High-occupancy vehicle lane
Encyclopedia
Transportation planning
Transportation planning is a field involved with the evaluation, assessment, design and siting of transportation facilities .-Models and Sustainability :...
, a high-occupancy vehicle lane (also called an HOV lane or carpool lane) is a lane reserved for vehicle
Vehicle
A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....
s with a driver and one or more passengers. These lanes are also known as carpool lanes, commuter lanes, restricted lanes, diamond lane
Diamond lane
A diamond lane is a special lane on a street or highway that is reserved for specific types of traffic. These lanes are usually marked with white diamonds, hence their name. Diamond lanes are generally the right-most or left-most lane on the road...
s, express lanes, and are called transit lanes in Australia and New Zealand.
Qualified vehicles
Qualification for HOV status varies by locality, for instance, in some cases it may require more than two passengers. When an automobile is used as an HOV, the group of people using it is often called a carpoolCarpool
Carpooling , is the sharing of car journeys so that more than one person travels in a car....
, though the term HOV includes buses and vans. However, bus lane
Bus lane
A bus lane or bus only lane is a lane restricted to buses, and generally used to speed up public transport that would be otherwise held up by traffic congestion...
s may not necessarily be intended for use by carpools. An HOV or carpool may be allowed to travel
Travel
Travel is the movement of people or objects between relatively distant geographical locations. 'Travel' can also include relatively short stays between successive movements.-Etymology:...
on special road lanes, usually denoted with a diamond marking in the United States and Canada, on which vehicles not meeting minimum occupancy are prohibited, called restricted lanes, carpool lanes or diamond lanes. In some cases, single-occupant vehicle
Single-occupant vehicle
A single-occupant vehicle is a privately operated vehicle whose only occupant is the driver. The drivers of SOVs use their vehicles primarily for personal travel, daily commuting and for running errands...
s are allowed provided that they are hybrid vehicle
Hybrid vehicle
A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. The term most commonly refers to hybrid electric vehicles , which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors.-Power:...
s or use native fuels. U.S. federal law states that HOV lanes "must allow motorcycles and bicycles to use the HOV facility, unless either or both create a safety hazard." In Canada, no such exemptions exist, but the city of Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
is planning to add HOV lanes around its downtown area. In some areas, such as Atlanta, Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, Seattle Area, Boston Area
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Salt Lake City and the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
, the HOV lanes are full-time, while in others, such as the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, Phoenix
Phoenix Metropolitan Area
The Phoenix metropolitan area, often referred to as The Valley of the Sun, is a metropolitan area, centered on the city of Phoenix, that includes much of the central part of the US state of Arizona...
, Dallas-Fort Worth, Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, and Northern New Jersey, they are usable by other vehicles outside of peak hours. Honolulu uses a "zipper" barrier to create an additional HOV lane on the westbound side of Interstate H-1
Interstate H-1
Interstate H-1 is the busiest Interstate Highway in Hawaii, United States, located on the island of O‘ahu. Despite the number, this is an east–west highway—the 'H'-series numbering reflects the order in which routes were funded and built. H-1 goes from Route 93 in Kapolei to Route 72 in...
, and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
shifts one lane of traffic from north to southbound on a six mile stretch of Interstate 93
Interstate 93
Interstate 93 is an Interstate Highway in the New England section of the United States. Its southern terminus is in Canton, Massachusetts, in the Boston metropolitan area, at Interstate 95; its northern terminus is near St. Johnsbury, Vermont, at Interstate 91...
between Quincy and Dorchester.
In some regions, buses are allowed to travel on the road shoulder
Shoulder (road)
A hard shoulder, or simply shoulder, is a reserved area by the verge of a road or motorway. Generally it is kept clear of motor vehicle traffic...
when traffic becomes heavy, but it is often still illegal for cars (even HOVs) to take the shoulder to get around traffic jams. Highway 403 in Mississauga, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada (near Toronto) and Highway 404 in York Region and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
for instance had their shoulders widened in 2003 and 2004 respectively, so they serve a dual purpose as bus lanes and accident lanes. Although full HOV lanes are available for carpooling traffic, buses still continue to use shoulders along the 403. In Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, shoulders on I-70 are HOV lanes reserved for buses at all times.
