**HOV Pooled-Fund Study 2006 Annual Meeting**

Project Proposal Form

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **Project Title:** HOV Facility   |                                   |
| Demand Estimation Techniques      |                                   |
| Project Number: 1                 |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Statement of Problem:             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| With the increased scrutiny that  |                                   |
| many HOV (and HOT) lanes are now  |                                   |
| facing around the country,        |                                   |
| reliable methods for forecasting  |                                   |
| HOV/HOT demand for proposed       |                                   |
| facilities are even more          |                                   |
| critical. HOV operating agencies  |                                   |
| generally use transportation      |                                   |
| planning models to perform        |                                   |
| forecast and estimation of demand |                                   |
| on HOV and HOT facilities. FHWA   |                                   |
| has sponsored efforts in the past |                                   |
| to develop relatively easy-to-use |                                   |
| "sketch planning" techniques for  |                                   |
| estimating HOV demand. One        |                                   |
| method, developed by Charles      |                                   |
| River Associates Incorporated     |                                   |
| (CRA), and documented in the      |                                   |
| report "*Predicting Travel        |                                   |
| Volumes for HOV Priority          |                                   |
| Techniques: User's Guide*", April |                                   |
| 1982, proved to be an effective   |                                   |
| model, but is 20 years old. A     |                                   |
| second FHWA sponsored method,     |                                   |
| "*QuickHOV*", was developed in    |                                   |
| 1996 by Dowling Associates.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| What are the techniques, models,  |                                   |
| and tools available for           |                                   |
| estimating demand on HOV and HOT  |                                   |
| facilities? How well do those     |                                   |
| techniques, methods, and tools    |                                   |
| perform? What are their strengths |                                   |
| and weaknesses? Does any          |                                   |
| particular technique perform      |                                   |
| better than others in estimating  |                                   |
| demand for specific types of HOV  |                                   |
| facilities (e.g.                  |                                   |
| barrier-separated versus          |                                   |
| non-barrier separated)? Can those |                                   |
| techniques and tools be used for  |                                   |
| estimating demand of HOT          |                                   |
| facilities? What are the          |                                   |
| additional techniques and         |                                   |
| procedures that can be used to    |                                   |
| supplement and thus improve the   |                                   |
| results from those tools? How can |                                   |
| those techniques/tools be further |                                   |
| improved? These are some of the   |                                   |
| questions to be answered by this  |                                   |
| research.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The objectives of this project    |                                   |
| are to: (1) evaluate the          |                                   |
| techniques, methods, and tools    |                                   |
| that are currently available for  |                                   |
| forecasting HOV/HOT demand; (2)   |                                   |
| identify most prominent, reliable |                                   |
| technique(s) and tool(s); and (3) |                                   |
| provide recommendations for       |                                   |
| further research to advance       |                                   |
| practices in this subject area.   |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Approach:               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The following is an initial list  |                                   |
| of tasks to be performed:         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [Task A. Review Existing          |                                   |
| Techniques and                    |                                   |
| Tools:]{.underline}               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| > The focus of this task would be |                                   |
| > to identify and review existing |                                   |
| > HOV/HOT demand estimation       |                                   |
| > techniques, methods, and tools. |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [Task B. Evaluate Demand          |                                   |
| Estimation Models:]{.underline}   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| > This task focuses on assessing  |                                   |
| > the strengths and weaknesses of |                                   |
| > existing techniques, tools, and |                                   |
| > models. This would include      |                                   |
| > assessing algorithms used in    |                                   |
| > each model, and comparing them  |                                   |
| > to the state-of-the-practice.   |                                   |
| > Tests of the models would be    |                                   |
| > done on actual facilities to    |                                   |
| > assess how well the models      |                                   |
| > perform (i.e., the models would |                                   |
| > be use "before" data from and   |                                   |
| > actual facility to forecast a   |                                   |
| > theoretical HOV/HOT usage which |                                   |
| > would then be compared to       |                                   |
| > actual "after" data). These     |                                   |
| > needs include being able to     |                                   |
| > assess different types of HOV   |                                   |
| > facilities in different         |                                   |
| > operating environments (i.e.,   |                                   |
| > dense urban area versus         |                                   |
| > suburban area; radial versus    |                                   |
| > circumferential freeway, etc.). |                                   |
| > Prominent techniques/tools for  |                                   |
| > estimating HOV/HOT demand would |                                   |
| > be identified based on the      |                                   |
| > evaluation findings.            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [Task C. Develop Research         |                                   |
| Report:]{.underline}              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| > This task would produce a       |                                   |
| > report that would incorporate   |                                   |
| > and document the results of all |                                   |
| > previous tasks.                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [Task D. Provide Recommendations  |                                   |
| for Further                       |                                   |
| Research:]{.underline}            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| > This task would identify        |                                   |
| > further research needs and next |                                   |
| > steps to advance this subject   |                                   |
| > area. This would also include   |                                   |
| > identifying if additional       |                                   |
| > features that could be          |                                   |
| > incorporated into the prominent |                                   |
| > techniques/tools to make them   |                                   |
| > more useful for practitioners.  |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Products:                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A research report             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Outreach Material             |                                   |
|     (Presentation, Brochure, and  |                                   |
|     Fact Sheet)                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A white paper                 |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| End Users (Product Customer):     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   The intended audience would   |                                   |
|     be representative state DOTs  |                                   |
|     and others having a role in   |                                   |
|     the planning, development,    |                                   |
|     operation and performance     |                                   |
|     monitoring of HOV facilities. |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Target end users include      |                                   |
|     transportation planners       |                                   |
|     involved in the study of      |                                   |
|     planning and implementation   |                                   |
|     of new HOV/HOT facilities and |                                   |
|     converting existing HOV       |                                   |
|     facilities to HOT lanes       |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Training, Outreach, and           |                                   |
| Distribution Plan:                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Outreach and awareness as to the |                                   |
| availability of the product       |                                   |
| through professional              |                                   |
| organizations.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Publicized through FHWA          |                                   |
| Divisions, Resource Centers and   |                                   |
| related program activities.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -The products will be available   |                                   |
| via the Internet.                 |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Rough Order of Magnitude Cost:    | Comments:                         |
|                                   |                                   |
| Person Hours:                     | -Direct costs include limited     |
|                                   | funding to accommodate any        |
| Labor Cost: [\$]{.underline}      | interaction and review of         |
|                                   | practitioners on the development  |
| Direct Costs: [\$]{.underline}    | of this product and to obtain any |
|                                   | available information from        |
| Total Cost: [\$                   | agencies via interviews and       |
| 175,000]{.underline}              | on-site visits to support         |
|                                   | development of case studies.      |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| In-Kind Support or Other Funding  |                                   |
| (Beyond SP&R):                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -FHWA and pooled fund             |                                   |
| participants technical support    |                                   |
| and project management in the     |                                   |
| development of the project        |                                   |
| proposal, scope and product       |                                   |
| development.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Schedule for Major      |                                   |
| Milestones:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -18 months                        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Benefits:                         |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

