Development of High-Occupancy Vehicle Facilities: Review of National Trends

High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes have existed for more than 30 years. As a congestion management strategy, HOV lanes have been widely applied in the United States to preserve mobility, maintain trip reliability, and improve the person-moving capability within a corridor or metropolitan area. Although there are many examples of successful HOV lanes that carry large numbers of commuters and buses, criticism has been levied toward HOV lanes in some metropolitan areas. A lack of information and data about the benefits of HOV lanes, the nationwide trend toward less carpool use, and the closure of two projects in New Jersey in 1998 have resulted in reassessment of the purpose, role, and benefits of HOV lanes by some metropolitan areas and agencies. This has led some to postulate that the HOV lane concept may no longer be viable. In response to these perceptions, available data are reviewed and some perspectives are provided on the recent past and possible future of HOV lanes, particularly the treatments applied on urban freeways that represent the majority of such applications. A summary of recent experiences, growth, type, and changes that have occurred with HOV lane operational policies is presented. Many of these trends have been influenced by federal legislation over the last 15 years, specifically the Clean Air Act and operational policies related to the development of HOV lanes as a congestion management strategy. Trends in future HOV lane development, based on the current roadway improvement plans of various states, are presented to provide a prospective for future policy and programming considerations.