Weighing the Scenarios: The Costs and Benefits of Future Transit Service Produced for MTDB by The Mission Group © 2000 by The Mission Group. 1 San Diego’s.

Weighing the Scenarios: The Costs and Benefits of Future Transit Service Produced for MTDB by The Mission Group © 2000 by The Mission Group. 1

San Diego’s I-15 Managed Lanes Project

Integrating Bus Rapid Transit,Ridesharing, & Value Pricing

Washington D.C. Value Pricing WorkshopJune 4, 2003


Centre City

NorthI-15 Corridor

NorthI-15 Corridor

Suburban landuse patterns with

long travel distances

I-15 is only continuousnorth-south artery

along 20 mile corridor

PROBLEM

- Existing congestion

- Existing 8-10 lanes doesn’t meet demand

- 350,000 future ADT


ExistingHOV Lanes

• Opened in 1987

• 8 miles long

• Two lanes, one-way reversible

• Barrier separated

‘FasTrak’ value pricing began in 1997

Dynamic pricing ensures priority for carpools & transit

CHP Pullover Ratio = 15.3%Violations Ratio = 2.6%


ExistingHOV Lanes

FasTrak Annual Revenues

Commuter Express Bus $1,200,000

Customer Service Center& ETC Maintenance $ 600,000

Equipment $ 200,000

Administration $ 60,000

Other $ 140,000

Total: $2,200,000


Increased Use of HOV Lanes21,300 Vehicles; 16,100 2+HOVs

Funds transit service100% costs of

commuter express route

I-15 Value Pricing SuccessesI-15 Value Pricing Successes

Improved trip reliability

Facilitates carpools, transit,and solo driving


The HOV lanes have been successful in increasingthe person-carrying capacity of the freeway.

I-15 Managed Lanes UsageI-15 Managed Lanes Usage

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

12:00 PM 1:00 PM 2:00 PM 3:00 PM 4:00 PM 5:00 PM 6:00 PM 7:00 PM

Time of Day

Per

son

s p

er L

ane

General Purpose Lane Managed Lane

Northbound at Mira Mesa Blvd—9/02 weekday average


Origin of FasTrak Value Pricing Program

• Local elected official wanting to improve transit services• Saw the excess capacity on HOV lanes as an opportunity

Fastrak demo program successfully implemented due to:

Addressed HOVempty-lanesyndrome

+ +Past

community leadersmeetings

Elected officialswillingness to try

demo program


North I-15Corridor Issues

Existing 8-mile HOV Lane

Growth shows need to extendHOV Lanes north additional 12 miles

Escondido

Rancho BernardoBusiness Park

Penasquitos

Poway

Mira Mesa

Kearny MesaBusiness Park

SR 78 CorridorBusiness Park

Issues

• Demand for reverse commute on HOV lanes

• Need for intermediate access points on HOV lanes

• Desire for Bus Rapid Transit system that is ‘rail-like’

Weighing the Scenarios: The Costs and Benefits of Future Transit Service Produced for MTDB by The Mission Group © 2000 by The Mission Group. 9North

Benefits

• Managed Lanes ensure high speed operations/transit priority

• BRT mode provides flexibility in serving suburban land uses

• Peak-period overlay captures commuters close to home

• FasTrak $$ to be used for BRT svcs and/or station maintenance

I-15 Corridor BRT Operating Strategy

Remote Stations

BRT Stations

Kearny Mesa/Downtown

Escondido

SouthEscondido

RanchoBernardo

Sabre Springs/Penasquitos

Mira Mesa

All Day Service

Peak Period Overlay Service


North I-15 CorridorHOV/Managed Lanes Design

North I-15 CorridorHOV/Managed Lanes Design

Issues

• Need to ensure free-flow conditions for BRT

• Desire to extend Fastrak value pricing program

• Ability to respond to traffic emergencies

• Design for long-term needs

Conclusions

• Pursue 4-lane managed lanes facility with moveable barrier

• Extend FasTrak value pricing program

• Incorporate direct access ramps and BRT stations as integral part of project


I-15 Rancho Bernardo I-15 Rancho Bernardo Direct Access Ramp & StationDirect Access Ramp & Station

Direct access ramps will be open to buses, carpools, & FasTrak.

