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Adding Priced Capacity for Congestion Relief. Robert W. Poole, Jr. Director of Transportation Studies Reason Foundation www.reason.org/transportation. Not Just New Capacity: Priced Capacity. Value pricing keeps the lanes uncongested, offers premium service.
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Adding Priced Capacity for Congestion Relief Robert W. Poole, Jr. Director of Transportation Studies Reason Foundation www.reason.org/transportation
Not Just New Capacity:Priced Capacity • Value pricing keeps the lanes uncongested, offers premium service. • During rush hours, priced lanes offer much greater througput. • Self-generated revenues mean they can get built now, not “someday.”
What Types of Priced Capacity? • HOT Lanes • Express Toll Lanes • Express Toll Networks • Truck-Only Toll Lanes • New beltways • Missing links in freeway systems
HOT Lanes: A First Step • Priced lanes offer meaningful congestion relief to those willing to pay. • Ensure use of all of the expensive capacity. • Toll revenues can help pay for the large investment needed. • High performance is sustainable, long-term.
Value Pricing Offers Precise Traffic Flow Control • I-15 quasi-real-time variable pricing • 91-Express: fine-tuned rate schedule, periodically adjusted • 49% of peak traffic with 33% of lane capacity • Both offer reliable high speeds during rush hours.
Synergy of Priced Lanes and Bus Rapid Transit • Value-priced lane is virtual equivalent of exclusive busway (VEB). • Pricing limits vehicle flow to what’s compatible with LOS C conditions. • Reliable high speed is sustainable long-term, thanks to pricing. • Houston implementing first VEB on Katy Freeway managed lanes.
VEB Prototype: Houston’s Katy Managed Lanes • 3-way public-public partnership • Transit agency (METRO) • Toll agency (HCTRA) • State DOT (TxDOT) • 4 new lanes in median, with value pricing • HCTRA funds and manages the priced lanes • METRO guaranteed 65 buses/hr and 25% of capacity for bus + HOV3+ • LOS C to be maintained, via pricing and occupancy controls
Implications of Katy Agreement • Transit funding: no toll revenues to METRO, but still a great deal (free guideway). • Busway capacity: 65/hr. is 62% increase; should be ample. • FTA approval: granted, based on LOS C. • Occupancy changes: going to HOV-3 now and HOV-4 as needed. • Pricing sustainability: MOU commitment.
Network Comparisons • 500-lane-mile VEB Network cost is $4 to $6 billion, based on Reason studies. • 250 route-mile light rail system cost is $31 billion, based on latest FTA data. • 250 route-mile heavy rail system would be $38 billion, per FTA. • Plus, the VEB guideway would not depend on [limited] FTA funding.
Where can we add new capacity? • Go up—add elevated lanes above existing freeway • Go under—bored tunnels under sensitive areas (e.g., for missing links) • Re-use untraditional ROW: • Rail lines • Flood plains • Power line corridors
Conclusions • Value-priced toll lanes provide “congestion insurance” for all motorists, even if they don’t use them often. • A network of priced lanes is the virtual equivalent of a regionwide busway network, offering a low-cost alternative to rail. • New capacity can be added above and below existing roads and lands, and along non-highway ROW. • Toll revenues can pay for much of the cost of new priced capacity.
Adding Priced Capacity for Congestion Relief Robert W. Poole, Jr. Director of Transportation Studies Reason Foundation www.reason.org/transportation bobp@reason.org