MOVABLE CONCRETE BARRIER APPROACH TO THE DESIGN AND OPERATION OF A CONTRAFLOW HOV LANE

A 5-mi-long contraflow lane is being constructed on East R.L. Thornton Freeway (IH-30) in Dallas, Texas. This is a joint project of the Texas Highway Department and Dallas Area Rapid Transit. The lane will provide high-occupancy vehicles (HOVs) a travel time savings of up to 10 min compared with traffic operating in the congested mainlanes. This priority treatment project is unique because it uses a movable concrete barrier system in the design and operation of the contraflow lane. The movable barrier system, which consists of a barrier transfer vehicle and a continuous concrete barrier, will provide greater safety by physically separating HOVs from the opposing traffic in the general-purpose lanes. Although contraflow lanes have traditonally been restricted to buses and authorized vanpools for safety reasons, this relatively new technology will permit carpools to safely use the lane as well. The decision to use the movable barrier system instead of pylons to designate the priority lane essentially doubled the capital and operating costs of the project; however, the carpool demand also doubled the number of passenger-hours of travel time saved. The greater safety, attraction of carpools, greater perception of utilization, and ability to move more people in the peak period made the barrier system an attractive demonstration project. This paper discusses design and operational issues associated with using the movable barrier system for a contraflow HOV lane. Elements requiring special attention were the access locations design, barrier end treatment, equipment storage and maintenance, set-up and take-down techniques, and enforcement procedures.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1991/1299/1299-005.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=MOVABLE+CONCRETE+BARRIER+APPROACH+TO+THE+DESIGN+AND+OPERATION+OF+A+CONTRAFLOW+HOV+LANE&author=C.+Poe&publication_year=1991
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309051061
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1299, HOV Facilities and Transportation Systems Management 1991. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved
• Authors:
  • Poe, Christopher M
• Publication Date: 1991

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: p. 40-54
• Monograph Title: HOV facilities and transportation systems management, 1991
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1299
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Barriers (Roads); Carpools; Contraflow lanes; Cost effectiveness; Design; Guardrails; Guideways; High occupancy vehicle lanes; High occupancy vehicles; Maintenance practices; Savings; Temporary barriers; Traffic lanes; Traffic law enforcement; Traffic safety; Travel time
• Uncontrolled Terms: End treatments; Operation and maintenance
• Geographic Terms: Dallas (Texas)
• Old TRIS Terms: Reserved lanes
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Terminals and Facilities; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00615765
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309051061
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Sep 30 1991 12:00AM