Project Ideas for 2005 HOV PFS Annual Selection

April 4, 2005

**[List of Project Ideas:]{.underline}**

1.  Guidelines for Developing Regional HOV System Programs and
    Multi-Year Strategic Plans

2.  Corridor and HOV Facility Planning Handbook

3.  Automated Vehicle Occupancy Enforcement

4.  Evaluation of Markings and Delineation for Concurrent Flow HOV Lanes

**[Project Statements:]{.underline}**

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| **Project No. 1**                                                     |
|                                                                       |
| **Title:** Guidelines for Developing Regional HOV System Program      |
| Plans and Multi-Year Strategic Plans                                  |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| > **Statement of Problem:**                                           |
|                                                                       |
| A number of states have HOV lanes and lane systems in various regions |
| and sub-regions, each exhibiting different objectives,                |
| characteristics and problems. Historically there has been little, if  |
| any, coordination and communication between differing regions and     |
| sub-regions, mostly due to their dissimilarities. One way of          |
| addressing improved coordination, sharing of best practices and       |
| consistency is development of a program or a plan that can address    |
| regional policy and practice. The development of a regional HOV       |
| system program plan and a multi-year strategic plan could deal with   |
| the following issues:                                                 |
|                                                                       |
| -   Sharing lessons learned from states/regions with developing       |
|     regional HOV programs and multi-year strategic plans              |
|                                                                       |
| -   Development of regional HOV programs and plans                    |
|                                                                       |
| -   Development of multi-year strategic plans                         |
|                                                                       |
| -   Outreach awareness and education to the public, media and elected |
|     officials                                                         |
|                                                                       |
| -   Information and data sharing                                      |
|                                                                       |
| -   HOV advocacy                                                      |
|                                                                       |
| -   Regulatory information                                            |
|                                                                       |
| -   Technical analysis                                                |
|                                                                       |
| -   Support facilities (i.e., Park and Ride lots, transit)            |
|                                                                       |
| -   Design standards                                                  |
|                                                                       |
| **Objective:**                                                        |
|                                                                       |
| The objective of this project would be to provide guidance to assist  |
| agencies and practitioners in developing HOV system programs and      |
| plans to improve coordination, cooperation, operations, and resources |
| and information sharing at a regional level.                          |
|                                                                       |
| Suggested Approach:                                                   |
|                                                                       |
| The following is an initial list of issues and topics that have been  |
| identified to be considered and provide direction to the technical    |
| reference be developed for this project to assist public agencies     |
| responsible for HOV operations in developing regional HOV programs,   |
| plans, and multi-year strategic plans:                                |
|                                                                       |
| -   Provide an overview of regional HOV systems programs and plans.   |
|                                                                       |
| -   Review and synthesize appropriate literature and practices        |
|     specific to multi-year program plans and strategic plans for      |
|     regional HOV systems.                                             |
|                                                                       |
| ```{=html}                                                            |
| <!-- -->                                                              |
| ```                                                                   |
| -   Review the literature and perform case studies on current         |
|     practices and successful stories on establishing regional HOV     |
|     programs into their agency' planning process.                     |
|                                                                       |
| -   Identify the process, data, analysis and tools, and level of      |
|     effort and support that should be involved in the development of  |
|     a regional HOV system program, plan, and multi-year strategic     |
|     plan.                                                             |
|                                                                       |
| -   Document performance measures, analysis tools, performance        |
|     monitoring and evaluation that should be performed to assess the  |
|     performance, effectiveness, and benefit of regional HOV systems   |
|     programs and multi-year strategic plans.                          |
|                                                                       |
| -   Identify the relationships between regional HOV program plans and |
|     other strategic plans, statewide plans, as well as corporate      |
|     plans.                                                            |
|                                                                       |
| -   Identify recommended organization structure and required          |
|     resources for regional HOV system programs.                       |
|                                                                       |
| -   Document recommended guidelines, procedures, protocol, and        |
|     techniques that agencies should consider in developing regional   |
|     HOV system programs and plans and multi-year strategic plans to   |
|     successfully integrate with agencies' other programs as well as   |
|     into overall corporate plans.                                     |
|                                                                       |
| -   Identify recommendations for further research and develop a       |
|     follow-on document that will provide a more hands-on,             |
|     step-by-step approach to regional HOV system planning.            |
|                                                                       |
| > **Products:**                                                       |
|                                                                       |
| -   Technical document                                                |
|                                                                       |
| -   Primer                                                            |
|                                                                       |
| -   Outreach material (presentation, fact sheet, brochure and         |
|     questions & answers)                                              |
|                                                                       |
| > **Intended Audience:**                                              |
|                                                                       |
| 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.  |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| **Project No. 2**                                                     |
|                                                                       |
| **Title:** Corridor and HOV Facility Planning Handbook                |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| > **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 projects at a corridor level and a |