**HOV Pooled-Fund Study 2006 Annual Meeting**

**Project Proposal Form**

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| **Project Title:** HOV Facility Planning Handbook Project Number: 2   |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Statement of Problem:                                                 |
|                                                                       |
| The planning and implementation process associated with HOV lanes is  |
| conceptually similar to that used in other highway improvements.      |
| However, there are a number of issues that are likely to arise that   |
| may require special attention and have the potential to introduce the |
| unexpected. The NCHRP Report 414: *HOV Systems Manual* (1998) is a    |
| comprehensive source of collective experience gained from the         |
| nation's current and implemented HOV lane projects in the United      |
| States. The manual presents a wide range of information on HOV        |
| systems and the contents of this manual are of immediate interest to  |
| both highway and transit professionals in planning, designing,        |
| implementing, operating, marketing, and enforcing HOV systems.        |
|                                                                       |
| While this manual is comprehensive and offers excellent background    |
| information, there is a need for detailed information and guidance on |
| planning and implementation of HOV facilities and projects. This      |
| would include the process to follow, factors and issues to consider,  |
| methodologies and tools to use, analyses to perform, techniques to    |
| perform analyses, resources required, stakeholders to include, and    |
| the use of the planning output in the decision-making process and in  |
| procurement, design, implementation, and operations as related to the |
| life cycle of the facility or system.                                 |
|                                                                       |
| The purpose of this project would be to identify the process to       |
| follow, issues to consider, methodologies and tools to use, and       |
| techniques and analyses to perform in the processes to plan HOV       |
| facilities and projects. This project would build off of and provide  |
| additional detail and guidance to the information presented in the    |
| existing HOV Systems Manual.                                          |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Suggested Approach:                                                   |
|                                                                       |
| The suggested approach to the project include:                        |
|                                                                       |
| -   Review and synthesize relevant literature and current practices.  |
|                                                                       |
| -   Identify factors and issues to consider in the planning of HOV    |
|     facilities and projects.                                          |
|                                                                       |
| -   Identify and discuss the planning process.                        |
|                                                                       |
| -   Discuss how this process relates to the planning process for      |
|     transportation systems at a network/regional level                |
|                                                                       |
| -   Identify methodologies and tools to use and assist in the         |
|     planning processes.                                               |
|                                                                       |
| -   Identify required data and analyses, and identify techniques and  |
|     tools to perform the analyses.                                    |
|                                                                       |
| -   Identify resources required and stakeholder to include.           |
|                                                                       |
| -   Identify how the processes could provide output in                |
|     decision-making process and could assist in design, procurement,  |
|     implementation, operations, and maintenance as related to the     |
|     life cycle of the facility.                                       |
|                                                                       |
| -   Develop guidance on how to follow and use the information,        |
|     processes, methodologies, tools and techniques identified and     |
|     developed in this project.                                        |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Products:                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Technical Guidance            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Primer                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Outreach Material             |                                   |
|     (Presentation, Brochure, and  |                                   |
|     Fact Sheet)                   |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| End Users (Product Customer):     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Representative state DOTs,    |                                   |
|     Metropolitan Planning         |                                   |
|     Organizations, transit        |                                   |
|     agencies, enforcement         |                                   |
|     agencies and others having a  |                                   |
|     role in the planning, design, |                                   |
|     development, management, and  |                                   |
|     operation of HOV facilities.  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Targeted end users of the     |                                   |
|     handbook are planners,        |                                   |
|     managers and policy-makers of |                                   |
|     HOV operating agencies.       |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Training, Outreach, and           |                                   |
| Distribution Plan:                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Outreach and awareness as to the |                                   |
| availability of the product       |                                   |
| through professional              |                                   |
| organizations.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Publicized through FHWA          |                                   |
| Divisions, Resource Centers and   |                                   |
| related program activities.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -The products will be available   |                                   |
| via the Internet.                 |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Rough Order of Magnitude Cost:    | Comments:                         |
|                                   |                                   |
| Person Hours:                     | -Direct costs include limited     |
|                                   | funding to accommodate any        |
| Labor Cost: [\$]{.underline}      | interaction and review of         |
|                                   | practitioners on the development  |
| Direct Costs: [\$]{.underline}    | of this product and to obtain any |
|                                   | available information from        |
| Total Cost: [\$                   | agencies via interviews and       |
| 150,000]{.underline}              | on-site visits to support         |
|                                   | development of case studies.      |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| In-Kind Support or Other Funding  |                                   |
| (Beyond SP&R):                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -FHWA and pooled fund             |                                   |
| participants technical support    |                                   |
| and project management in the     |                                   |
| development of the project        |                                   |
| proposal, scope and product       |                                   |
| development.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Schedule for Major      |                                   |
| Milestones:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -16 months                        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Benefits:                         |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

