UPDATE ON NATIONAL HOV DEVELOPMENTS. FOURTH NATIONAL HIGH-OCCUPANCY VEHICLE (HOV) FACILITIES CONFERENCE, CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS, WASHINGTON, D.C., APRIL 10-12, 1990

This conference presentation provides an update on High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) activities in North America. The number of HOV facilities in operation has increased significantly since the opening of the first HOV facility in the country, the Shirley Highway exclusive bus lane demonstration project, in 1969. Currently, there are 40 HOV projects in operation on either separate rights-of-way or within freeway rights-of-way in 20 metropolitan areas in North America. In addition, there are many more applications of HOV projects on arterial streets, bus-only lanes in downtown areas, and HOV bypasses at freeway ramp meters. Following a discussion of the different types of HOV facilities--exclusive HOV facilities on separate rights-of-way, exclusive HOV lanes within freeway rights-of-way, concurrent flow lanes, and contraflow lanes--and their operating characteristics, details are provided on five new HOV facilities that have opened in the last 1 1/2 years. These new HOV projects are: San Diego, I-15; Orange County, I-405; Pittsburgh, I-279; Hartford, I-94; and Seattle, I-90.