DATE: Thursday, October 16, 1997            TAG: 9710160542
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY DEBBIE MESSINA, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   87 lines

WOULD YOU PAY TO GO SOLO ON HOV? ROAD PLANNERS CONSIDER PROPOSAL TO BOOST USE OF I-64 LANES

Commuters who don't carpool may have a chance to buy their way into the under-used, uncongested HOV lanes on Interstate 64.

HOT lanes, or high occupancy toll lanes, were endorsed Wednesday by the Metropolitan Planning Organization of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.

Commuters who drive alone could purchase a decal that provides access to the swift-moving high occupancy vehicle lanes. A limited number of decals would be issued to ensure free-flowing traffic in the priority lanes.

Pricing has not been determined but will be examined.

Transportation planners said the proposal would benefit everyone using the highway.

It would fill the under-utilized $140-million HOV lanes, raise much-needed cash for road and transit improvements, and improve traffic flow in the conventional lanes, said Dwight L. Farmer, transportation director for the planning district commission.

``It's really a win-win-win scenario,'' Farmer said. ``Those who, for whatever reason, value their time that much would get a less-congested thoroughfare. Those who can't afford to pay would get an improved trip. And it would generate revenue to plow back into the corridor.''

Federal regulations require that HOT money be used for transit or HOV lanes in the corridor where it was collected. For South Hampton Roads, that means it could be spent on ride-sharing, express buses or possibly even light rail.

HOT lanes - also known as congestion pricing - are now being used in Southern California with success. Houston will roll out a similar program later this fall.

The program is being considered only for the reversible HOV lanes on Interstate 64 between Norfolk Naval Base and Interstate 264.

It is not being considered for HOV lanes on Interstates 264 and 564. Those lanes are not separated from conventional traffic as on Interstate 64 and therefore pose safety and enforcement concerns.

With Wednesday's endorsement, the planning district commission will request that the Virginia Department of Transportation submit an application to the Federal Highway Administration.

The federal roads agency approves and funds congestion pricing projects. The cost of the proposed program has not been calculated, but would include fees for printing decals and administering the program.

Under the administration's proposed highway funding legislation, the highway agency can authorize 15 new HOT projects. Other cities considering HOT lanes include Minneapolis, Phoenix, Denver and Dallas.

VDOT has not committed to the concept, VDOT spokesman William J. Cannell said. ``But there is enough merit to study it,'' he added. ``One key is whether administration supports it.''

Farmer proposed HOT lanes after noticing that usage of HOV lanes has remained flat over the past five years. About 400 vehicles per hour use Interstate 64 HOV lanes. It was designed to handle 1,200 vehicles per hour.

``HOV use has stabilized and there's no indication it's going up,'' Farmer said. ``Sixty percent of its capacity is going unused.''

Congestion pricing would be initiated with a low-tech windshield decal that's purchased monthly. Eventually, an automated toll collection system would be developed that would equip cars with electronic sensors so there would be no need to stop and pay a cash toll.

Decals would be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

``Experience tells us demand would exceed supply,'' Farmer said.

In San Diego, 500 decals sold out in a few hours in late 1996. Six months later, the number of monthly passes increased to 900. Still, there's a waiting list.

San Diego's HOT permits are $70 a month, which works out to about $2.70 per trip for weekday commuters.

Hampton Roads' program would be patterned after San Diego's. Farmer speculated that a $30-$50 monthly fee would work here.

``I'm not in a position to set the price, but you'd have to price it so there's sufficient demand,'' he said. ``And you can't price it so high that few people use it so everyone's still stuck in traffic.''

In Orange County, Calif., congestion pricing is used on a private, automated toll road. The toll varies from 25 cents during periods of low demand to $2.75 during peak hours.

Since the implementation of HOT lanes in Southern California, officials say HOV violations decreased while usage by carpoolers jumped 20 percent to 30 percent.

``Once you had to pay $70 to use the HOVs, the value of using the lanes went up,'' Farmer said. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]

Solo commuters could soon buy access to the HOV lanes. This would

raise much needed cash for roads and transit improvements, and would

reduce traffic in conventional lanes. KEYWORDS: TRANSPORTATION HOV

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