**HOV Pooled-Fund Study 2006 Annual Meeting**

**Project Proposal Form**

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **Project Title:** Preferential   |                                   |
| Carpool Treatment in Priced Lanes |                                   |
| Project Number: 3                 |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Statement of Problem:             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| In several urban areas HOV        |                                   |
| facilities are being converted to |                                   |
| HOT (high-occupancy toll) lanes,  |                                   |
| or are being expanded to          |                                   |
| incorporate multi-lane managed    |                                   |
| facilities with                   |                                   |
| revenue-generating expectations.  |                                   |
| These projects are increasingly   |                                   |
| viewed as the future trend in     |                                   |
| freeway expansion and operation.  |                                   |
| As a result, transportation       |                                   |
| agencies must determine the level |                                   |
| to which carpools are given free  |                                   |
| or discounted passage. Freeways   |                                   |
| that have been identified as HOV  |                                   |
| corridors through the regional    |                                   |
| planning process are being        |                                   |
| re-evaluated to examine the       |                                   |
| potential for generating revenue  |                                   |
| using pricing techniques. There   |                                   |
| is growing interest in the notion |                                   |
| of building priced lanes with bus |                                   |
| rapid transit (BRT) as the single |                                   |
| form of toll-free ridesharing in  |                                   |
| order to maximize revenue         |                                   |
| generation through tolling of all |                                   |
| other vehicles. Furthermore,      |                                   |
| there are both real and perceived |                                   |
| concerns about enforcement of     |                                   |
| preferentially-treated vehicles,  |                                   |
| particularly carpools, and the    |                                   |
| associated operational costs.     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Preferential treatment for each   |                                   |
| type of ridesharing option --     |                                   |
| vanpools, 3+-person carpools and  |                                   |
| 2-person carpools -- can carry    |                                   |
| implications directly related to  |                                   |
| person movement, air quality      |                                   |
| conformity, and revenue           |                                   |
| potential. As lane pricing        |                                   |
| projects are developed, there is  |                                   |
| little quantifiable documentation |                                   |
| related to these implications     |                                   |
| that can support decision making. |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| To date, the operational,         |                                   |
| environmental and financial       |                                   |
| implications and tradeoffs of     |                                   |
| carpool preference in priced      |                                   |
| lanes have yet to be quantified,  |                                   |
| compiled and documented for the   |                                   |
| purpose of informed               |                                   |
| decision-making as projects are   |                                   |
| developed by transportation       |                                   |
| agencies.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| > This project would identify the |                                   |
| > benefits, drawbacks, and        |                                   |
| > tradeoffs of providing          |                                   |
| > preferential treatment for      |                                   |
| > carpools and vanpools in priced |                                   |
| > lane facilities based on the    |                                   |
| > performance of mature HOV       |                                   |
| > facilities in the U.S. and      |                                   |
| > Canada. The result of the       |                                   |
| > research would be a guidance    |                                   |
| > document describing the         |                                   |
| > operational, environmental and  |                                   |
| > financial considerations for    |                                   |
| > providing carpool preferences   |                                   |
| > in priced lanes.                |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Approach:               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Topics and issues this project    |                                   |
| would address include, but not be |                                   |
| limited to:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   In an HOV corridor currently  |                                   |
|     carrying a high volume of     |                                   |
|     2-person carpools, is there   |                                   |
|     an expectation that those     |                                   |
|     2-person carpools would use a |                                   |
|     new priced lane facility if   |                                   |
|     those carpools are required   |                                   |
|     to pay the same toll as       |                                   |
|     single occupant vehicles      |                                   |
|     (SOVs), and to what level?    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   What are the person-movement  |                                   |
|     ramifications of preferential |                                   |
|     treatment for 2-person versus |                                   |
|     3-person carpools versus      |                                   |
|     vanpools on priced lane       |                                   |
|     facilities?                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   In metropolitan areas that    |                                   |
|     are non-attainment, what are  |                                   |
|     the impacts of preferential   |                                   |
|     carpool treatment on air      |                                   |
|     quality conformity, by        |                                   |
|     carpool user group? Moreover, |                                   |
|     will Federal funds be         |                                   |
|     available for corridor        |                                   |
|     expansion if the expansion    |                                   |
|     results in more SOV capacity  |                                   |
|     and fewer HOV incentives?     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   For typical urban freeways    |                                   |
|     that have been identified as  |                                   |
|     HOV candidates based on       |                                   |
|     forecasted volumes and other  |                                   |
|     travel demand criteria, what  |                                   |
|     are the revenue implications  |                                   |
|     of allowing free passage to   |                                   |
|     carpools?                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   If BRT is the primary form of |                                   |
|     ridesharing in these priced   |                                   |
|     lane facilities, what kind of |                                   |
|     flexibility do transit        |                                   |
|     authorities have to meet the  |                                   |
|     demand currently served by    |                                   |
|     carpools, particularly in     |                                   |
|     situations where              |                                   |
|     suburb-to-suburb trip         |                                   |
|     patterns are growing?         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   What are the benefits and     |                                   |
|     drawbacks of other types of   |                                   |
|     preferential HOV strategies   |                                   |
|     in priced and managed lanes   |                                   |
|     that do not require toll      |                                   |
|     exemptions or discounts,      |                                   |
|     including exclusive HOV ramps |                                   |
|     and ramp queue bypass lanes   |                                   |
|     for HOVs?                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   How do concerns related to    |                                   |
|     enforcement of carpool        |                                   |
|     preferences influence the     |                                   |
|     planning and decision-making  |                                   |
|     process?                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Products:                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A Guidance Document           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Outreach Material             |                                   |
|     (Presentation, Brochure, and  |                                   |
|     Fact Sheet)                   |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| End Users (Product Customer):     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Recipients would be               |                                   |
| representative state DOTs,        |                                   |
| transit agencies, police agencies |                                   |
| and others having a role in the   |                                   |
| planning, development, operation  |                                   |
| and performance monitoring of HOV |                                   |
| facilities.                       |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Training, Outreach, and           |                                   |
| Distribution Plan:                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Outreach and awareness as to the |                                   |
| availability of the product       |                                   |
| through professional              |                                   |
| organizations.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Publicized through FHWA          |                                   |
| Divisions, Resource Centers and   |                                   |
| related program activities.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -The products will be available   |                                   |
| via the Internet.                 |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Rough Order of Magnitude Cost:    | Comments:                         |
|                                   |                                   |
| Person Hours:                     | -Direct costs include limited     |
|                                   | funding to accommodate any        |
| Labor Cost: [\$]{.underline}      | interaction and review of         |
|                                   | practitioners on the development  |
| Direct Costs: [\$]{.underline}    | of this product and to obtain any |
|                                   | available information from        |
| Total Cost: [\$                   | agencies via interviews and       |
| 175,000]{.underline}              | on-site visits to support         |
|                                   | development of case studies.      |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| In-Kind Support or Other Funding  |                                   |
| (Beyond SP&R):                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -FHWA and pooled fund             |                                   |
| participants technical support    |                                   |
| and project management in the     |                                   |
| development of the project        |                                   |
| proposal, scope and product       |                                   |
| development.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Schedule for Major      |                                   |
| Milestones:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -18 months                        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Benefits:                         |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

