The right lane?

• Position: The Future

A consensus is emerging among transportation economists that the best way to deal with freeway congestion is to charge for driving during peak hours. The main barrier to implementation is political: Drastic change is politically unpopular. So how can we overcome the political obstacles by phasing in congestion pricing over a period of many years?

We could modify the current concept of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Current HOV lanes aren't very effective at reducing traffic; 43 percent of car-poolers are members of the same household. They cost everyone but serve few drivers. What about replacing HOV lanes with HOT lanes: high-occupancy toll lanes? A HOT lane would give free passage to three-occupant vehicles (HOV3s) but permit all others to pay a peak-hour toll for access. This would utilize more of the lane's capacity, demonstrate congestion pricing on a wide scale and generate revenues to pay for HOT lane construction.

Existing HOV lanes would be converted to HOT lanes, and planned HOV lanes |would be~ built as HOT lanes instead. Once a HOT lane reaches capacity, ... the adjacent lane would be converted to a second HOT lane. Over time this process could be repeated.

Two Southern California projects will soon offer drivers the opportunity to experience HOT lanes. One is the private toll lanes project under construction on the Riverside Freeway (SR 91) in Orange County. The other is a planned HOT lane conversion on I-15 in San Diego County.

Can HOT lanes actually be financially self-sufficient and therefore attractive to the private sector? Surface-level HOV lane additions in Los Angeles County (which generally involve some new paving plus new signage and lane restriping) cost...