00369130

Component

http://onlinepubs.trb.org...s/trr/1982/854/854-008.pdf

https://scholar.google.co...Fuhs&publication_year=1982

On March 30, 1981, a 3.3-mile concurrent-flow lane began operation within the median shoulder on North Freeway (Interstate-45). The concurrent-flow lane operates inbound only from 6:00 to 8:30 a.m. and is available to authorized vehicles, which include registered and approved buses and eight-passenger vanpools. The concurrent-flow lane is an extension of contraflow preferential treatment provided further downstream; it provides a travel-time savings of about 4 min. This project is one of seven nationwide that is currently operating, is the only project to be implemented within an existing paved emergency shoulder, and is the first operation to restrict use to authorized vehicles that display an appropriate permit. A general report on the unique characteristics and results of Houston's concurrent-flow operation is presented. Comparative evaluations are presented that measure the success of this project with other concurrent-flow applications on freeways. In the first three months, an average of 257 vehicles (78 percent vanpools and 21 percent buses) traveled the lane inbound during each daily 2.5-h peak period, which facilitated the movement of 3752 commuters. The North Freeway concurrent-flow project was jointly implemented by the Texas State Department of Highways and Public Transportation and the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County. Both agencies funded construction of the project with local monies and jointly managed daily operation. The success of the concurrent-flow project, as illustrated in this paper, has resulted in increased person trips on a severely congested freeway facility and has provided a travel-time incentive to vanpool and bus transit users until such time that a more permanent transitway facility can be constructed.

Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Bus Transit Systems. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved

01411657

pp 43-54

1982

Transportation Research Record

61st Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board

0309033586

Print

Figures (13) ; Maps (4) ; References (9) ; Tables (3)

Bus lanes; Concurrent flow; Freeways; Medians; Reversible traffic lanes; Traffic flow; Traffic regulations; Vanpools

Traffic restrictions

Houston (Texas)

Highways; Law; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; I73: Traffic Control

TRIS, TRB

Jan 31 1983 12:00AM

• ASSESSING USER NEEDS IN DESIGN OF A MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR RURAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SERVICES. (ABRIDGMENT)
• AUTOMATIC VEHICLE MONITORING: EFFECTIVE TECHNIQUE FOR TRANSIT SYSTEM MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL
• AUTOMATION IN PUBLIC TRANSIT OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT: UPDATE
• COMPARING FIXED-ROUTE AND FLEXIBLE-ROUTE STRATEGIES FOR INTRAURBAN BUS TRANSIT
• CONNECTIVITY INDEX FOR SYSTEMWIDE TRANSIT ROUTE AND SCHEDULE PERFORMANCE
• INNOVATIVE TRANSIT SERVICE PLANNING MODEL THAT USES A MICROCOMPUTER
• MADISON AVENUE DUAL-WIDTH BUS LANE PROJECT
• POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF TRANSIT SERVICE CHANGES BASED ON ANALYTICAL SERVICE STANDARDS
• Public Transit Planning by Using Interactive Computer Graphics in Bellevue, Washington
• REVIEW OF BUS COSTING PROCEDURES
• SHORT-TERM RIDERSHIP-PROJECTION MODEL
• STATE OF THE ART OF CURRENT BUS TRANSFER PRACTICES