**HOV Pooled-Fund Study 2006 Annual Meeting**

Project Proposal Form

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Project Title: Methods to Improve |                                   |
| Efficiency in HOV Enforcement     |                                   |
| Project Number: 4                 |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Statement of Problem:             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Enforcement of occupancy          |                                   |
| restrictions on HOV facilities is |                                   |
| a manpower-intensive task. The    |                                   |
| number of enforcement personnel   |                                   |
| assigned to cover an HOV facility |                                   |
| can be highly variable between    |                                   |
| very similar projects. The level  |                                   |
| of effort assigned to each HOV    |                                   |
| project is dependent on many      |                                   |
| factors, with the most            |                                   |
| significant ones being facility   |                                   |
| length, facility operation, the   |                                   |
| degree to which a facility is     |                                   |
| conducive to enforcement          |                                   |
| activities, the types of          |                                   |
| enforcement strategies, and the   |                                   |
| availability of enforcement       |                                   |
| personnel. Enforcement agencies   |                                   |
| also need to consider             |                                   |
| institutional and human resource  |                                   |
| issues when assessing the         |                                   |
| manpower requirements for HOV     |                                   |
| enforcement.                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Many facilities lack the          |                                   |
| resources to fund enforcement to  |                                   |
| the levels required for effective |                                   |
| enforcement. It is beneficial to  |                                   |
| investigate possible ways to      |                                   |
| reduce the cost per citation by   |                                   |
| identifying areas for efficiency  |                                   |
| gains in the enforcement process. |                                   |
| Three preliminary areas           |                                   |
| potentially exist for             |                                   |
| improvement:                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Judicial Scheduling Support   |                                   |
|     -- Officers must appear as    |                                   |
|     witnesses to support their    |                                   |
|     citations. This typically     |                                   |
|     takes place on the overtime   |                                   |
|     payscale. Given that          |                                   |
|     occupancy violations are      |                                   |
|     non-criminal, greater         |                                   |
|     allowance for officers'       |                                   |
|     schedules can perhaps be      |                                   |
|     accommodated to reduce the    |                                   |
|     time spent in court.          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Randomized Enforcement --     |                                   |
|     Data on violation rates for   |                                   |
|     I-80 in New Jersey indicated  |                                   |
|     that strictly randomized      |                                   |
|     enforcement scheduling was as |                                   |
|     effective as higher levels of |                                   |
|     more predictably scheduled    |                                   |
|     enforcement. This result,     |                                   |
|     however, was neither          |                                   |
|     anticipated nor planned for   |                                   |
|     in the study. In fact, no     |                                   |
|     studies have been undertaken  |                                   |
|     to investigate the possible   |                                   |
|     benefits of randomized        |                                   |
|     enforcement scheduling.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Streamlining the Citation     |                                   |
|     Process -- Each minute an     |                                   |
|     officer spends on a traffic   |                                   |
|     stop is one less minute spent |                                   |
|     identifying violators. This   |                                   |
|     lack of an observation        |                                   |
|     presence may have a greater   |                                   |
|     impact on facilities where    |                                   |
|     apprehensions are not visible |                                   |
|     to other users of the HOV     |                                   |
|     lane. Some states such as     |                                   |
|     Virginia have investigated    |                                   |
|     methods to reduce the time    |                                   |
|     spent issuing citations.      |                                   |
|     Virginia permits enforcement  |                                   |
|     personnel to partially        |                                   |
|     complete the citation         |                                   |
|     (identifying information and  |                                   |
|     violation), and mail the      |                                   |
|     completed citation to the     |                                   |
|     violator. This reduces the    |                                   |
|     time for the traffic stop, in |                                   |
|     the absence of other          |                                   |
|     violations. Technologies      |                                   |
|     which permit in-vehicle       |                                   |
|     printing of citations may     |                                   |
|     also save time.               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The objective of this project is  |                                   |
| to achieve more efficient use of  |                                   |
| enforcement manpower by           |                                   |
| identifying and reducing key      |                                   |
| bottlenecks and inefficiencies in |                                   |
| the enforcement process. The      |                                   |
| project would identify best       |                                   |
| practices in the areas of         |                                   |
| manpower deployment, court        |                                   |
| appearance scheduling, and the    |                                   |
| issuing of citations.             |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Approach:               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The suggested approach to the     |                                   |