In emergency situations, an HOV "cordon" is sometimes placed prohibiting all vehicles from crossing the cordon during specified times. The cordon is enforced through the use of police checkpoints. For example, Midtown
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
and Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
were placed under cordons during the morning peak hours in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
and during the 2005 New York City transit strike
2005 New York City transit strike
The 2005 New York City transit strike was a strike in New York City called by the Transport Workers Union Local 100 . Negotiations for a new contract with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority broke down over retirement, pension, and wage increases. The strike began at 3:00 a.m. EST on...
.
Theory and practice
In practice for some communities, including Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and Seattle, HOV lanes regularly carry more people than adjacent regular lanes of travel, as reported by the Transportation Research Board HOV Committee.
Various organizations and services make it easier for commuters to utilize HOV lanes. Regional and corporate sponsored vanpools, carpools, and rideshare communities give commuters a way to increase occupancy. For locales where such services are lacking, online rideshare communities can serve similar purpose.
Reversible lanes
Some cities that use separated HOV lanes make them reversible; i.e. usable only by inbound traffic during the morning rush and usable only by outbound traffic during the evening rush. This method met with criticism after an August 1995 incident in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, in which a negligent highway employee failed to close the gate preventing access to the HOV lanes of Interstate 279
Interstate 279
Interstate 279 is a north–south Interstate Highway spur that lies entirely within Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Its southern end is at Interstate 376 at the Fort Pitt Bridge in Pittsburgh, and the north end is in Franklin Park at Interstate 79...
. This led to a high-speed head-on collision
Head-on collision
A head-on collision is one where the front ends of two ships, trains, planes or vehicles hit each other, as opposed to a side collision or rear-end collision.-Rail transport:...
that killed six people.
Houston is a city which employs reversible HOV lanes.
Seattle runs some of its HOV lanes in the express lanes of I-5 and I-90; others run in the mainline, outside of the express lane area.
San Diego uses a reversible, separated 2-lane HOV route along an eight mile stretch of I-15 that travels south-bound in the morning and north-bound in the afternoon and evening. This route also doubles as a toll-road for single occupant vehicles using the CalTrans FasTrak
FasTrak
FasTrak is the electronic toll collection system used in the state of California in the United States. The system is used statewide on all of the toll roads, toll bridges, and high occupancy/toll and express toll lanes along the California Freeway and Expressway System.As with other ETC systems,...
system. Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
employs reversible lanes on Park Avenue, and has reversible bus lane
Bus lane
A bus lane or bus only lane is a lane restricted to buses, and generally used to speed up public transport that would be otherwise held up by traffic congestion...
s on the Champlain Bridge
Champlain Bridge (Montreal)
The Champlain Bridge is a steel truss cantilever bridge with approach viaducts constructed of prestressed concrete beams supporting a prestressed concrete deck paved with asphalt...
. The Crescent City Connection
Crescent City Connection
The Crescent City Connection, abbreviated as CCC, refers to twin cantilever bridges that carry U.S. Route 90 Business over the Mississippi River in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. They are tied as the fifth-longest cantilever bridges in the world...
in New Orleans features two reversible HOV lanes. I-394 from Highway 100 to I-94 in Minneapolis also has a reversible HOV lane that is simultaneously tolled for single passenger automobiles through the MnPASS system when it is open for traffic.
