High occupancy vehicle lane performance assessment through operational, environmental impacts and cost-benefit analyses

High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes are in operation in the U.S. for more than 30 years and used as a tool to alleviate urban freeway congestion. For new HOV projects a need exists to study the feasibility of implementation as well as assess their potential operational and environmental impacts prior to deployment. Equally important is to obtain a clear picture of expected cost and benefits of available options in order to determine the most effective strategy for implementation. This paper reports on a study that was undertaken to determine the need for and impact from the potential deployment of HOV lanes in Birmingham, Alabama. To meet the study objectives, a detailed alternatives analysis and cost-benefit analysis were performed using Traffic Software Integrated System (TSIS) and Integrated Development Assessment System (IDAS) respectively. Three different scenarios and a total of ten options were considered to quantify the operational, environmental, and economic impacts of HOV lanes on traffic operations. The paper provides background information on the models used, data gathered, assumptions made, and outputs obtained. A detailed description of the analysis and results is also presented.