Analytical Tool for Evaluating Adaptation of a High-Occupancy Vehicle Lane to a High-Occupancy Toll Lane

Abstract

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) sponsored research to develop a decision support tool to aid in evaluating key issues related to adapting a high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane to a high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane. The tool includes three broad categories of factors to consider: facility considerations, performance considerations, and institutional considerations. Facility considerations, such as design, operations, and enforcement, which have been shown to be critical factors, can present insurmountable obstacles to the implementation of HOT lanes. Performance considerations and goals allow the user to estimate the likely levels of usage and person movement, factors that always bear significantly on HOT lane development decisions. Institutional considerations are also addressed, as factors of interagency cooperation and legal limitations are historically important for HOV lane and HOT lane decisions. Finally, the research incorporates simple trade-off tools to allow TxDOT and local entities to assemble all relevant factors into an analysis to aid decision makers in evaluating the available options. The analysis tool was developed in Visual Basic.net. The program is called the High-Occupancy Toll STrategic Analysis Rating Tool (HOT START), and it is designed to be tailored easily to local needs. An application of the tool to the I-10 (Katy Freeway) in Houston is also provided. Many state departments of transportation are facing the difficult task of performing assessments of potentially adapting HOV lanes to HOT lanes, and this paper describes a practical tool that can assist such analysis.