Evaluation Framework for High-Occupancy-Toll Lanes

A high-occupancy/toll (HOT) lane is an increasingly popular form of traffic management which reserves a set of freeway lanes for HOVs and transit users, while allowing low-occupancy vehicles (LOV) to enter for a fee. In turn HOT lanes must maintain a minimal level of service which is accomplished by regulating the volume of entering LOVs. Modeling the choice process which dictates the volume of LOVs that choose to pay and take the HOT lane is integral in the toll setting process, and the focus of this paper. Two simple formulations (an all-or-nothing assignment and an additive logit model) are compared with a formulation based on the population VOT distribution which is shown to be superior through numerical analysis. Both static and dynamic toll setting algorithms are developed based on the proposed lane choice model, and their performance is compared (under deterministic traffic behavior) in regards to the performance of an HOT facility.