Transcript TLRN Strategic Goals

Priority Lanes: Golden Mile Group
27January 2010
Final
Strategy Development, Surface Transport
The Mayor’s Vision for London
“London’s transport system
should excel among those of
global cities, providing access
to opportunities for all its people
and enterprises, achieving the
highest environmental
standards and leading the
world in its approach to tackling
urban transport challenges of
the 21st century”
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Contents
What are HOV/HGV Lanes?
Examples
Potential Benefits
Issues and Challenges
Enforcement
Factors of Success
Strategy Development, Surface Transport
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HOV and HGV lanes prioritise different types of vehicles
 High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes introduce the idea of designating a lane purely
for use of vehicles carrying multiple occupants. This would include buses and other
public transport services (e.g. Taxis) but also opens up the facilities for use by
carpools and other HOVs.
 ‘No-car’ or HGV lanes take the traditional bus lane one step further by opening up the
facilities to include taxis and HGVs. These allow all road users except for cars to
utilise the road space.
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The primary objective of HOV lanes are to increase the people moving capacity of
the road network
 In London the following objectives should be aligned with
the MTS:
 Provide HOVs with more reliable trip times
 Increase the movement of people
 Reduce the overall vehicular congestion and motorist
delay by encouraging greater HOV use through car
pooling
 Increase the overall efficiency of the system by allowing
HOVs to bypass congestion to using lanes designated for
their use
 Improve air quality by decreasing emissions
 Reduce vehicle trips and vehicle miles travelled through
the conversion of SOVs to HOVs and subsequently
reducing the number of vehicles on the road network.
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Contents
What are HOV/HGV Lanes?
Examples
Potential Benefits
Issues and Challenges
Enforcement
Factors of Success
Strategy Development, Surface Transport
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The appearance of the HOV lane will be dependant on the location and type of
road
The UK currently has 2 HOV lanes in operation (Leeds and Bristol).
The USA is a leader in the introduction and development of HOV lanes, these have all been
placed on major intercity routes.
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Contents
What are HOV/HGV Lanes?
Examples
Potential Benefits
Issues and Challenges
Enforcement
Factors of Success
Strategy Development, Surface Transport
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The main outcome of HOV lane operation is the conversion of SOV into HOVs,
thereby increasing the people moving capacity of the road
• The potential monetised benefits to the economy of HOV lane operation are:
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Journey time savings
Fuel savings
Vehicle operating cost saving
Decongestion benefits
Air Quality Improvements (reduction in CO2, NOX, PM10)
• The ability for any scheme to achieve the outcomes stated above will stem from the
detailed design and format of each scheme.
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The ability of a scheme to achieve the expected benefits will be in the design and
location of the scheme.
• Outcome Realisation
– The designation of a HOV lane with 4+ or 3+
would provide higher people moving benefits
than a 2+ lane, and would be likely to result in
more opportunities for mode shift as people
perceive greater journey time benefits.
– It is likely that the value of time benefits for
traffic would be negative due to the increased
congestion in the SOV/general traffic lane.
– Opportunities for mode shift increase with travel
time and distance.
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Contents
What are HOV/HGV Lanes?
Examples
Potential Benefits
Issues and Challenges
Enforcement
Factors of Success
Strategy Development, Surface Transport
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The implementation of HOV lanes could decrease road safety with particular
impacts on vulnerable road users
• In ‘take-a-lane schemes, accident rates tend to be
higher in the post implementation period due to the
congestion impact of the scheme. This is due to the
differentiation in speeds between the SOV and HOV
lanes
• Cyclists regard bus lanes as a relatively safe place to
travel, given the limited interaction with other traffic.
Allowing HOVs into the same lane will increase the
flow along its length and could erode this benefit.
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Traffic conditions do not show long term improvements
• Induced demand occurs through HOV lane schemes.
• In the UK schemes implemented experienced initial flow
reductions but these were erased by the end of year 1.
• Schemes in Leeds and Bristol have both displayed an
increase in vehicle occupancy. However, some data would
suggest that this is not as a result of more people car
sharing but rather people re-routing from other routes who
already car share in order to benefit from the HOV lane.
• Increased numbers of vehicles in existing bus lanes could
lead to a deterioration of bus journey times and bus
reliability.
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Environmental benefits are limited or non-existent
• Queuing traffic is known to create more air pollution
than traffic which is free flowing. Therefore air
pollution benefits should arise from vehicles using
the HOV lane. This improvement is likely to be
outweighed by increased congestion and pollution in
the general purpose lane.
• Should mode shift occur from Sustainable modes,
the number of vehicles removed from the network
as a result of the HOV lane is relatively small.
Therefore the effect that this has on vehicle
emissions is small and likely to be outweighed by
the impacts on the general purpose lane.
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Contents
What are HOV/HGV Lanes?
Examples
Potential Benefits
Issues and Challenges
Enforcement
Factors of Success
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Manual Enforcement is the only way to enforce HOV lanes at present
 Enforcement of HOV lanes is imperative to maintaining their
integrity and effectiveness. The advantages of priority lanes are
lost if non-permitted users abuse restrictions
 There is an absence of technology that can fully automate the
detection of HOVs. The DfT are currently trialing automated
technology to enforce HOV lanes but at present there is no
camera with type approval for national roll-out.
 The responsibility of enforcing compliance with a HOV lane would
at present fall under the jurisdiction of the police.
 Manual enforcement of HOV lanes requires suitable lay-by space
for enforcement activities to be undertaken from.
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Contents
What are HOV/HGV Lanes?
Examples
Potential Benefits
Issues and Challenges
Enforcement
Factors of Success
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Journey time savings, common origin and destinations and congested conditions
are key factors of success for implementing HOV lanes
 Journey time savings of at least 1.5 minutes per mile between SOV and
HOV.
 Common Origins and Destinations
 Congested corridor conditions serving trips toward town centres or
activity centres.
 Space to provide police enforcement lay-bys
 Linked to Smarter Travel Measures (Travel Plans)
 Width for 2 lanes of traffic either in form of a wide single carriageway or
a dual carriageway. Previous studies have so far shown that 2 lane
roads do not have enough capacity for HOV lanes. In general 3 lane
roads with grade separated junctions prove most feasible.
 Significant initial use of HOVs to ensure high utilisation of the HOV lane;
this would stop empty-lane syndrome and provide good publicity for the
scheme. Should empty lane syndrome persist public perception is that
congestion would be relieved by reverting the scheme to general usage,
this is especially the case in ‘take-a-lane’ schemes
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Conclusions and Next Steps
• A blanket policy across all roads in London would not be sensible for the issues outlined above,
instead roads should be considered on a case by case basis.
• Schemes would need to be supported by Smarter Travel Initiatives.
• Involvement and agreement of the relevant Policing authority would be needed (in this case the
Metropolitan Police Service).
• External funding for the implementation of the scheme would be needed due to the limited
budget of TfL.
• Prior to scheme development there would be a need to demonstrate the benefits of the scheme
which should be enough mode shift to car-sharing to outweigh disbenefits and costs from
congestion to general traffic.
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