Separate systems
Some HOV lanes are built on completely separate roadways from their corresponding general use lanes; some are constructed on parallel roads separated by a concrete barrier, while others are built on grade-separated (i.e. elevated or underground) roadways. One example is the Harbor Freeway in Los Angeles, California, where four HOV lanes travel on the upper deck of the freeway. This type of construction is said to maintain optimal efficiency by keeping general use traffic from merging back and forth into the HOV lanes, and by maximizing space on the main roadway for general use traffic. Additionally, major interchanges on such routes are often equipped with HOV-only ramps, which minimizes haphazard cross-freeway merging.Houston's HOV lanes (almost all reversible as mentioned above, separated from the main freeway lanes by a concrete barrier, and open only during morning and evening rush hour) are managed by that region's public transit authority (they were originally intended as a form of bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
), and as such, those lanes lead to the "Park and Ride" lots used by their express commuter buses; the lanes use "secret" HOV lane exits (often elevated T-intersections) that lead directly to the lots, without having to exit the freeway to street intersections (both buses and regular vehicles use these special entrances and exits). Some of these lanes (notably on a portion of I-10 approaching Downtown Houston) are grade-separated. The lanes are closed and sealed with gates during off-peak hours and weekends.
Queue jumping
Most cities use HOV lanes to allow carpool traffic to bypass areas of regular congestion. For example, in Metro Vancouver, British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, HOV traffic is separated from general traffic and given priority access to the entrance to George Massey Tunnel
George Massey Tunnel
The George Massey Tunnel is a highway traffic tunnel in the Metro Vancouver region of southwestern British Columbia. It is located approximately 20 km south of the city centre of Vancouver, British Columbia, and approximately 30 km north of the Canada-U.S...
. This method is also used extensively in Seattle (Washington) to allow HOV traffic to bypass ramp meters at freeway entrances and proceed directly onto the freeway without stopping.
HOV-only highway
An extreme example is Interstate 66Interstate 66
Interstate 66 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern United States. As indicated by its even route number, it runs in an east–west direction. Its western terminus is at Middletown, Virginia, at an intersection with Interstate 81; its eastern terminus is in Washington, D.C., at an...
in the Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
suburbs of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
During rush hour, on a 10-mile (16 km) segment of I-66 between the Capital Beltway
Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
and the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge
Theodore Roosevelt Bridge
The Theodore Roosevelt Bridge is located in Washington, D.C. It carries Interstate 66 and U.S. Highway 50 over the Potomac River near the Kennedy Center, connecting the Rosslyn area of Arlington, Virginia, with Washington...
(Virginia state line/Washington city limit), the entire roadway in the direction of rush-hour traffic (eastbound in the morning, westbound in the evening) is reserved for HOV. However traffic heading westbound to Dulles Airport is exempt from the HOV requirement, although the Dulles Access road is 3 miles before I-495; thus making HOV violators an easy target in that stretch. State and local police regularly stop all traffic to ensure HOV requirements are met. Violators face a $1000 fine and 6 demerit points for the fourth violation.
Criticism
The traffic speed differential between HOV and general purpose lanes creates a potentially dangerous situation if the HOV lanes are not separated by a barrier. (A Texas Transportation InstituteTexas Transportation Institute
The Texas Transportation Institute in College Station, Texas is the largest transportation research agency in the United States. Created in 1950, primarily in response to the needs of the Texas Highway Department , TTI has since broadened its focus to address all modes of transportation–highway,...
study found that HOV lanes lacking barrier separations caused a 50% increase in injury crashes.)
The National Motorists Association
National Motorists Association
The National Motorists Association is a grassroots organization whose revenue is membership- and donation-driven. It was created in 1982 to "to represent and protect the interests of North American motorists", and advocates a "Motorist Bill of Rights".-History:The NMA, originally called the...
in the U.S. opposes HOV lanes on the grounds that motorists are entitled to full use of highway systems paid for by their taxes. Similar arguments from other motorist advocacy groups put forth the argument that the best gains to be made in reducing high-density traffic is when all lanes are available for all vehicles, thus allowing a maximum of traffic to filter forward during peak travel times.
In the Netherlands, the first HOV lane in Europe was opened on the Rijksweg 1 on 27 October 1993. On the first day, a former Minister of Transport and Water Management drove on the lane alone in his car in order to draw forth a test case
Test case (law)
In case law, a test case is a legal action whose purpose is to set a precedent. An example of a test case might be a legal entity who files a lawsuit in order to see if the court considers a certain law or a certain legal precedent applicable in specific circumstances...
