 in Orange County and I-15 in San Diego. In December of 1995, Orange County opened four 10-mile toll lanes in the median of the existing State Route 91; actual toll revenues in fiscal year 2007 amounted to $44 million, about $5.0 million more than projected. Since December 1996 solo drivers on an eight-mile stretch of the I-15 in northern San Diego County have been allowed to use the express lanes on San Diego County's I-15 for a fee, while carpoolers continue to travel free of charge. Will education programs describe how the public can reduce congestion? Yes. Educating and engaging the public regarding commuting choices is part of the outreach program on congestion reduction that Metro will conduct over the next several months. An early step in encouraging the public to adjust their commuting behavior is to remind the public that viable alternative transit options exist such as express bus service, adequate park-and-ride lot capacity, and efficient commuter rail and vanpool options. According to the 2000 Census, 70 percent of Los Angeles County commuters drive alone to work, and only 7 percent use transit. Consequently, outreach to major employers in the region will be particularly important. Employers and employees are primary users of road infrastructure and key stakeholders in the development of financial or other incentives to reduce congestion. Such incentives may include employer-paid transit subsidies, telecommuting options, and staggered work shifts. How much would it cost to use a "toll" lane? Various pricing formulas will be evaluated in the Metro study. In other metropolitan areas tolls range from $4.00 to $10.00 during peak commute hours. Pricing will be determined as we develop our operating plan. What would those funds generated be used for? Revenues generated by the tolls will be used first to pay for the operations of the managed lanes. It is expected that any additional revenues generated from the tolls will be used to improve or enhanced transportation services along or near the managed corridors. These may include additional bus and rail services, roadway improvements, and other complementary services. Doesn't congestion pricing favor wealthy commuters? Congestion pricing benefits all because it provides more options to commuters from all walks of life. Each commuter may select which mode makes the most sense to her or him in terms of cost and travel time. At certain times of day, the least expensive travel options—ride sharing and transit—may also be the fastest. Revenues generated from tolls not needed for the operations of the lanes would be used to fund improvements to mass transit, which many low income families depend on. Additionally, buses and vanpools would be exempt from any HOT-lane charges. This means that anyone commuting by these modes—whatever his or her income—would travel without paying the toll. Why can't carpool lanes help more with congestion? Perhaps the most serious challenge Los Angeles County carpool lanes face is that they are now so popular that they are getting too crowded. Right now, several carpool lanes in Los Angeles County are close to reaching a maximum desirable operating capacity. To ensure these lanes continue to be effective, we must find ways to better manage the flow. One of the options is by implementing managed lane concepts such as congestion pricing. Metro, Caltrans and the Southern California Association of Governments in coordination with Los Angeles County and other major transportation stakeholders are applying for funding for the Congestion-Reduction Demonstration Initiatives under the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) to do demonstration projects that involve converting High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes to High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes along the: There are actually two separate activities taking place at Metro in pursuit of roadway pricing options. First is the USDOT grant which approval may determined as early as January 2008. If so, the demonstrations could commence about 18 months later. The second activity is a study directed by Metro's Board that requires completion of a countywide study to produce no less than three recommendations for roadway pricing within Los Angeles County. These demonstration projects would commence the following year.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Pilot HOT Lanes Working Around the Nation
HOT Lanes Advance in Seven States
By Robert W. Poole, Jr.
Reason Foundation
3/12/04
High-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes made major gains in 2003 as federal, state, and local officials endorsed either the concept or specific project proposals.
A December 29 article on the Washington Post’s Web site described succinctly how HOT lanes work: “The carpool [HOT] lanes remain free to carpools, van pools, and buses, while other motorists pay a toll. The tolls are collected via electronic transponders, to prevent tollbooths from slowing or stopping traffic. To make sure the lanes don’t fill up with cheaters, effective HOT lanes have room built in for police to ensure that vehicles have transponders.”
HOT lanes are most effective, noted the article, when “The toll’s price changes throughout the day to keep traffic moving, even during rush hours. When the lanes start to bog down, the price goes up to encourage motorists to leave the lanes or discourage them from entering. As road space frees up, the price drops. The fluctuating prices not only keep traffic moving, advocates say, but also ‘stretch the highway’s capacity by encouraging drivers to use it outside peak times.’”
According to the article, “HOT-lane advocates also tout the long-term potential for such lanes to improve transit.” If a network of HOT lanes could be developed long-term to connect free-flowing toll lanes on several major highways, it could form a seamless web for express bus service.