| project include:                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Review and synthesize         |                                   |
|     relevant literature and       |                                   |
|     current practices.            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identify key bottlenecks and  |                                   |
|     inefficiencies in the         |                                   |
|     enforcement process, and      |                                   |
|     potential areas for           |                                   |
|     efficiency gains.             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Conduct a survey of           |                                   |
|     enforcement agencies and      |                                   |
|     their court hours on judicial |                                   |
|     scheduling support, and       |                                   |
|     identify methods to reduce    |                                   |
|     the time expenditures in      |                                   |
|     courts.                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identify a suitable facility  |                                   |
|     and conduct an implementation |                                   |
|     study whereby different       |                                   |
|     levels of randomized          |                                   |
|     enforcement are investigated. |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Document implementation study |                                   |
|     measures, and discuss the     |                                   |
|     possible benefit of random    |                                   |
|     enforcement scheduling.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Perform a comparison analysis |                                   |
|     of possible benefits between  |                                   |
|     nonrandom and random          |                                   |
|     enforcement scheduling.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identify issues, factors,     |                                   |
|     and/or restrictions that      |                                   |
|     impact the process and time   |                                   |
|     required on issuing           |                                   |
|     citations.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identify methods, techniques, |                                   |
|     and technologies for          |                                   |
|     streamlining the citation     |                                   |
|     process.                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identify best practices and   |                                   |
|     recommendations on improving  |                                   |
|     HOV enforcement efficiency.   |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Products:                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A Research Report             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Outreach Material             |                                   |
|     (Presentation, Brochure, and  |                                   |
|     Fact Sheet)                   |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| End Users (Product Customer):     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Representative state DOTs,    |                                   |
|     Metropolitan Planning         |                                   |
|     Organizations, transit        |                                   |
|     agencies, enforcement         |                                   |
|     agencies and others having a  |                                   |
|     role in the planning,         |                                   |
|     management, operation,        |                                   |
|     enforcement of HOV            |                                   |
|     facilities.                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| \- Supervisors, technical staff   |                                   |
| (planners and operators), and     |                                   |
| public safety and enforcement     |                                   |
| agencies involved in the          |                                   |
| planning, development, and        |                                   |
| implementation of HOV enforcement |                                   |
| policies and programs.            |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Training, Outreach, and           |                                   |
| Distribution Plan:                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Outreach and awareness as to the |                                   |
| availability of the product       |                                   |
| through professional              |                                   |
| organizations.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Publicized through FHWA          |                                   |
| Divisions, Resource Centers and   |                                   |
| related program activities.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -The products will be available   |                                   |
| via the Internet.                 |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Rough Order of Magnitude Cost:    | Comments:                         |
|                                   |                                   |
| Person Hours:                     | -Direct costs include limited     |
|                                   | funding to accommodate any        |
| Labor Cost: [\$]{.underline}      | interaction and review of         |
|                                   | practitioners on the development  |
| Direct Costs: [\$]{.underline}    | of this product and to obtain any |
|                                   | available information from        |
| Total Cost: [\$                   | agencies via interviews and       |
| 150,000]{.underline}              | on-site visits to support         |
|                                   | development of case studies.      |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| In-Kind Support or Other Funding  |                                   |
| (Beyond SP&R):                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -FHWA and pooled fund             |                                   |
| participants technical support    |                                   |
| and project management in the     |                                   |
| development of the project        |                                   |
| proposal, scope and product       |                                   |
| development.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Schedule for Major      |                                   |
| Milestones:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -14 months                        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Benefits:                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Adoption of improved/new methods  |                                   |
| and technologies to improve the   |                                   |
| efficiency of enforcement         |                                   |
| practice and better understanding |                                   |
| of enforcement needs.             |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