. The judge ruled that Dutch traffic law lacked the concept of a "car pool" and thus that the principle of equality was violated. At the end of the following year, the lane was opened to all traffic as a reversible lane.
Possible future directions
A number of cities are considering converting under-utilized HOV lanes to high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, and others intend to build new highway infrastructure. This would permit single-occupant vehicles to buy the right to use the HOV lanes for a toll, but total flow would be regulated (with automatically determined variable pricingVariable pricing
Most firms use a fixed price policy. That is, they examine the situation, determine an appropriate price, and leave the price fixed at that amount until the situation changes, at which point they go through the process again...
based on demand), to ensure total speeds on the HOV lane do not drop noticeably.
In August 2010, the Utah Department of Transportation implemented such a program for traffic along Interstate 15 from Layton in the north to Lehi in the south. The system uses RFID transmitters to monitor entry and exiting of the lane and charges drivers between 25 cents to one dollar, depending on demand. The transmitters can be turned off in the event that the driver has two or more occupants in their vehicle.
User phenomena
One symptom of HOV lanes that challenges the contention that HOV lanes are not effective has been the sluggingSlugging
Slugging, also known as casual carpooling, is the practice of forming ad hoc, informal carpools for purposes of commuting, essentially a variation of ride-share commuting and hitchhiking. While the practice is most common and most publicized in the congested Washington, D.C. area, slugging also...
phenomenon in the Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
suburbs of Washington, D.C. Slugging is the term used to describe a unique form of commuting where drivers go to pre-arranged "slug lines" and pick up commuters who need a ride. The driver shouts out his destination, and people in the line going to that destination enter the car on a first-come-first-served basis. There is very specific etiquette to the system to ensure a fair, consistent, and agreeable commute for all. Slugging benefits drivers by enabling them to use the HOV lane, benefits "sluggers" by getting them free rides, and benefits the community by decreasing the number of cars on the road.
In San Francisco and surrounding communities, designated casual carpool sites allow drivers to pick up passengers to the same destination.
When HOV lanes were first introduced in California in the 1970s, some drivers placed an inflatable person in the passenger seat in an attempt to fool regulators. This was soon outlawed, but the practice persists. In the UK in 2005, a camera that was claimed to distinguish mannequins or dolls from humans was being tested on the Forth Road Bridge
Forth Road Bridge
The Forth Road Bridge is a suspension bridge in east central Scotland. The bridge, opened in 1964, spans the Firth of Forth, connecting the capital city Edinburgh, at South Queensferry, to Fife, at North Queensferry...
in an effort to thwart cheaters.
See also
- Bus laneBus laneA bus lane or bus only lane is a lane restricted to buses, and generally used to speed up public transport that would be otherwise held up by traffic congestion...
- Bus rapid transitBus rapid transitBus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
- High-occupancy toll (HOT)
- List of HOT and ETL lanes in the United States
- Local-express lanesLocal-express lanesA Local-express lane system is an arrangement of roadways within a major highway providing one of more roadways for express lanes with a limited number of entrances and exits and also separate roadways for local or collector lanes which provide access to all interchanges...
, another form of lane separation for congestion mitigation - Public transit
- Toll roadToll roadA toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
- Transit lanesTransit lanesTransit lanes are lanes on roadways in Australia and New Zealand set aside for vehicles with two or more passengers. Taxis, emergency vehicles and motorcycles can also use the lanes in most cases. They are "also known as T2 or T3 lanes", after the minimum number of passengers required to drive a...
, the Australian equivalent to high-occupancy vehicle lanes - Transportation Demand ManagementTransportation Demand ManagementTransportation demand management, traffic demand management or travel demand management is the application of strategies and policies to reduce travel demand , or to redistribute this demand in space or in time.In transport as in any network, managing demand can be a cost-effective alternative to...