Existing freeway systems are at capacity with very little room to expand. Additional freeway lanes are either cost prohibitive or physically not feasible. Without additional freeway capacity, congestion will increase. In some urban areas, e.g., San Francisco, we are in critical dispute with local entities about how to manage our state system. Locals want bus rapid transit (BRT) on state system, even if it means taking a lane. The State, relying on existing design and operations standards, oppose taking a lane, causing strife with partners. To get to increasing people throughput, new criteria is needed for when it is appropriate to take a lane, even if it causes some congestion of vehicles in mixed flow, which is anathema to Caltrans policy.
This report documents the best practices on converting an existing lane to a High Occupancy Vehicle Lane or decribes other means of providing increased people throughput.
Status: Completed. The report has been published as RRD 336.
