Analysis of Reduction in Effective Capacities of High-Occupancy Vehicle Lanes Related to Traffic Behavior

Previous research efforts have quantified the capacity of non-barrier-separated, high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. However, the majority of these efforts have focused on HOV lanes that usually operate well below capacity. In contrast, the I-85 HOV lanes in Atlanta, Georgia, usually operate under constrained flow conditions during morning and afternoon peak periods. This provides an opportunity to assess the relative performance of the HOV lane to the adjacent general-purpose (GP) lanes, which also undergo constrained flow conditions. This paper considers the relationship between the performance of the HOV and GP lanes by examining speed differential effects as a function of congestion on GP lanes. The research provides evidence of a sympathetic reduction in vehicle speeds in the HOV lane. This is likely explained by the safety concerns of the HOV drivers associated with the potential for vehicles using the congested GP lanes to enter the HOV lane, as well as the safety concerns of HOV drivers looking for an acceptable gap to merge into the GP lanes to access a downstream exit ramp.