**HOV Pooled-Fund Study 2006 Annual Meeting**

Project Proposal Form

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Project Title: Best Practices and Suggested Improvements for Project  |
| Number: 5                                                             |
|                                                                       |
| Self-Enforcement Programs                                             |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Statement of Problem:                                                 |
|                                                                       |
| Self-enforcement involves self-regulation by HOV lane users and       |
| motorists in the general-purpose lanes. Self-enforcement is usually   |
| used with other approaches, rather than as the only enforcement       |
| strategy. Seattle's HOV Lanes Education and Support (HERO) program    |
| provides the best example of a self-policing HOV enforcement effort.  |
|                                                                       |
| The HERO program began in Seattle, Washington. Signs and other        |
| communication techniques provide HOV users and non-users with a       |
| telephone number they can call to report HOV lane violators. The      |
| individuals anonymously report the sighting of a violator and give    |
| the license number, time of day, location, and any other supporting   |
| information to the HERO telephone operator. This approach has         |
| subsequently been used in other areas, including Houston, Texas and   |
| the Northern Virginia/Washington, D.C. region.                        |
|                                                                       |
| The Seattle's HERO program is the original and most successful of its |
| type. It is generally credited with helping to maintain public        |
| approval of HOV lanes. The program is notable in that the program     |
| tracks suspected violators and provides monthly reports of sighted    |
| violations along the HOV network to enforcement agencies. The         |
| enforcement agencies use these reports to identify problem areas,     |
| thus improving efficiency. Other programs, such as Virginia's, have   |
| failed because they were not perceived as credible.                   |
|                                                                       |
| No research has been conducted to quantify the contribution of        |
| Seattle's HERO program to overall enforcement effectiveness. Such an  |
| analysis could encourage the growth of these programs, if the         |
| benefits to enforcement (lower violation rates, increased fine        |
| revenues) can be demonstrated. A better understanding of Seattle's    |
| HERO program and its associated benefits to enforcement could assist  |
| other regions in implementing their own programs. Effective           |
| self-enforcement has the potential to improve enforcement efficiency, |
| and the benefit of greater public support could be particularly       |
| important to value pricing projects.                                  |
|                                                                       |
| Potential improvements could also be investigated and implemented to  |
| the Seattle's HERO program, such as:                                  |
|                                                                       |
| -   More frequent updates (weekly, biweekly) of sighted violation     |
|     summaries                                                         |
|                                                                       |
| -   Public feedback -- information can be provided on the number of   |
|     sighted violators who have been subsequently apprehended (e.g.,   |
|     "Police have ticketed 30 percent of those you have reported")     |
|                                                                       |
| -   Better tracking of persistent violators ("most wanted").          |
|     Seattle's program targets problem areas, but what about           |
|     individual problem drivers?                                       |
|                                                                       |
| The objectives of this project are to: (1) identify best practices of |
| HOV self-enforcement programs; (2) quantify and address the benefits  |
| of such programs; and (3) suggest possible improvements to the        |
| programs.                                                             |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Approach:               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The suggested approach to the     |                                   |
| project include:                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Review and synthesis relevant |                                   |
|     literature and practices      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Perform case studies on       |                                   |
|     successful self-enforcement   |                                   |
|     programs                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Discuss lessons learned for   |                                   |
|     being successful in HERO and  |                                   |
|     other similar programs        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Develop quantitative          |                                   |
|     measures, identify required   |                                   |
|     data, and perform a           |                                   |
|     cost/benefit analysis.        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identify and discuss possible |                                   |
|     benefits of the               |                                   |
|     self-enforcement programs.    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Develop recommended "best     |                                   |
|     practices"                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identify possible             |                                   |
|     improvements to the programs  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Document study findings in a  |                                   |
|     research report               |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Products:                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A Research Report             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Outreach Material             |                                   |
|     (Presentation, Brochure, and  |                                   |
|     Fact Sheet)                   |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| End Users (Product Customer):     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Representative state DOTs,    |                                   |
|     Metropolitan Planning         |                                   |
|     Organizations, transit        |                                   |
|     agencies, enforcement         |                                   |
|     agencies and others having a  |                                   |
|     role in the planning,         |                                   |
|     management, operation,        |                                   |
|     enforcement of HOV            |                                   |
|     facilities.                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| \- Supervisors, technical staff   |                                   |
| (planners and operators), and     |                                   |
| public safety and enforcement     |                                   |
| agencies involved in the          |                                   |
| planning, development, and        |                                   |
| implementation of HOV enforcement |                                   |
| policies and programs.            |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Training, Outreach, and           |                                   |
| Distribution Plan:                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Outreach and awareness as to the |                                   |
| availability of the product       |                                   |
| through professional              |                                   |
| organizations.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Publicized through FHWA          |                                   |
| Divisions, Resource Centers and   |                                   |
| related program activities.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -The products will be available   |                                   |
| via the Internet.                 |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Rough Order of Magnitude Cost:    | Comments:                         |
|                                   |                                   |
| Person Hours:                     | -Direct costs include limited     |
|                                   | funding to accommodate any        |
| Labor Cost: [\$]{.underline}      | interaction and review of         |
|                                   | practitioners on the development  |
| Direct Costs: [\$]{.underline}    | of this product and to obtain any |
|                                   | available information from        |
| Total Cost: [\$                   | agencies via interviews and       |
| 100,000]{.underline}              | on-site visits to support         |
|                                   | development of case studies.      |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| In-Kind Support or Other Funding  |                                   |
| (Beyond SP&R):                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -FHWA and pooled fund             |                                   |
| participants technical support    |                                   |
| and project management in the     |                                   |
| development of the project        |                                   |
| proposal, scope and product       |                                   |
| development.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Schedule for Major      |                                   |
| Milestones:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -12 months                        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Benefits:                         |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