Promising Possibilities
The Washington Beltway (I-495) is one of the highest-profile locations for proposed HOT lanes, and an unsolicited proposal to add two such lanes in each direction on 12 miles of the Beltway received the formal endorsement of Virginia’s Commonwealth Transportation Board in July 2003. The Fluor Daniel company submitted a detailed proposal for the $630 million project in October.
“We are out of money in our transportation trust funds throughout our region,” said Lon Anderson, spokesman for the Mid-Atlantic AAA. “There’s no money to make the wholesale changes many would like to see. HOT lanes offer that opportunity.”
The HOT lanes alternative will be included in the region’s ongoing Final Environmental Impact Statement, to be wrapped up by December 2004. The project has strong local support (e.g., unanimous endorsement by the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors) but is opposed by the Fairfax Coalition for Smarter Growth, which is promoting light rail instead.
Philip Shucet, head of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), has praised the proposal as “a shining example” of a public-private partnership. VDOT will look at further applications of HOT lanes in the DC metro area using a $500,000 grant from the federal Value Pricing Pilot Program, announced in July 2003. The pilot program is also supporting further work on several other HOT lanes projects:
* A $1 million grant will help Colorado DOT plan the conversion of the High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes on I-25 North to HOT lanes.
* Florida DOT will do detailed traffic and revenue studies of a potential HOV-to-HOT conversion on I-95 in Miami.
* Texas DOT will study the addition of HOT lanes to a 15-mile section of the Northeast Corridor in San Antonio.
Other Positive Steps
In August 2003, the Atlanta Value Pricing Advisory Task Force released its report after a nearly two-year effort to evaluate how traffic pricing might help address metro Atlanta’s severe congestion problems.
“Paying the Price for Congestion” concludes, “HOT/managed lanes and other congestion pricing strategies hold the greatest promise for implementing value pricing in this region at this time.”
The task force looked at the possible addition of HOT lanes on 17 miles of Georgia 400 north of I-285; shifting from flat-rate to variable pricing on the tolled portion of Georgia 400; and adding HOT lanes to Georgia 316. Georgia DOT is also looking into the possibility of a network of HOT lanes on the entire freeway system.
A HOT lanes network was proposed in July 2003 by the highest-ranking official in greater Houston, Harris County Judge Robert Eckels. Eckels asked county officials to look at the feasibility of having the Harris County Toll Road Authority take over the 100 miles of HOV lanes now operated by Houston Metro, the regional transit agency.
The HOV lanes were developed originally as express busways, but were opened to carpools because they have significant excess capacity. Two of those facilities on I-10 and US 290 already have been converted to HOT lanes, and the I-10 HOT lanes will be greatly expanded in a $1.4 billion reconstruction project that began in June 2003. Metro would be ensured access for its large fleet of express buses but would no longer have to pay to maintain the limited-access lanes. Toll revenues will make it possible to expand the network of lanes.
Minnesota and Washington State also are moving into the HOT lanes camp. Minnesota enacted new legislation in summer 2003 that permits the conversion of HOV lanes to HOT lanes. The first project, as recommended by a Value Pricing Task Force, will convert the HOV lanes on I-394. Washington’s Transportation Commission directed the state DOT in January 2003 to study the feasibility of converting an existing HOV lane to HOT. In December, the state DOT decided to proceed with detailed planning for converting the SR167 HOV lanes to HOT lanes.
The nation’s pioneer HOT lanes project, the 91 Express Lanes in Orange County, California, had another price increase. The busiest hours of the week--eastbound on Thursday and Friday between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m.--will now cost motorists $5.50 instead of the previous $4.75. The August 1, 2003 increase is the seventh since the Express Lanes opened in December 1995.
Though political pressures led the Orange County Transportation Association (OCTA) to buy out the privately developed project effective January 1, 2004, the hopes of some officials that tolls could be reduced or eliminated have been dashed.
In addition to needing toll revenues to pay off more than $100 million in construction bonds, OCTA officials have come to appreciate the worth of the value pricing pioneered on these lanes. It’s value pricing--increasingly higher rates during the busiest periods--that keeps the Express Lanes free-flowing and able to handle more vehicles/lane/hour at rush hour than the congested regular lanes.
Robert W. Poole Jr. is director of transportation studies and founder of the Reason Foundation.
