HOT Lanes for Less

Some people have argued that a defect of high-occupancy/toll lanes is that they are expensive to install as they require their own on- and off-ramps in order to keep them separate from the general lanes. But–as the Antiplanner observed on a recent trip from Oregon to Texas–the Utah Department of Transportation has nearly 150 miles of HOT lanes that cost little more than ordinary freeway lanes.

Utah’s express lanes run along Interstate 15 from Spanish Forks (south of Provo) to South Ogden, about 72 miles in each direction. They are separated from the general lanes only by a double stripe. The “on- and off-ramps” consist of periodic replacement of the double stripes with dashed lines. Vehicles are free to enter and exit the express lanes where the lines are dashed, while they aren’t supposed to cross where there are two solid lines.

The double-white lines are the only barrier separating the HOT lanes from the general lanes.

The lanes were originally just two-person-plus carpool lanes, but they weren’t being used to capacity. Using an electronic tolling system, UDOT now allows single-occupancy vehicles in the lane for tolls ranging from 25 cents to $1 per segment, there being six segments over the length of the express lanes. The same system could work for new lanes added to a freeway.
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Although single-occupancy vehicles can use the lanes by paying a toll, there are a lot of exceptions. In addition to carpools, single-occupancy hybrids, electric cars, and other “clean fuel vehicles” may use the lanes for free with a permit–though only 6,650 permits may be issued. Motorcycles and buses also can use the lanes for free. UDOT says that 56 percent of vehicles in the lanes are carpools while 9 percent are clean-fuel vehicles, buses, or motorcycles.

UDOT admonishes drivers not to cross the double lines. The Antiplanner drove the entire distance of the lanes in both directions and saw just one car cross the double lines, and then only briefly to pass a slow-moving car in the left general lane.

Of the remaining 35 percent, just under half are paying the tolls: UDOT estimates that 18 percent of the vehicles using the lanes are violators, while only 17 percent pay the tolls. Utah police stop about 300 vehicles per month for violating the rules, but apparently that’s not enough to keep violators out.

As a result, toll revenues don’t seem to be sufficient to justify the cost of cameras and other equipment. UDOT spends about $40,000 a month maintaining the equipment, and as of 2011 revenues weren’t covering those costs, and the fact that UDOT hasn’t bragged about the lanes becoming profitable suggests the net hasn’t improved since then.

On the other hand, the lanes move more people per hour at higher average speeds with greater safety than the general lanes. To reduce violations and increase toll payers, UDOT should photograph license plates and send people bills if their cars aren’t using the lanes legitimately, as many other HOT lane providers do.