| facility or project specific level. 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.                                                   |
|                                                                       |
| **Objective:**                                                        |
|                                                                       |
| 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       |
| projects at a corridor level and a facility or project specific       |
| level. 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    |
|     projects at a corridor level and at a facility or project         |
|     specific level.                                                   |
|                                                                       |
| -   Identify and discuss the process to plan HOV projects at a        |
|     corridor level. Discuss how this process relates to the planning  |
|     process for HOV projects/systems at a network/regional level.     |
|                                                                       |
| -   Identify and discuss the planning process at a facility or        |
|     project specific level. Discuss how this process relates to and   |
|     different from that at a corridor level and at a regional level.  |
|                                                                       |
| -   Identify methodologies and tools to use and assist in the         |
|     planning processes.                                               |
|                                                                       |
| -   Identify required analyses and 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 or system.                             |
|                                                                       |
| -   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)        |
|                                                                       |
| > **Intended Audience:**                                              |
| >                                                                     |
| > 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.                                                         |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| **Project No. 3**                                                     |
|                                                                       |
| **Title:** Automated Vehicle Occupancy Enforcement                    |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| > **Statement of Problem:**                                           |
|                                                                       |
| Efficiently operated High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes increase      |
| travel speed, reliability, and vehicle and person-carrying capacity   |
| of roadways in urban areas. However, the success of these facilities  |
| as a viable transportation strategy is dependent upon the enforcement |
| of occupancy regulations. Monitoring and enforcing regulations is     |
| difficult, expensive and potentially hazardous to officers because    |
| on-site presence is required. As more and more managed lanes emerge   |
| that cater to a wider array of users through pricing, enforcement is  |
| made more complicated in determining who is an HOV that receives free |
| or reduced pricing for travel within a varied traffic stream. For     |
| priced lanes, persistent violation problems can result in a           |
| significant amount of lost revenue.                                   |
|                                                                       |
| The principal impediment to more efficient HOV lane enforcement is    |
| vehicle occupancy verification. Electronic toll collection, license   |
| plate recognition and a myriad of other technologies have been        |
| developed and refined in recent decades to ensure the integrity of    |
| enhanced transportation systems. Several semi- and fully automated    |
| techniques for determining the number of persons in a moving vehicle  |
| have undergone limited field testing, including operator-monitored    |
| video cameras and infrared composite imaging. However, no automated   |
| solution has yet been developed for field implementation, and no      |
| system has been found foolproof enough to satisfy traffic courts      |
| involving in upholding citations issued. As a result, HOV facility    |
| operators have traditionally relied on field enforcement to manage    |
| occupancy violations.                                                 |
|                                                                       |
| Given widespread plans for development of HOV and HOT (High Occupancy |
| Toll) lanes in a number of metropolitan areas, improved vehicle       |
| occupancy verification techniques urgently need to be explored. The   |
| proposed research involves a first step toward identifying and        |
| implementing improved methods for automating occupancy monitoring,    |
| verification and enforcement. The work scope entails a review and     |
| systematic evaluation of the most successful vehicle occupancy        |
| verification methods and technologies under development and/or        |
| employed at HOV facilities in the United States and abroad. The       |
| effectiveness of these techniques will be assessed on the basis of    |
| safety, physical feasibility, impact on occupancy violations and HOV  |
| facility operations, cost and ease of implementation, privacy,        |
| reliability, and other criteria. The most promising candidates or     |
| combination of candidates will be selected for pilot testing and      |
| evaluation at one or more HOV facilities. The test location(s) would  |
| be determined by a research panel consisting of sponsoring agencies   |
| in conjunction with the research team and the respective HOV facility |
| operator and enforcement agency. The research will also explore how   |
| these techniques can be integrated with automated toll violation      |
| operations.                                                           |
|                                                                       |
| **Objective:**                                                        |
|                                                                       |
| The objective of this research is to identify and implement improved  |
| methods for automating occupancy monitoring, verification and         |
| enforcement. This research will review and systematically evaluate    |
| the most successful vehicle occupancy verification methods and        |
| technologies under development and/or employed at HOV facilities in   |
| the United States and abroad.                                         |
|                                                                       |
| Suggested Approach:                                                   |
|                                                                       |
| The suggested approach to the project include:                        |
|                                                                       |
| 1.  [Technology Review:]{.underline} With guidance from the           |
|     practitioners/HOV PFS members, review current demonstrations and  |
|     technologies, including strategies emerging from any parallel     |
|     research efforts.                                                 |
|                                                                       |
| ```{=html}                                                            |
| <!-- -->                                                              |
| ```                                                                   |
| 1.  [Criteria]{.underline}: Develop guidance and criteria for         |
|     improved occupancy verification, including testing of potential   |
|     pilot projects. Specific focus will be given to projects with     |
|     multiple user groups (some priced, some free) and complex roadway |
|     settings with dynamic restrictions by time of day and day of      |
|     week. Criteria will also consider the downstream end user,        |
|     including needs of the legal system and traffic courts. Various   |
|     promising technologies will be recommended for further            |
|     development.                                                      |
|                                                                       |
| 2.  [Pilot Testing]{.underline}: Identify potential candidate sites,  |
|     seek partnering relationships and develop protocols for testing   |
