FHWA Policy and Guidance

1

• FHWA Policy and Guidance

Jessie Yung, P.E. FHWA Office of Operations June
13, 2007
2
HOT Lanes Prior SAFETEA-LU

• Value Pricing Pilot Program
• I-15 HOT Lanes, San Diego, CA
• Katy I-10/US 290, Houston, TX
• I-394 MnPASS, Minneapolis, MN

3
SAFETEA-LU

• Section 1121 HOV Facilities
• Codified at 23 U.S.C. 166
• More options and flexibility to manage HOV
  facilities

4
23 U.S.C. 166

• Congress created three new HOV exceptions
• public transportation vehicles
• low emission and energy-efficient vehicles and
• high occupancy toll (HOT) vehicles.
• HOT lanes may be established on both Interstate
  and non-Interstate facilities.
• States have options to toll all vehicles, with
  some exceptions

5
23 U.S.C. 166 (4) Requirements

• Certifications (Initial and Annual)
• Establish programs addressing how operators of
  HOT vehicles can enroll and participate in the
  toll program
• Develop, manage, and maintain a system that will
  automatically collect the toll and
• Establish policies and procedures to manage the
  demand of the facility by varying the toll amount
  and enforcing violations.
• Execute a toll agreement between the FHWA and
  State DOTs and operating agencies. (Use of
  revenue)

6
Performance Requirements

• Maintain at a minimum average operating speed 90
  of the time over a consecutive 180-day period
  during morning or evening weekday peak hour
  periods.
• A minimum average operating speed is
• 45 mph for an HOV facility with a speed limit of
  50 mph or greater, and
• not more than 10 mph below the speed limit for a
  facility with a speed limit of less than 50 mph.
  

7
Degraded HOT Facilities

• States must limit or discontinue the use of the
  facility by HOT vehicles to bring the facility
  back to compliance.

8
HOT Lanes Projects Under 23 U.S.C. 166

• I-25 Express Lanes, Denver, CO (2006)
• I-15 Express Lanes, Salt Lake City, UT (2006)
• SR 167 HOT Lanes, Seattle, WA (2008)

9
Resources

• Current program guidance (2001) is available at
  the FHWA Freeway Management Program web site at
  http//www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freewaymgmt/hov.htm
• Guidance issued prior to SAFETEA-LU
• Revised HOV Program Guidance coming soon
• FTA Final Policy

10

• For more information
• Jessie.Yung_at_dot.gov
• 202-366-4672
• GregM.Jones_at_fhwa.dot.gov
• 404-562-3906