Evaluating Alternative Operations Strategies to Improve Travel Time ...

SHRP 2 L11: Final Appendices
Changeable Lane Assignments (Reversible, Variable)
• Safety: It was estimated that variable speed limit signs and lane control signals installed on the autobahn in Germany would
generate cost savings due to crash reductions that would be equal to the cost of the system within two to three years of deployment
(1).
• Mobility: An assessment made on the basis of a before/after study indicated that the Changeable Lane Assignments on the A3-
A86 motorway East of Paris saved daily travel time by 1204 hours (67).
• The creation of an emergency vehicle and public transport lane on the A48 (Grenoble, France) reduced the travel time for buses
during the morning peak period by 16% (67).
Strategy: 5.8. Multimodal Travel
Category: 5. Infrastructure Improvements and Optimization
TREATMENTS AND IMPACTS:
Integrated Multimodal Corridors (IMC)
• Mobility: The implementation of the IMC in Oakland, CA (I-888) is expected to reduce freeway congestion by at least 10 percent.
Moreover, overall freeway travel time reliability will be improved by the same amount (1).
As a result of the implementation of the Lund Link (IMC in Lund, Sweden) in 2003, public transportation ridership has increased
by 20% in the corridor and about 120 new car parking spaces have been avoided (27).
Travel Alternatives - Reduction in Trips/Diversion to other times (Ride Share Programs, Telecommuting, Home office, video
conferences)
• Mobility: People who participated in casual carpooling in the San Francisco area gained the benefit of a 10 to 20 minute time
savings while avoiding a $1.00 toll by using the HOV toll bypass lane (68).
A study in 1993 found that the average one-way commute for those who work inside the Standard Statistical Metropolitan Areas
(SMSA) is 22.8 minutes, while the average round-trip urban commute is 45 minutes. The study predicts over 800 million hours in
saving of the commuter time annually due to lessened congestion, and a reduction of 696 million vehicle hours in congestion due to
the practice of telecommuting (73).
ADDITIONAL DESCRIPTION AND QUANTITATIVE BENEFITS OF TRAVEL-TIME RELIABILITY STRATEGIES Page F-45