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Initiative 26: Restricted Multi-Use Lanes

Restricted Multi-Use Lanes
Description: These initiatives promote the use of available road capacity by allocating restricted lane right-of-way to trucks, buses, and occasionally high-occupancy vehicles. The lane usage can be allocated to different users using time windows, shared among designated users all day, or restricted to special use for certain users. Restrictions can be by vehicle type, or they can allow mixed traffic during the restriction interval.
Targeted mode: All traffic/large trucks Geographic scope: Area
Type of initiative: Traffic management: lane management Primary objective: Optimize road capacity
Expected costs and level of effort to implement: Lane management strategies and restrictions to multi-use lanes require thorough planning to consider the characteristics of the network and the needs of different users. Planning should involve extensive stakeholder engagement, and weigh both the positive and negative impacts to all agents that are part of the system. The costs are mainly associated with the installation of variable message signs or changeable message signs, and enforcement resources.
Advantages:

  • Reduce congestion
  • Enhance safety
  • Increase efficiency
  • Enhance livability
  • Can be used as incentive to foster other strategies
 Disadvantages:

  • May confuse drivers
  • May conflict with other traffic users
  • May not be adequate for sensitive locations
  • Hard to enforce
  • Lane geometry may not be adequate for large trucks
Examples:

  • Multifunctional lanes in its commercial center: Barcelona, Spain (City Ports 2005)
  • Clean vehicles are allowed  to use public transport lanes: Göteborg, Sweden (START 2009)
  • Consolidation vehicles are allowed  to use bus lanes: Bristol, England(START 2009)
  • Truck lane restricted to right lane: New York City, New York, United States (The City of New York 2012), North Carolina, United States (Federal Highway Administration 2011; North Carolina Department of Transportation 2013)
  • Ban on through-trucks on Interstate inside the perimeter freeway: Georgia, United States (Georgia Dept. of Public Safety 2010)
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Source: Federal Highway Administration 2011
Related alternatives: 1. Acceleration/Deceleration Lanes; 2. Traffic Control; 3. Dynamic Routing
References: Ogden 1992; City Ports 2005; BESTUFS 2007; START 2009; Federal Highway Administration 2011; SUGAR 2011; The City of New York 2012; North Carolina Department of Transportation 2013

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