U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Vehicle Technologies Office

Fact #604: January 4, 2010
HOT Lanes in the U.S.

There are six States that currently have high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes. These lanes are similar to high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, except that they allow drivers of vehicles that do not meet the occupancy requirements to use the lane by paying a toll that varies by time of day or level of congestion. The San Diego FasTrak was the first HOT lane, opened in 1996. Tolls on the FasTrak vary from $0.50 to $4.00 on a typical day, but during peak periods can reach $8.00. The savings in travel time averages 20 minutes per journey.

Operational HOT Lanes
Year of Opening Project Size/Characteristics Use
1996 San Diego,
I-15		 8 miles, 2 reversible lanes in median 25,172 transponders in use as of Nov. 30, 2008; about 15,000 HOV and 6,000 SOV vehicles per weekday
2006 Denver,
I-25/US-36		 7 miles, 2 barrier-separated reversible lanes in freeway 95,091 vehicles paid to travel in September 2007 (10 months after opening)
2005 Minneapolis,
I-394		 11 miles, including 2 reversible barrier-separated lanes for 3 miles; 1 lane each direction for 8 miles, with double striping separation More than 10,000 transponders leased by users since May 2005 opening
1998 Houston,
I-10, US-290		 Single 13-mile reversible barrier-separated lane in I-10 median and 15-mile reversible lane on US-290 2,200 registered users by 2004, with access to both facilities
2008 Seattle,
SR-167		 Single 9-mile nonbarrier separated (buffer) lane in each direction Opened May 2008; in first six months of operation, more than 20,000 transponders users paid to use the lanes
2008 Miami,
I-95 Express		 21-miles, 2 lanes in each direction First 8 miles opened December 2008.

Source: Bhatt, Kiran, Thomas Higgins, and John T. Berg, "U.S. and Worldwide Experience with Congestion Pricing: An Overview," published in the Transportation Research Board, TR News, No. 263 July-August 2009.

 

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