Let’s check the gauges – How fast are the HOVs traveling?

1. Let’s check the gauges – How fast are the HOVs traveling? Jessie Yung, P.E. Federal Highway Administration Office of Transportation Management

2. Overview • What are HOVs? • Proposed HOV provision • Why are Performance Measures and Monitoring Important?

3. What are HOVs? • No fewer than 2 occupants per vehicle required for use of a HOV facility. • A State agency shall establish the occupancy requirements.

4. What is the primary purpose of an HOV lane? • Increase the total number of people moved through a congested corridor by offering two kinds of travel incentives • Substantial savings in travel time • Reliable and predictable travel time

5. Background on HOV Facilities • TEA 21 • Allows states to permit properly labeled and certified ILEVs to use HOV lanes without meeting occupancy requirements. States may also revoke if determined necessary. • Motorcycles and bicycles shall not be considered SOV. • States may permit vehicles with fewer than 2 occupants to operate in HOV lanes if the facility is part of a value pricing pilot program.

6. HOV Facilities and States with HOV/Clean Fuel Legislation States w/HOV Facilities States with HOV/Clean Fuel Vehicle Legislation States with HOV/Hybrid Legislation Pending Federal Legislation/Policy Direction

7. SAFETEA-LU: HOV Provision • Occupancy requirement is unchanged • Exceptions • Motorcycles and bicycles • Public transportation vehicles • High occupancy toll vehicles • Low emission and energy-efficient vehicles

8. SAFETEA-LU: HOV Provision • Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the bill, the EPA Administrator shall issue a final rule establishing requirements and guidelines for certification of vehicles as low emission and energy-efficient vehicles.

9. SAFETEA-LU: HOV Provision • HOV Facility Management, Operation, Monitoring, and Enforcement • Standard for determining degraded facility • Define degraded facility

10. SAFETEA-LU: HOV Provision • Tolls may be charged to high occupancy vehicles and low emission and energy-efficient vehicles.

11. Institutional Change Customer focused Performance based Systems, not jurisdictions Real-time information Proactive 24/7 Technological Advancement Telecommunications Modeling Surveillance Information dissemination Achieving 21st Century Operations

12. Realizing the Vision Institutional Change 21st Century Operations Technical Advancement A Cultural Shift

13. Operating at a 21st Century Level Means … • Moving traffic smoothly and safely under a variety of conditions and situations • Keeping travelers informed • Making passenger mode choices easy • Moving goods efficiently • Measuring our performance Consistently Across Jurisdictional Boundaries

14. Why are Performance Measures and Monitoring Important? Oil Change Every 3000 or 5000 Miles Scheduled Maintenance

15. Why are Performance Measures and Monitoring Important? Pavement smoothness Potholes

16. Why are Performance Measures and Monitoring Important? • Preserve primary objectives • Travel incentives • Substantial saving in travel time • Reliable and predictable travel time

17. What are the benefits? • Reversible-flow HOV lanes on I-95 in northern Virginia (Fall 2003) • DART (FY 2005) • Saves about $1.5 millions in bus operating costs

18. Keys to Success • Design flexibility into the facilities to accommodate future changes in operational strategies. • Don’t lose sight of the primary objectives • Monitoring and evaluation program • Enforcement program

19. Resources • FHWA Freeway Management Program Website:http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freewaymgmt/index.htm • NCHRP 414: HOV System Manual • Federal-Aid Highway Program Guidance on HOV Lanes (Coming Soon) • Contact information • E- mail: Jessie Yung@fhwa.dot.gov • Phone: (202) 366-4672