FEASIBILITY OF EXCLUSIVE FACILITIES FOR CARS AND TRUCKS. FINAL REPORT

This report describes an analysis format to determine the economic feasibility of separating light vehicles from heavy vehicles on a given section of controlled-access highway by designating existing lanes and/or constructing new lanes to be used exclusively by light or heavy vehicles. Based on user inputs describing characteristics of a highway, a computer program calculates the net present values and benefit/cost ratios of alternative exclusive vehicle facility designs. The analysis program can be run in either of two modes called Level 1 and Level 2. Level 1 provides a sketch evaluation of many alternatives for a given highway section with few user inputs, and Level 2 is used to conduct more thorough evaluations of particular alternatives. Based on test analyses, exclusive vehicle facilities appear to be most warranted for congested highways where truck volumes exceed 30% of the vehicle mix. Assuming moderate traffic growth over an analysis period of at least 20 years, adding exclusive lanes for light vehicles via highway widening can have a greater net present value than designating existing lanes for light vehicles or adding mixed-vehicle lanes. However, designating one or two existing lanes of a highway with three or more lanes in each direction exclusively for light vehicles can be a very beneficial low-cost strategy. The analysis format is intended for site specific analyses and not for regional or national network analyses. The scope of the study did not include developing nationwide estimates of exclusive vehicle facility lane miles that might be justified in the decades ahead.

• Corporate Authors:

  Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  Center for Transportation Analysis, P.O. Box 2008
  Oak Ridge, TN  United States  37831

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Janson, B N
  • Rathi, A
• Publication Date: 1990-4

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 116 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Benefit cost analysis; Computer programs; Economic analysis; Feasibility analysis; Freeways; Heavy vehicles; High occupancy vehicle lanes; Light vehicles; Pavement widening; Present value; Right of way (Traffic); Vehicle mix
• Uncontrolled Terms: Traffic segregation
• Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00603673
• Record Type: Publication
• Contract Numbers: DTFH61-89-Y-00018
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Feb 28 1991 12:00AM