Discussing High-Occupancy Toll Lanes with the Denver, Colorado, Public

Abstract

As managed lanes and high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes gain popularity as a potential mobility measure, the question of how the public views these relatively new concepts is of vital importance. Concerned that a potential conversion of the North I-25 high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) facility in Denver, Colorado, to HOT lanes could be perceived as too controversial, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) sponsored market research and public outreach and assessment for evaluating the level of controversy. The messaging, methodology, activities, and findings from this effort may provide valuable information for communities that are considering HOT lanes as a component to their mobility challenges. This paper outlines the efforts conducted by CDOT's project team, including focus groups with commuters and business owners, stakeholder outreach to vested public officials and interest groups, conversations with the public in varying open houses, and a stated preference telephone survey. The conclusions from this effort indicate that ( a) support for HOT lanes is greater than it was a few years earlier, ( b) issues related to income and equity are not as pronounced as anticipated, ( c) public opinion can be favorably affected when individuals are informed on means of avoiding tolls by carpooling or riding the bus, and ( d) HOT lanes are viewed as an interim solution that is only a component of a regional multimodal transportation system. For practitioners hoping to extend support for HOT lanes to their facilities, the principal finding indicates that comarketing the HOT lane option with a means of avoiding a toll (through carpooling or riding the bus) may favorably affect public acceptance.

HOT for Transit? Transit’s Experience of High-Occupancy Toll Lanes

“…Publicity is seen as contributing to the success of the project, as 53 percent of new riders said the opening of the new HOT lanes influenced their decision to use transit. Similarly, public pressure has caused HOT lane marketing campaigns to promote transit in Denver (Ungemah, Swisher, and Tighe 2005) and Minneapolis (Munnich and Buckeye 2007).…”

Searching for a Tolerable Tax

“… 1. See “Study looks at Indiana transportation funding dilemma,” The Courier-Journal, March 21, 2014, http://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/indiana/2014/03/21/study-looks-indiana-transportation-funding-dilemma/6708309/. Existing evidence points to similar funding shortages in other states: New York (Peters and Gordon 2009), Alabama (Sisiopiku et al 2006), New Mexico (Cambridge Systematics 2007), and Colorado (Ungemah et al 2013). …”