I-394 MnPASS Technical Evaluation

1. I-394 MnPASS Technical Evaluation Preliminary Findings March 23, 2006 Doug Sallman – Cambridge Systematics, Inc.

2. Overview • Evaluation Objectives • Evaluation Challenges • Evaluation Approach • Preliminary Findings • Next Steps

3. Objectives • Conduct an independent assessment of the performance impacts resulting from the I-394 MnPASS deployment including: • Travel times/speeds • Vehicle and person throughput • Safety • Noise and emissions • Investigate other issues including transit operations, enforcement and revenue

4. Approach • Collect data representing a broad period before and after to control for: • Traffic growth trends • Cyclical variations (day-of-week, time-of-year) • Weather conditions • Incident occurrence • Other external factors • Compare performance from like periods with and without MnPASS to isolate any changes

5. Challenges • MnPASS system itself is dynamic • Hours of operation change • Construction of auxiliary lane in the westbound direction • Closure of I-494 to I-394 ramps • Record high fuel prices • Changes to transit routes and fares

6. Preliminary Findings • Interim performance evaluation focuses on the period from June to December 2005 • Does not include data from the initial period of 24/7 operation

7. Preliminary FindingsVolumes/Throughput

8. Volume/Throughput • Regional automobile travel demand has decreased compared to previous years, unrelated to MnPASS • Nearly 2% decrease in peak hour volumes on I-35W

9. Volume/Throughput • I-394 MnPASS lanes peak hour volumes increased 9 to 33% • Total I-394 peak hour roadway volumes increased by up to 5% • Volume changes on the fringes of MnPASS operational hours were less positive or lower

10. Preliminary Findings Speeds

11. Vehicle Speeds • Despite increase in volume, speeds in the MnPASS lane have not decreased • Travel speeds in the general purpose lanes increased by 2 to 15 percent • The relative speed change is most significant when conditions are most congested

12. Preliminary Findings Safety

13. Preliminary Findings Safety • Time lag in collecting crash data does not yet allow for statistical analysis of safety impacts • Anecdotal information and informal review of MnDOT’s incident log suggests no negative impact

14. Preliminary Findings Enforcement

15. Preliminary Findings Enforcement • Over 3,300 stops were made by enforcement officers on the I-394 corridor • 50% of stops involved HOV or double white line crossing violations

16. Preliminary Findings Enforcement • Violation rates have dropped at nearly all I-394 locations • Violation rates on I-394 are much lower than on I-35W

17. Preliminary Findings Noise and Emissions • MnDOT conducted monitoring and analysis has revealed no noise or emissions impacts

18. Preliminary Findings Use and Revenue • Use and revenue have increased steadily • Number of transponders has increased from 5,650 to over 9,000 • Continues to increase at 3% growth • Average owner uses the MnPASS lane twice a week

19. Preliminary Findings Use and Revenue • Over 500,000 tolls were paid in 2005 resulting in $350,000 in toll revenue

20. Next Steps • Additional field data collection planned for Spring to better assess carpool impacts • Interviews with transit operators • Continue to collect and analyze automated data through July • Assessment of safety issues • Final Evaluation Report due in August

21. Questions?