Attitudinal, behavioral, and institutional findings are summarized from the evaluation of the Interstate 15 (I-15) congestion pricing project, a 3-year demonstration that allowed single-occupant vehicles to use the existing I-15 high-occupancy-vehicle lanes, known as the I-15 express lanes, for a fee. The project was part of the FHWA Congestion Pricing Pilot Program and was managed by the San Diego Association of Governments. San Diego State University conducted an independent, multielement evaluation of the project. FasTrak offered all travelers on I-15 a choice of whether to pay for the use of the lanes. FasTrak users saved time by using the express lanes. The most-cited reason to join FasTrak was the need for on-time arrival. FasTrak users and I-15 carpoolers continuously perceived traffic conditions in the I-15 express lanes as satisfactory. A majority of FasTrak customers and an increasing fraction of I-15 carpoolers considered the project successful. Equity issues did not emerge despite the fact that FasTrak users came from the highestincome groups. Potential business interest in a program like FasTrak primarily hinges on the company’s perceived dependency on a corridor in which the program is installed. Homeowners surveyed considered the I-15 pricing program as a secondary factor in their decision to relocate along the I-15 corridor. Many involved in implementing the project perceived that the project matched or exceeded their expectations. They stated that it proved that pricing was a technically and politically viable strategy. The media satisfactorily informed the public about the project.
Traffic-related findings from the evaluation of the Interstate 15 (I-15) congestion pricing project are summarized. The project was a 3-year demonstration that allowed single-occupant vehicles (SOVs) to use the existing I-15 high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lanes, known as the I-15 express lanes, for a fee. San Diego State University conducted an independent, multielement evaluation of the I-15 pricing project to assess its impacts for both the ExpressPass and FasTrak phases of this demonstration. The primary project goals were ( a) to maximize use of the existing I-15 express lanes, ( b) to test whether allowing solo drivers to use the express lanes’ excess capacity could help relieve congestion on the I-15 main lanes, ( c) to fund new transit and HOV improvements in the I-15 corridor, and ( d) to use a market-based approach to set tolls. At the end of 1999, the I-15 pricing project was meeting its primary objectives. There was substantially better utilization of the express lanes. Both ExpressPass and FasTrak were feasible solutions for generating sufficient revenue to fund the new express bus service, called Inland Breeze. Neither ExpressPass nor FasTrak negatively affected carpool volumes on the express lanes; FasTrak was able to redistribute volumes from the middle of the peak to the peak shoulders. Free-flow conditions were maintained at virtually all times. The project’s primary benefit was the reliability of ontime arrival for users. The project was also able to slightly alleviate congestion on the I-15 main lanes. SOV violation rates in the I-15 express lanes remained substantially below the preproject level. Also discussed are the air quality, delay, and park-and-ride impacts of the project.
Evaluation results of the Ventura County smart card Phase III field demonstration are presented to show the feasibility of using smart cards and other technology to provide an integrated fare medium across several transit operators. The evaluation addressed technical performance, user response, and institutional issues. Technical performance was affected by installation problems, equipment failures, and communications problems. Technical problems often were the outcome of institutional issues. Smart-card users were very satisfied with the new fare medium; however, transit patrons in Ventura County have very low incomes, many are not English speaking, and few transit users bought and used the cards. Overall, the demonstration suffered from the absence of clear roles and responsibilities as well as a lack of understanding of the complexity and demands of the technology.
An evaluation study of the Smart Traveler Automated Ridematching Service is reported. This advanced traveler information system (ATIS) demonstration used a fully automated Touch-Tone telephone system to offer real-time ride matching service for just 1 day or for conventional carpool arrangements. An innovative feature was an automated messaging system in which a computer was used to dial up and leave recorded messages with potential matches. The system failed to perform as intended, and problems were experienced with the generation of computer-based reports for monitoring purposes. The demonstration revealed a low level of use and a mismatch with the needs of the market. Lessons are drawn for future ATIS initiatives.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.