Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
MANAGED LANES: THE
NUTS AND BOLTS
An examination of design,
operations, and pricing options
Managed Lanes: Nuts and Bolts, © Parsons Brinckerhoff, 2013 11/1/2013 1
David H. Ungemah
National Managed Lanes Director
(720) 837-1522 ungemah@pbworld.com
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
DEVELOPING YOUR MANAGED LANE SYSTEM
Design
• Lane Separation • Access DesignOperations
• Occupancy Policies • EnforcementPricing
• System DesignToll Services | Managed Lanes Group
NOT ALL MANAGED LANES ARE THE SAME
Managed Lanes: Nuts and Bolts, © Parsons Brinckerhoff, 2013 11/1/2013 3
Convert HOV Lanes
Overused HOV
•I-85 Atlanta
Underused HOV
•I-25 Denver •I-15 Salt Lake City •SR-167 Seattle •I-394 Minneapolis
Build New Lanes
Convert + Build
• I-15 San Diego • I-95 Miami • I-495 Virginia Build Only • SR-91 Orange County • I-10 Houston Anticipate More Benefits to All Travelers Anticipate Less Benefits to All Travelers
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
KEY RESEARCH REFERENCES
NCHRP 03-53
• Development of a HOV Systems Manual
NCHRP 08-36
• Congestion Pricing and Investment Requirements, Changes in Travel Behavior /
Demand Due to Managed Lanes Facility System Expansion, and Road Pricing Communication Practices
NCHRP 08-57
• Assessing Highway Tolling and Pricing Options
NCHRP 08-75
• Guidelines for Evaluation and Performance Measurement of Congestion Pricing
Projects
NCHRP 20-05
• Road Pricing for Congestion Management and Compilation of Public Opinion
Data on Tolls and Road Pricing
NCHRP 20-07
• Update of the HOV and Park and Ride Facilities Design Guides
SHRP-2 C04
• Improving Our Understanding of How Highway Congestion and Pricing Affect
Travel Demand
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
Initial managed lanes were physically separated with direct access provided
SEPARATION AND ACCESS TREATMENTS
SR-91
I-15
I-25
I-10
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
SEPARATION AND ACCESS TREATMENTS
Today, they are more integrated into the freeway with less physical separation
SR-167
I-35W I-95
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
SEPARATION AND ACCESS TREATMENTS
Utilizing buffer separation with multiple access zones, near continuous access, or continuous access
I-35W I-85
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
SEPARATION AND ACCESS TREATMENTS
MUTCD (2009) guidance :
• Prohibited access segments consist of double-solid white lines on
either side of the buffer and chevron markings if the buffer is wider than 4 feet.
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
SEPARATION AND ACCESS TREATMENTS
MUTCD (2009) guidance:
• Discouraged access segments consist of two solid white lines with no
defined width for discouraged access segment.
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
SEPARATION AND ACCESS TREATMENTS
MUTCD (2009) guidance:
• Permitted (continuous) access segments should consist of single or
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
SEPARATION AND ACCESS TREATMENTS
National Express Lanes facilities have utilized all three
MUTCD defined approaches.
I-35W (Minneapolis, MN)
I-680 (Alameda County) I-15 (Salt Lake City, UT)
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
SEPARATION AND ACCESS TREATMENTS
Channelizers are used on several facilities to more
clearly delineate Express Lanes
• 42 inches high with up to 12 foot separation
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
SEPARATION AND ACCESS TREATMENTS
Barriers are increasingly rare due to cost
• 2 foot barrier, 10 foot separation on each side • Adds 13 feet per direction to typical cross section
Possibilities for differential speed limits
Possibilities for differential
user classes
I-15 (San Diego)
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
SEPARATION AND ACCESS TREATMENTS
For limited access facilities, the provision of merge or
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
OCCUPANCY POLICIES
• 1997 – 2008: Adoption of pre-existing HOV requirements • 2009 – current: Modify or drop HOV requirements
I-15 (SD) I-394 I-15 (SLC) I-25 SR 167 I-35W I-680 SR-237 / I-880 HOV-2+ free at all times I-10 (TX) I-45 HOV-2+ free peak only I-95 (FL) I-85 I-495 SR-91* HOV-3+ with restrictions SR-91* I-635 I-35E HOV-3+ discount I-95 (MD) C-470 Loop 1 Loop 375 No HOV discount
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
OCCUPANCY POLICIES
3+ 2+ 3+ 2+ 3+ 2+ 2+ Toll Toll 2+ Toll 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+ 2+ Toll 3+Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
ENFORCEMENT
Toll-free Abuse (23% of police contacts leading to citation)
• Ineligible vehicle obtaining toll-free status
Illegal Movements (12%)
• Buffer crossings
• Weaving around toll zones
Toll Evasion (6%)
• Vehicle without account
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
ENFORCEMENT
Enforcement
• Visual enforcement still primary means • License plate recognition for tolling
• Mandatory or switchable transponders
Monitoring
• Registration programs • Unrestricted use erodes
active management
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
PRICING SYSTEMS
Points of intersection between
facilities
• Change in business rules can affect
utilization and compliance
• Signage message display, control, and
ownership
• Demand balance at diverge points may
require
o Upstream differential pricing
o Increase in diverse point capacity
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
PRICING SYSTEMS
Enhancing Efficiency and Utilization
• Expand use of capacity in underutilized lanes • Efficiently allocate capacity in overutilized lanes
Providing Travel Travel Time Reliability
• Maintain reliable speeds
• Sustain unimpeded travel for transit
Yielding Revenue to Offset Lifecycle Costs
• Enhance financial resources for new capacity
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
PRICING SYSTEMS CONSTRAINTS
Geometric issues
• Bottlenecks, Access, Termini
Treatments
Policy constraints
• Minimum / Maximum toll
values
• Restrictions on net change in
toll rate increase
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
System of Price Setting
• Time of Day • Dynamic • Hybrid
Hours of Operation
• Peak Hours / Peak Direction • Daytime Hours • 24 Hours
Exemptions
• Vehicle occupancy • Vehicle class
Communication of Price
• Fixed variable fee schedule • In-field price displays
Lock-in of Price
• Lock-in by segment(s) • Lock-in for destination(s)
Overrides
• Degradation in express lanes • Diversion during incidents
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
UPCOMING TRB RESEARCH / ACTIVITIES
NCHRP 15-49: Guidelines for Implementing Managed Lanes
• Provide singular guidance to assist in implementing managed lanes • Planning, design, operations, and maintenance guidance
• Interactions with financing, project delivery, public outreach, enforcement,
and system integration
A Year of Learning: FHWA Congestion Pricing Symposium
• Posted on TRB Congestion Pricing Committee website (trb-pricing.org)
A Year of Learning: Managed Lanes / Congestion Pricing
• 2014 Annual Conference All-day workshop
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
TRB Managed Lanes Committee
• Chair
o Chuck Fuhs, fuhs@pbworld.com
• Website: www.managedlanes.org
TRB Congestion Pricing Committee
• Co-Chairs:
o Lee Munnich, lmunnich@umn.edu
o David Ungemah, ungemah@pbworld.com
Toll Services | Managed Lanes Group
THANK YOU!
David Ungemah
ungemah@pbworld.com | 720-837-1522