ROLE OF HIGH-OCCUPANCY-VEHICLE LANES IN HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) is constructing I-394 along the portion of US-12 that extends from downtown Minneapolis to the suburb of Wayzata. When comleted, I-394 will have high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lanes. Mn/DOT built a temporary HOV lane along US-12 before constructing I-394 to introduce the HOV lane concept to commuters and to improve capacity during construction. Mn/DOT and the FHWA have been conducting an evaluation of this temporary HOV lane. Phase I evaluated operation in an arterial highway environment before construction. Phase II evaluated operation and use of the HOV lane during highway construction. Five key issues were addressed in the Phase II evaluation: (a) what can be learned about the design and operation of HOV lanes, (b) who uses HOV lanes and what factors cause people to choose carpooling or the bus over driving alone, (c) how has construction affected use of the HOV lane, (d) what was the role of the HOV lane in construction traffic management, and (e) how has the HOV lane affected highway construction? Key findings are summarized regarding these questions and advantageous circumstances under which the use of HOV lanes during construction are identified.