**HOV Pooled-Fund Study 2006 Annual Meeting**

Project Proposal Form

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Project Title: Human Factors in   |                                   |
| HOV and HOT-Lane Design and       |                                   |
| Safety Project Number: 6          |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Statement of Problem:             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Many HOT and HOV facilities are   |                                   |
| characterized by complex driving  |                                   |
| environments that require         |                                   |
| motorists to quickly process      |                                   |
| information. The decision-making  |                                   |
| process to use an HOV facility    |                                   |
| may involve consideration of      |                                   |
| hours of operation, vehicle       |                                   |
| eligibility, and occupancy        |                                   |
| requirements. HOT-lane            |                                   |
| utilization can include           |                                   |
| additional considerations related |                                   |
| to price, transponder placement,  |                                   |
| lane selection (depending on      |                                   |
| vehicle occupancy), and other     |                                   |
| issues. Decisions and actions     |                                   |
| associated with these             |                                   |
| considerations often depend on    |                                   |
| facility signage and design and   |                                   |
| may be performed while traveling  |                                   |
| at a high rate of speed or        |                                   |
| changing lanes. Given the         |                                   |
| relative complexity of driving on |                                   |
| HOV and HOT facilities and the    |                                   |
| potential for driver confusion    |                                   |
| and distraction, clear signage,   |                                   |
| enforcement setups and facility   |                                   |
| designs are essential.            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Optimization of HOV and           |                                   |
| HOT-facility designs and          |                                   |
| operations reduces human errors   |                                   |
| and enhances safety. Interactive  |                                   |
| driving simulators can provide a  |                                   |
| useful tool for studying and      |                                   |
| improving facility design and     |                                   |
| operations based on human         |                                   |
| reactions. This technology can be |                                   |
| programmed to replicate existing  |                                   |
| or potential driving environments |                                   |
| to determine the safest and most  |                                   |
| effective characteristics and     |                                   |
| practices. Considerable potential |                                   |
| exists to leverage human factors  |                                   |
| research and driving simulator    |                                   |
| technology to advance safety of   |                                   |
| preferential facilities.          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This project would explore        |                                   |
| opportunities to leverage human   |                                   |
| factors research and driving      |                                   |
| simulator technology to advance   |                                   |
| HOV and HOT-lane design and       |                                   |
| safety.                           |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Approach:               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The following is an initial list  |                                   |
| of issues and topics that have    |                                   |
| been identified to be considered  |                                   |
| and addressed in this project.    |                                   |
| Issues to be addressed include,   |                                   |
| but will not be limited to:       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Literature Review and Summary |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ```{=html}                        |                                   |
| <!-- -->                          |                                   |
| ```                               |                                   |
| -   A literature review related   |                                   |
|     to the policies and           |                                   |
|     guidelines of HOV and HOT     |                                   |
|     lane design, safety, and      |                                   |
|     operations.                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A review of relevant human    |                                   |
|     factors literature relating   |                                   |
|     to the effects of HOV/HOT     |                                   |
|     design and operations on      |                                   |
|     drivers.                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Summary of the current state  |                                   |
|     of the practice with the      |                                   |
|     literature review findings.   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ```{=html}                        |                                   |
| <!-- -->                          |                                   |
| ```                               |                                   |
| -   Human Factors Studies         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ```{=html}                        |                                   |
| <!-- -->                          |                                   |
| ```                               |                                   |
| -   Description of the purpose,   |                                   |
|     background, structure and     |                                   |
|     format of the study and       |                                   |
|     experiment design             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Discussion of the sampling    |                                   |
|     and data collection           |                                   |
|     procedures and methods        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Human factors studies using   |                                   |
|     driver simulators to          |                                   |
|     determine the effects of      |                                   |
|     HOV/HOT design and operations |                                   |
|     factors on drivers and        |                                   |
|     facility safety and           |                                   |
|     performance.                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Discussion of the analytical  |                                   |
|     methodologies and tools       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Description and discussion of |                                   |
|     the results and findings      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ```{=html}                        |                                   |
| <!-- -->                          |                                   |
| ```                               |                                   |
| -   Preliminary guidelines for    |                                   |
|     HOV/HOT lane design and       |                                   |
|     operation                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ```{=html}                        |                                   |
| <!-- -->                          |                                   |
| ```                               |                                   |
| -   Identification of recommended |                                   |
|     HOV/HOT design guidelines     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identification of recommended |                                   |
|     HOV/HOT operations            |                                   |
|     guidelines.                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ```{=html}                        |                                   |
| <!-- -->                          |                                   |
| ```                               |                                   |
| -   Recommended changes on        |                                   |
|     existing sections and         |                                   |
|     development of new sections   |                                   |
|     for the MUTCD (incorporating  |                                   |
|     the findings of this study)   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ```{=html}                        |                                   |
| <!-- -->                          |                                   |
| ```                               |                                   |
| -   A summary of the research     |                                   |
|     findings and suggested        |                                   |
|     changes to existing sections  |                                   |
|     and new sections for the      |                                   |
|     MUTCD.                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ```{=html}                        |                                   |
| <!-- -->                          |                                   |
| ```                               |                                   |
| -   Recommendations for Further   |                                   |
|     Research                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ```{=html}                        |                                   |
| <!-- -->                          |                                   |
| ```                               |                                   |
| -   A summary of major findings   |                                   |
|     and conclusions of the        |                                   |
|     research in terms of          |                                   |
|     preliminary guidance based on |                                   |
|     findings from literature and  |                                   |
|     research;                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A listing of recommendations  |                                   |
|     for further research,         |                                   |
|     development, or testing with  |                                   |
|     regard to HOV/HOT design and  |                                   |
|     operations;                   |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Products:                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A Research Report             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A White Paper                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Outreach Material             |                                   |
|     (Presentation, Brochure, and  |                                   |
|     Fact Sheet)                   |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| End Users (Product Customer):     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Representative state DOTs and |                                   |
|     others having a role in the   |                                   |
|     planning, development,        |                                   |
|     design, operation and         |                                   |
|     performance monitoring of HOV |                                   |
|     and HOT facilities.           |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Training, Outreach, and           |                                   |
| Distribution Plan:                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Outreach and awareness as to the |                                   |
| availability of the product       |                                   |
| through professional              |                                   |
| organizations.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Publicized through FHWA          |                                   |
| Divisions, Resource Centers and   |                                   |
| related program activities.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -The products will be available   |                                   |
| via the Internet.                 |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Rough Order of Magnitude Cost:    | Comments:                         |
|                                   |                                   |
| Person Hours:                     | -Direct costs include limited     |
|                                   | funding to accommodate any        |
| Labor Cost: [\$]{.underline}      | interaction and review of         |
|                                   | practitioners on the development  |
| Direct Costs: [\$]{.underline}    | of this product and to obtain any |
|                                   | available information from        |
| Total Cost: [\$                   | agencies via interviews and       |
| 250,000]{.underline}              | on-site visits to support         |
|                                   | development of case studies.      |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| In-Kind Support or Other Funding  |                                   |
| (Beyond SP&R):                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -FHWA and pooled fund             |                                   |
| participants technical support    |                                   |
| and project management in the     |                                   |
| development of the project        |                                   |
| proposal, scope and product       |                                   |
| development.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Schedule for Major      |                                   |
| Milestones:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -24 months                        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Benefits:                         |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

