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I-680 Value Pricing: A HOT Lane Demonstration Project of “Smart Carpool Lanes”. Sponsor: Alameda County Congestion Management Agency 2003. Why High-Occupancy-Toll (“HOT”) Lanes?. Provide another option for travelers More efficient use of HOV lane and freeway capacity
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I-680 Value Pricing: A HOT Lane Demonstration Project of “Smart Carpool Lanes” Sponsor: Alameda County Congestion Management Agency 2003
Why High-Occupancy-Toll (“HOT”) Lanes? • Provide another option for travelers • More efficient use of HOV lane and freeway capacity • Generate revenue for transportation improvements • Maintain public support for HOV lanes
Why I-680? • New HOV lanes planned • 14-mile freeway distance with heavy congestion and directional commute traffic • Relatively few interim on/off users –Silicon Valley jobs on south end • Sufficient right-of-way • Financial needs
How will tolls be collected? • All electronic toll collection (no toll booths). • Same technology as the current Fastrak system used for collection on all San Francisco Bay Area bridges.
How does a driver know where to enter or exit the HOV/HOT lane? • Combined HOV/HOT lane will be separated form the regular freeway lanes by solid double yellow stripes. • Vehicles may legally enter or exit the HOV/HOT only at designated locations, where there is a gap in the solid stripes.
How will it be enforced? • Enforcement will be primarily done by California Highway Patrol. • A light will flash on an overhead reader indicating when a toll-paying vehicle is using the lane. • Enforcement will be supplemented with video surveillance cameras as deterrent.
How will toll levels be set? • Highest toll during peak-periods, lower shoulder and off-peak, nominal nighttime • Tolls will be adjusted up or down periodically depending on demand • Toll adjusted to ensure the combined HOV/HOT lane is never congested • HOVs always ride for free
Toll –setting methodology • Begin with travel demand forecasts from regional model with no tolls • Using ECONorthwest Toll Optimization Model (TOM), derive first-run toll structure • TOM solves for tolls that meet efficiency, revenue maximization, throughput or other desired goals, interacting with regional model • Adjust toll levels and hourly traffic volumes for tolled and untolled lanes until efficiency criteria are optimized
Toll-setting methodology • Users’ toll/non-toll decision based on tradeoff between travel time savings and paying toll • Importance of continuous distribution of users value-of-time for toll-setting • Account for peak-spreading over time • 5 toll levels: 2 peaks, 2 shoulders, off-peak • 2+ & 3+ carpool policies tested; with and without intermediate access
How much will the toll be? • Expected starting peak toll between $3.00 and $4.00 • Toll will be adjusted up or down depending on demand • Toll adjusted to ensure the combined HOV/HOT lane is never congested
Gross HOT Lane Revenues • Total revenues • Tolls would generate between $6.3 and $14.7 million in revenues in 2006; between $12.3 and $31.9 million in 2025. • For all Alternatives, carpool policy has dramatic effect on revenue • HOV 3+ policy generates significantly more revenue.
At realistic 4 % discount rate, 20-year net present value of operating incomes (million 2002 dollars), for 2+ and 3+ carpool policies and with and without intermediate access (IA) Net Operating Income
How will toll revenues be spent? • Pay for HOT lane operations • Improved bus service on I-680 corridor • Capital improvements on I-680 corridor
What will we learn from the demonstration project? • Do drivers see HOT lane as worthwhile? • How much are they willing to pay? • How many vehicles and people can move through the corridor? At what speeds? • Can smooth traffic flow be maintained? • How much revenue will be generated? • Will it be perceived as fair?
What are the challenges? • Enforcement & toll collection effectiveness • Impact on HOVs • Constraint on access to HOV/HOT lane • Institutional arrangements/management • Bay Area drivers’ unfamiliarity with toll roads and restricted access HOV lanes
Other Northern California Studies • I-880 commercial vehicles • Sonoma/Marin US 101 HOT Lanes • Santa Cruz Highway 1 • Bay Bridge Congestion Pricing