Operational Effect of Allowing Single Occupant Hybrid Vehicles into High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes

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Operational Effect of Allowing Single Occupant
Hybrid Vehicles into High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes
Chris Breiland Fehr Peers Associate Lianyu
Chu, Hamed Benouar California Center for
Innovative Transportation (CCIT) UC Berkeley
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Origins of Hybrid-HOV Laws
? Energy Use/Air Quality Issues ? Increased
Vehicle Miles Traveled ? Antipathy Toward HOV
Lanes ? Hybrid Hype
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Policy Specifics

• SAFETEA-LU Requirements
• States can allow energy efficient, clean air SOVs
  in HOV lanes
• No operational degradation

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Policy Specifics - California AB 2628

• Implemented prior to passage of SAFTEA-LU
• Different definition of HOV lane degradation
• Primarily density/LOS based versus speed based

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Methodology
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Study Scenarios

• Baseline Existing Conditions
• Scenario 1 Existing Hybrid Population
• Scenario 2 50,000 Hybrid Checkpoint
• Scenario 3 75,000 Hybrid Maximum
• Scenario 4 Eight Percent Hybrid Share
• Scenario 5 Nineteen Percent Hybrid Share

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Study Location

• Irvine, CA
• Highly Detectorized
• Fairly Busy
• Variety of HOV Lane Geometries

Source Google Maps
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Paramics Simulation Model
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Paramics Simulation Model
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Model Calibration / Validation
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Performance Measures

• Based on California Law and Virginia HOV Task
  Force Report
• HCM 2000 Level of Service based on density
• Change in HOV lane travel time
• HOV lane flow rates

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Results
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Results
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Conclusions

• No significant degradation of HOV lane operations
  in study area
• Flows on SB I-5 in Santa Ana reached 1515 vph
• Results do not preclude degradation on other
  facilities in the state or country

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Policy Implications

• Policy may be implemented without widespread HOV
  lane degradation
• Hybrid sales strong
• Take away problem
• Virginia law set to expire on July 1, 2006
• Phase in toll lanes
• Better use of HOV lanes
• HOT lane
• Priority-based HOV operation

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Questions?