Main Lanes

ManagedLanes

DirectAccess Ramps

Direct AccessRoad to Arterial

BRTStation

Park-and-Ride


Movable Barrier

Managed Lanes Intermediate Access

Managed Lanes Intermediate Access

Main Lanes

Managed Lanes

Merge Lanes

Merge lanes provide safe access to and from managed lanes.

FasTrak card

readers


FasTrak Only

Typical VariableMessage Toll Sign

CURRENT TOLL

20¢ / Mile$1.00 MINIMUM$3.00 MAXIMUM

MANAGEDLANES(NO CASH)

20¢ /Mile

20¢ /Mile

10¢ /Mile

10¢ /Mile

10¢ /Mile

30¢ /Mile

30¢ /Mile

Future Value PricingStrategy

This strategy offers the best demand management;complexity can be handled through education.

Question:How to handle valuepricing with multiple

access points?

Solution:Skewed rates strategy


Approval of I-15 CorridorFasTrak Program

Approval of I-15 CorridorFasTrak Program

Approve88%

Don’tKnow

1%

Disapprove11%

FasTrak Customer

Don’tKnow

6%Disapprove

28%

Other I-15 Users

Approve66%

There is strong support for the FasTrak program among all user groups.


“Good Idea to Have Time Saving Option on I-15”

“Good Idea to Have Time Saving Option on I-15”

Don’t Know

2%

Strongly Disagree

3% Somewhat Disagree

4%

Somewhat Agree21%

Strongly Agree70%

I-15 corridor residents & employees like having FasTrakwhen late for their child’s soccer game or business meeting.


Transit Users: Carpool Users:

An awareness of the “value” of carpool lanes has resultedin higher carpool usage since FasTrak program began.

Community InvolvementIntercept Surveys

94% considerpricing fair

Want increased transit services

92% considerpricing fair

70% say HOV lanes afactor in their

decision to carpool


“ People who drive alone should beable to use the HOV Lanes for a Fee?”

Ethnicity

Perc

en

t A

gre

e

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

All White Hispanic Asian >40 40-70 70-100 100+

Income ($000’s)

There is wide support for value pricing concept;viewed as “buying time” for a premium level of service.


Elected officials support, from the value pricing demothrough managed lanes adoption, was a key to success.

GroupsInterviewed

ElectedOfficials

LocalAgencies

PublicInterestGroups

Viewed project as transportation solution, not highway solution

“Lexus lane” stigma muted by inclusion of Bus Rapid Transit

See project as offering ongoing congestion relief

Business groups as champions

Community InvolvementStakeholder Interviews


Community InvolvementManaged Lanes/Bus Rapid TransitCommunity InvolvementManaged Lanes/Bus Rapid Transit

• Developing first-name relationships with community leaders

• Developing elected official champions

• Ongoing contact with community newspapers

• One-on-one communications w/community & business leaders

• Presented united front of public agencies to public

Venues

EstablishedCommunity Groups

Public Hearings(w/elected officials)

CommunityNewspaper Articles

One-on-onecommunications

Strategy

Multiple agencyparticipation


Design of HOV lanes conducive to value pricing: two lanes, barrier-separated, and limited access

Previous outreach forged close community ties

Had local elected official as project champion

Value pricing woven into Managed Lanes multi-modal concept

BRT mitigated negatives about “Lexus-lane”

Multi-agency cooperation between MPO, highway department,and transit agencies presented united front to public

FasTrak Value Pricing ProgramKeys to Success

Managing access at multiple locations that will still preserve free-flow conditions

Complicated fee strategy—lots of education!

Challenges Ahead

Lessons Learned


I-15I-5

I-805

SR 52

HOV + BRT + Value PricingA Regional Commitment

Success of I-15 programhas lead to a inclusion of several Managed Lanes

in the 2030 Regional Transportation Plan

Success of I-15 programhas lead to a inclusion of several Managed Lanes

in the 2030 Regional Transportation Plan


California Department of Transportation Metropolitan Transit Development BoardNorth County Transit District San Diego Association of Governments

Weighing the Scenarios: The Costs and Benefits of Future Transit Service Produced for MTDB by The Mission Group © 2000 by The Mission Group. 1 San Diego’s.

Documents

mission group

transit services

hov lanes desire

hovs funds transit service

future adt slide

lanes doesnt

increased use of hov

managed lanes usage