|     various promising technologies. Working with partner entities,    |
|     conduct pilot tests.                                              |
|                                                                       |
| 3.  [Analysis of Pilot Tests]{.underline}: Based on near term         |
|     findings from pilot tests, results will be analyzed and reviewed  |
|     by the practitioner/agency panel. These findings will be          |
|     ultimately synthesized to comprise an implementation guide.       |
|                                                                       |
| 4.  [Summary of Findings]{.underline}: Prepare summary report         |
|     outlining research findings and recommendations. Summary will     |
|     also outline further research needs and next steps to more        |
|     widespread implementation and adoption.                           |
|                                                                       |
| > **Products:**                                                       |
|                                                                       |
| -   Research Summary Report                                           |
|                                                                       |
| -   Outreach Material (Presentation and Fact Sheet)                   |
|                                                                       |
| > **Intended Audience:**                                              |
| >                                                                     |
| > Recipients would be representative state DOTs, transit agencies,    |
| > law enforcement agencies and others having a role in the planning,  |
| > development, operation and performance monitoring of HOV            |
| > facilities.                                                         |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| **Project No. 4**                                                     |
|                                                                       |
| **Title:** Evaluation of Markings and Delineation for Concurrent Flow |
| HOV Lanes                                                             |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| > **Statement of Problem:**                                           |
|                                                                       |
| Concurrent flow HOV lanes are the most common type of HOV lane        |
| design. Concurrent flow HOV Lanes may be listed as "buffer" and       |
| "no-buffer" separated. When HOV lanes are in operation on a part-time |
| basis, restricting access is seldom practiced because motorists can   |
| become confused when the lanes are eligible to be used by all         |
| traffic. Concurrent flow HOV lanes appear like general purpose lanes, |
| except where a different pavement marking or spacing may be used      |
| along with the corresponding signing, to indicate to motorists the    |
| part-time occupancy restriction requirement.                          |
|                                                                       |
| Buffer separated HOV lanes have a designated separation between the   |
| HOV and general purpose lanes. This facility type restricts access to |
| the HOV lane at designated locations where gaps in the buffer are     |
| marked and signed as ingress and egress points. As a result, buffer   |
| separated HOV lanes exist when occupancy restrictions are in place 24 |
| hours a day. The use of wide buffer separation was initially employed |
| on the El Monte Busway in 1976. The California DOT design standards   |
| require a four-feet wide buffer separating the HOV lane and the       |
| adjoining general purpose lanes.                                      |
|                                                                       |
| Typically, a no-buffer separated HOV lane is striped with a single    |
| broken white line or a single broken wide white line continuously     |
| with the general purpose lanes. A single solid wide white line can    |
| also be used where enter/exit movements are discouraged. For a buffer |
| separated HOV lane, a double solid white or yellow line is general    |
| used where crossing is prohibited.                                    |
|                                                                       |
| There have been very limited efforts to quantitatively measures and   |
| evaluate pros and cons of having the two different marking patterns.  |
| Why can one pattern be used regardless the hours of operation? Why    |
| can a full-time facility have continuous access? What are the         |
| accident rates with different types of marking patterns? Elimination  |
| of the buffer may save right-of-way, and having continuous access may |
| allow for more adequate weaving for vehicles exiting the HOV lane.    |
| However, would this increase HOV exposure to speed differentials and  |
| incidents in mainlines, increase weaving and merging movements due to |
| easier ingress/egress, and increase violation rates? What design and  |
| enforcement issues should be considered?                              |
|                                                                       |
| There is a wide variety of differences among states on how they each  |
| mark their concurrent flow HOV lanes. Research is needed to identify  |
| the pros and cons of the different types of marking patterns.         |
| Recommendations on how to improve markings on these facilities as     |
| well as identification of the best practice for uniform consistency   |
| are also needed.                                                      |
|                                                                       |
| **Objective:**                                                        |
|                                                                       |
| This research would address the impact of different marking patterns  |
| on HOV facility operations, safety, and enforcement. Field tests      |
| would be planned at location(s) that would be determined by the HOV   |
| PFS panel in conjunction with the research team and the respective    |
| HOV facility operator and enforcement agency. Operational and         |
| accident data would be reviewed, and quantitative measures would be   |
| developed to evaluate the pros and cons of different types of         |
| markings for HOV lanes. Finally recommendations on markings for       |
| concurrent flow HOV facilities would be made.                         |
|                                                                       |
| Suggested Approach:                                                   |
|                                                                       |
| The suggested approach to the project include:                        |
|                                                                       |
| -   Investigate agency standards and practice across the nation with  |
|     respect to markings and delineation for concurrent flow HOV lanes |
|                                                                       |
| -   Develop quantitative measures and evaluation methodology          |
|                                                                       |
| -   Field test and data collection                                    |
|                                                                       |
| -   Conduct analysis and evaluation                                   |
|                                                                       |
| -   Develop recommended "best practice"                               |
|                                                                       |
| -   Write up study findings and recommendations in a "White Paper"    |
|                                                                       |
| > **Products:**                                                       |
|                                                                       |
| -   A research report                                                 |
|                                                                       |
| -   A white paper identifying research needs to advance this subject  |
|     area                                                              |
|                                                                       |
| > **Intended Audience:**                                              |
| >                                                                     |
| > 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.                                                         |
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