Operational Design Guidelines U.S Department of Transportaton for High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes on Arterial Roadways November 1994 ITI TOOLBOX Orginally Published by Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, Canada 101625 TDFO-94-04 OPERATIONAL DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR HOV LANES ON ARTERIAL ROADWAYS INCLUDING PLANNING STRATEGIES AND SUPPORTING MEASURES MUNICIPAL/PROVINCIAL HOV/TDM COMMITTEE DEMAND MANAGEMENT AND FORECASTING OFFICE MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION OF ONTARIO McCormick Rankin November 1994 OPERATIONAL DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR HOV LANES ON ARTERIAL ROADWAYS TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PREFACE . i SECTION I:HOVs AS PART OF THE MUNICIPAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING STRATEGY......................... I-1 I-l INTRODUCTION............................................. I-1 l-2 WHY HOV? COSTS, BENEFITS AND EXPERIENCE..................... I-1 l-3 HOV INITIATIVES IN ONTARIO TO DATE........................... l-4 l-3.1 Reserved Bus Lanes.................................... I-4 l-3.2 HOV Lanes.......................................... l-5 l-3.3 HOV Priority Programs and Initiatives........................ l-6 l-3.4 Provincial Policy....................................... l-8 l-3.5 Municipal Policy....................................... l-9 l-3.6 Funding Practice ..................................... l-11 l-3.6.1 HOV Lane Construction........................... I-11 l-3.6.2 Operational and Supporting Measures................. l-11 l-3.7 Documentation and Resources............................ I-12 l-4 HOV NETWORKS AND STRATEGIC PLANNING...................... l-13 l-4.1 The Transportation - Land Use Link ........................ l-13 l-4.2 Managing the Transportation System....................... l-14 I-4.3 HOV Strategic Planning at the Municipal Level ................ I-16 l-4.3.1 Municipal HOV Strategy .......................... I-16 l-4.3.2 Planning Steps................................. l-17 l-4.3.3 HOV Facility Principles and Preconditions .............. l-19 l-4.3.4 Justification Criteria for HOV Facilities ................ l-22 l-4.4 HOV Networks ...................................... l-23 l-4.4.1 HOV Network Planning........................... l-23 l-4.4.2 HOV Network Implementation ...................... l-24 l-4.4.3 Network Consistency ............................ l-26 l-4.5 Individual HOV Lanes.................................. l-28 l-4.5.1 Indicators of Suitable Corridors...................... l-28 l-4.5.2 Vehicle Eligibility and Related Issues.................. l-31 l-4.5.2.1 Vehicle Occupancy Criteria ................ l-31 l-4.5.2.2 HOV or RBL?.......................... l-32 l-4.5.2.3 HOV 2+ or HOV 3+? ................... l-37 l-4.5.3 Changing the Rules.............................. l-41 l-4.5.3.1 Modifying Use of an Existing HOV Lane .......l-41 l-4.5.3.2 Conversion of a General Purpose Lane to HOV Use................................. l-42 l-4.5.3.3 Dealing with HOV Lane Underutilization .......l-43 i TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT’D) Page l-4.5.4 HOV Lane Implementation: Leading up to Opening Day.....l-44 l-4.5.5 Environmental Assessment Requirements for HOV Lanes....l-45 l-4.6 HOV Priority and Support Programs........................ l-45 l-4.7 Demand Modelling for HOVs............................. l-45 l-4.7.1 Modelling Techniques............................ l-45 l-4.7.2 Information Requirements......................... l-46 l-4.8 Costs and Benefits.................................... l-48 l-4.8.1 Capital Cost................................... l-48 l-4.8.2 Related Costs................................... l-48 l-4.9 An Administrative Challenge............................. l-50 SECTION II: HOV LANE OPERATIONAL PLANNING GUIDELINES . II-1 II-I ELIGIBLE VEHICLES . , . II-1 II-1.1 Buses............................................. II-1 II-1.2 Taxis............................................. II-1 II-1.3 Carpools, Vanpools and Motorcycles....................... II-2 II-1.4 Trucks............................................ II-2 II-1.5 Bicycles ........................................... II-2 II-2 VEHICLE OCCUPANCY........................................ II-3 II-3 TIME OF HOV DESIGNATION . II-4 II-3.1 Time of Day ........................................ II-4 II-3.2 Day of Week........................................ II-7 II-4 HOV LANE USAGE CRITERIA . II-7 II-4.1 Maximum Vehicular Capacity ............................ II-9 II-4.2 Minimum Volume for Viability............................ II-13 II-4.3 Non-Users, Turning Vehicles, and Violators................... II-15 II-4.4 Net HOV Lane Usage .................................. II-16 II-5 ENFORCEMENT . II-17 II-5.1 Legislation ......................................... II-17 II-5.2 Stationary Violations .................................. II-18 II-5.3 Moving Violations .................................... II-18 II-5.4 Occupancy Rate Violations ............................. II-18 II-5.5 Enforcement Facilities.................................. II-20 II-5.6 Other Enforcement Techniques........................... II-21 II-5.7 Public Involvement in HOV Lane Enforcement [“HERO” Program).... II-22 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT’D) Page SECTION Ill: OPERATIONAL DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR ARTERIAL HOV LANES ............................. Ill-1 Ill-1 ROADWAY TYPES.......................................... Ill-1 Ill-2 HOV LANES ON ROADWAY SEGMENTS .......................... Ill-1 Ill-3 QUEUEBY PASSES.......................................... III-5 Ill-4 INTERSECTION TREATMENTS.................................. Ill-6 III-4.1 Four Lane Approach................................... Ill-6 III-4.2 Six Lane Approach................................... III-10 III-4.3 Signal Phasing...................................... Ill-14 III-4.4 Signal Priority...................................... Ill-14 Ill-5 SIGNAGE ............................................... III-20 III-5.1 Experience ........................................ Ill-20 III-5.2 Pavement Markings.................................. Ill-20 III-5.3 Overhead / Roadside Signage ........................... Ill-21 Ill-6 TRANSITIONS............................................ Ill-27 Ill-7 ENFORCEMENT FACILITIES .................................. Ill-34 Ill-8 TRANSIT PROVISIONS...................................... Ill-36 III-8.1 Bus Bays.......................................... Ill-36 III-8.1.1 Intersections.............................. Ill-37 III-8.1.2 Mid-block ................................ Ill-37 III-8.2 Platforms / Shelters.................................. Ill-37 Ill-9 NON-HOV CONSIDERATIONS................................. Ill-39 III-9.1 On-Street Parking.................................... Ill-39 Ill-9.3 Snow Removal ..................................... Ill-40 Ill-9.4 Construction / Maintenance ............................ Ill-42 SECTION IV: HOV PRIORITY PROGRAMS - AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE PACKAGE ........................... IV-1 IV-1 INTRODUCTION............................................ IV-1 IV-2 TRAVEL DEMAND MANAGEMENT............................... IV-1 . III TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONT’D) Page IV-3 HOV-SUPPORTIVE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES . IV-5 IV-3.1 Transportation Management Associations.................... IV-5 IV-3.2 Ride Matching Service ................................. IV-5 IV-3.3 Vanpools .......................................... IV-8 IV-3.4 Guaranteed Ride Home................................ IV-10 IV-3.5 Fuel Pricing and Road Tolls............................. IV-10 IV-4 PARKING PRIORITY . IV-11 IV-4.1 Policy............................................ IV-11 IV-4.2 Park and Ride Lots................................... IV-11 IV-4.3 Carpool Lots....................................... IV-13 IV-4.4 Trip-End Parking .................................... IV-15 IV-4.5 Parking Fees....................................... IV-16 IV-4.6 Private Parking ..................................... IV-18 IV-5 TRANSIT OPERATION . IV-18 IV-5.1 Intermodal Coordination............................... IV-18 IV-5.2 Express Services.................................... IV-18 IV-5.3 Technological Advances............................... IV-20 IV-5.4 “People-Moving Companies”............................ IV-20 IV-6 MARKETING . , . IV-20 IV-6.1 Nomenclature...................................... IV-22 IV-6.2 Public Education .................................... IV-22 APPENDICES APPENDIX A MTO HOV AGENDA APPENDIX B HOV SIGNAGE (MUTCD) APPENDIX C SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY iv LIST OF EXHIBITS Page Exhibit I-1 Planning and Design Process for Municipal Road Projects........ l-18 Exhibit I-2 HOV Decision-Making Flow Chart ......................... l-20 Exhibit l-3 Rapid Transit Access Patterns by Mode ..................... l-34 Exhibit II-1 Time of Tripmaking by Mode............................. II-5 Exhibit II-2 Hourly Variation of Auto Occupancy Characteristics ............ II-8 Exhibit II-3 HOV Lane Capacity (I) (650 veh/lane/h arterial)................ II-10 Exhibit II-4 HOV Lane Capacity (II) (800 veh/lane/h arterial) ............... II-11 Exhibit II-5 HOV Lane Capacity (III) (900 veh/lane/h arterial)............... II-12 Exhibit Ill-1 Arterial Street HOV Lane Cross-Section Alternatives ............ Ill-3 Exhibit Ill-2 Design Issues for Arterial HOV Lane Alternatives............... Ill-4 Exhibit Ill-3 Urban Intersection Treatment (1).......................... Ill-7 Exhibit Ill-4 Urban Intersection Treatment (2).......................... Ill-8 Exhibit Ill-5 Urban Intersection Treatment (3).......................... Ill-9 Exhibit Ill-6 Suburban Intersection Treatment (1) .....................