RAMP METER BYPASS FOR CARPOOLS

Beginning on November 18, 1975, carpools of three or more people were permitted to avoid queues at two metered ramps in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota by using the Grant Street express bus bypass ramp. This incentive amounted to a maximum savings of about 90 seconds and was not sufficient to induce formation of a significant number of new carpools. About 19% of the 86 autos using the bypass ramp each day were not carpools. Changes in violation rates at other ramps in the I-35W corridor could not be attributed to the preferential treatment operation. A market analysis shows 45% of the auto users were already in carpools of two or more people, 37% of all route users were in buses and only 32% of all route users were alone in autos. A survey of the auto users shows favorable sentiment towards preferential treatment for express buses, vanpools and carpools of three or more persons. However, there is also sentiment against carpool preference, even amongst "car-poolers. /Author/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Sponsored by DOT, Federal Highway Administration.
• Corporate Authors:

  Minnesota Department of Highways

  408 Highway Building
  St Paul, MN  United States  55155
• Authors:
  • Benke, R J
• Publication Date: 1976-10

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: 42 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus transportation; Bypasses; Carpools; Central business districts; Express buses; Queuing; Ramp metering; Routes; Vanpools; Vehicle occupancy
• Old TRIS Terms: Reserved routes
• Subject Areas: Highways; Motor Carriers; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00167580
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA-RD-76-189 Final Rpt., FCP Project 2-D
• Contract Numbers: DOT-FH-11-8565
• Files: TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Feb 16 1978 12:00AM