Influence of barrier separated HOV lane access locations on Houston HOV lane utilization

High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes are employed in many cities as a traffic\ncongestion mitigation technique. These lanes are intended to provide a travel time\nbenefit to carpools and buses, thus providing an incentive to form carpools or take\ntransit. The time and frustration involved in finding and using HOV lane access points\nmay act as a deterrent to HOV lane use. Thus, proper planning of HOV lane access may\nbe able to improve convenience for potential users, increasing HOV lane utilization.\nBy optimizing HOV lane volumes, high levels of service and trip reliability are\nensured for those who carpool. Congestion is also reduced on General Purpose Lanes\n(GPLs) due to the diverted traffic. Public approval is tied to HOV lane utilization, which\nmay be affected by access. Thus, HOV lane success may be determined in part by\naccessibility.\nThis research investigated the possible relationship between the time required to\naccess the HOV lane and travelers' choice of HOV lane as their mode. Additionally, the\ndistance to HOV lane access points and the type of access point used were examined for\ntheir influence on HOV lane use rates. It was concluded that neither the type of HOV\nlane access point, nor the added time necessary to access the HOV lane were significant\nfactors in HOV lane use rates. Instead, the convenience of carpool formation and the\nconvenience of HOV lane access to traveler's origins and destinations were found to be\nthe most important factors in HOV lane use rates. Specifically, the HOV lane use rate for the area 5 to 7 miles from the nearest HOV lane exit, which includes Downtown\nHouston, was much higher than the use rates for any other area.