Abstract Manager

Things are changing throughout the country. As congestion increases, agencies are trying to figure out how best to enhance the capacity of their roadway systems. In lieu of building new roadways on new alignments, many agencies are turning to some form of managed lanes systems. This term is a catch all for a set of exclusive use lanes that could take the form of High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV), High Occupancy Toll (HOT), Express Toll Lane (ETL), truck lanes, to name a few. Each has their uses and their challenges and provides opportunities for near term use and possible repurposing for other uses in the future as transportation demands, patterns, and fleets change. 

Different managed lanes options can be used to affect different outcomes. Occupancy-based options have been used to promote ridesharing, though the success of that effort is up for debate. Other options such as express tolling have been used to provide additional capacity and manage system throughput, while truck-only lanes are being considered to help separate modes and improve system reliability. These options have differing access needs which impact the physical design of the facility. Converting from one system to another can also create complications. 

This presentation will provide an overview of managed lanes options and their uses and draw from case studies from projects around the United States to highlight successes and lessons learned.