**HOV Pooled-Fund Study 2006 Annual Meeting**

Project Proposal Form

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Project Title: Improved Crash     |                                   |
| Reporting and Analysis Techniques |                                   |
| Project Number: 7                 |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Statement of Problem:             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Traffic safety problems can be    |                                   |
| identified and evaluated in an    |                                   |
| accurate and timely manner only   |                                   |
| through the systematic collection |                                   |
| and maintenance of crash data.    |                                   |
| The value of HOV or HOT-lane      |                                   |
| crash data can be compromised by  |                                   |
| deficient data collection,        |                                   |
| reporting and analysis            |                                   |
| techniques. Crash reports         |                                   |
| prepared by law enforcement       |                                   |
| personnel constitute the          |                                   |
| principal source of information   |                                   |
| used to populate crash databases. |                                   |
| Each state has its own report     |                                   |
| form, which is completed by       |                                   |
| filling in blanks or multiple     |                                   |
| choice bubbles, and preparing     |                                   |
| diagrams and comments that        |                                   |
| describe crash characteristics.   |                                   |
| The lack of a checkbox, bubble or |                                   |
| other crash report indicator      |                                   |
| denoting that a crash was related |                                   |
| to a preferential facility        |                                   |
| obliges analysts to use more      |                                   |
| tedious methods of identifying    |                                   |
| and retrieving HOV and HOT crash  |                                   |
| records. These typically involve  |                                   |
| inputting milepost values and     |                                   |
| information on the number of      |                                   |
| lanes in the segment of freeway   |                                   |
| where each facility is located.   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| A simpler means of distinguishing |                                   |
| HOV and HOT-related collisions on |                                   |
| crash reports would facilitate    |                                   |
| the identification and analysis   |                                   |
| of these collisions.              |                                   |
| Electronically archiving this     |                                   |
| information would enable          |                                   |
| pertinent crash records to be     |                                   |
| quickly filtered, sorted and      |                                   |
| shared with other jurisdictions   |                                   |
| for more meaningful safety        |                                   |
| analysis.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| In addition to developing and     |                                   |
| disseminating improved means of   |                                   |
| identifying HOV and HOT-lane      |                                   |
| collisions, opportunities exist   |                                   |
| to incorporate more valuable      |                                   |
| safety information into crash     |                                   |
| reports. For example, crash       |                                   |
| databases often lack sufficient   |                                   |
| detail on the geometrics of       |                                   |
| facilities to enable proper       |                                   |
| safety analysis. Methods for      |                                   |
| improving communication and       |                                   |
| coordination between personnel    |                                   |
| that analyze crash information    |                                   |
| and those that collect it would   |                                   |
| enable HOV and HOT safety data to |                                   |
| be used more productively.        |                                   |
| Finally, there is a need to       |                                   |
| examine ways of enhancing the     |                                   |
| consistency of crash-data         |                                   |
| analysis procedures. Crashes      |                                   |
| occurring on general-purpose      |                                   |
| lanes are sometimes directly      |                                   |
| related to adjacent preferential  |                                   |
| facilities. Development of        |                                   |
| standardized procedures for the   |                                   |
| identification and analysis of    |                                   |
| these collisions would provide a  |                                   |
| more accurate view of the safety  |                                   |
| of these facilities.              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The objectives of this project    |                                   |
| are to: (1) identify and          |                                   |
| synthesize best practices in the  |                                   |
| collection and analysis of HOV    |                                   |
| and HOT crash data and (2)        |                                   |
| develop standardized procedures   |                                   |
| for collecting, archiving,        |                                   |
| reporting and analyzing crash     |                                   |
| data related to preferential      |                                   |
| facilities.                       |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Approach:               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The suggested approach to the     |                                   |
| project include:                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Review and synthesis relevant |                                   |
|     literature and practices      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identify and discuss factors  |                                   |
|     and issues to be considered   |                                   |
|     in the processes of           |                                   |
|     collecting, reporting and     |                                   |
|     analyzing HOV and HOT related |                                   |
|     crash data.                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identify methods, techniques, |                                   |
|     and tools on collecting HOV   |                                   |
|     and HOT related crash data.   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identify methods, techniques, |                                   |
|     and tools on archiving and    |                                   |
|     reporting HOV and HOT related |                                   |
|     crash data.                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identify methods, techniques, |                                   |
|     and tools to use and assist   |                                   |
|     in analyzing HOV and HOT      |                                   |
|     related crash data.           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Identify "best practices" on  |                                   |
|     collecting, archiving,        |                                   |
|     reporting and analyzing HOV   |                                   |
|     and HOT related crash data.   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Develop standardized          |                                   |
|     procedures for collecting,    |                                   |
|     archiving, reporting and      |                                   |
|     analyzing HOV and HOT related |                                   |
|     crash data.                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Develop a technical report    |                                   |
|     documenting project results   |                                   |
|     and findings.                 |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Products:                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   A Technical Report            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Outreach Material             |                                   |
|     (Presentation, Brochure, and  |                                   |
|     Fact Sheet)                   |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| End Users (Product Customer):     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -   Representative state DOTs,    |                                   |
|     Metropolitan Planning         |                                   |
|     Organizations, transit        |                                   |
|     agencies, enforcement         |                                   |
|     agencies and others having a  |                                   |
|     role in the planning, design, |                                   |
|     development, management,      |                                   |
|     operation, and performance    |                                   |
|     monitoring of HOV and HOT     |                                   |
|     facilities.                   |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Training, Outreach, and           |                                   |
| Distribution Plan:                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Outreach and awareness as to the |                                   |
| availability of the product       |                                   |
| through professional              |                                   |
| organizations.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -Publicized through FHWA          |                                   |
| Divisions, Resource Centers and   |                                   |
| related program activities.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -The products will be available   |                                   |
| via the Internet.                 |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Rough Order of Magnitude Cost:    | Comments:                         |
|                                   |                                   |
| Person Hours:                     | -Direct costs include limited     |
|                                   | funding to accommodate any        |
| Labor Cost: [\$]{.underline}      | interaction and review of         |
|                                   | practitioners on the development  |
| Direct Costs: [\$]{.underline}    | of this product and to obtain any |
|                                   | available information from        |
| Total Cost: [\$                   | agencies via interviews and       |
| 125,000]{.underline}              | on-site visits to support         |
|                                   | development of case studies.      |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   | -Support initial distribution of  |
|                                   | limited number of copies to each  |
|                                   | State DOT.                        |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| In-Kind Support or Other Funding  |                                   |
| (Beyond SP&R):                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -FHWA and pooled fund             |                                   |
| participants technical support    |                                   |
| and project management in the     |                                   |
| development of the project        |                                   |
| proposal, scope and product       |                                   |
| development.                      |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Suggested Schedule for Major      |                                   |
| Milestones:                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| -14 months                        |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Benefits:                         |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+