The objectives of this research project are to investigate the complex and interrelated issues surrounding the safe and efficient operation of managed lanes using various operating strategies and to develop a managed lanes manual to help the Texas Department of Transportation make informed planning, design, and operational decisions when considering these facilities for its jurisdiction. This document presents three years of research in the form of a draft manual for managed lanes. It includes three chapters in draft form, which include a guide to the manual, an introduction to managed lanes, and design. This document includes research in a usable format, providing a clear, concise, and step-wise approach to planning designing, operating, and enforcing a managed lanes facility. It also refers the user to other pertinent documents which provide additional detailed information on various aspects of managed lanes.

This synthesis will be of interest to transportation planners, highway engineers, environmental personnel, highway design engineers, transit planners, highway administrators, and others concerned with the planning, design, and operational features of preferential high- occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on highways. Information is provided on the current and proposed state of the practice in North America. This synthesis describes the state of the art with respect to preferential treatment for HOVs on highways. This report of the Transportation Research Board provides information on long-distance facilities, such as barrier-separated, concurrent-flow (separated and nonseparated), and contraflow facilities, as well as on short-distance facilities, such as queue by-pass lanes. Planning, design, and operational features of each treatment are described. The issues and operating results are described, and specific case studies are included.

The objectives of this project are to investigate the complex and interrelated issues surrounding the safe and efficient operation of managed lanes using various operating strategies and to develop a managed lanes manual to help the Texas Department of Transportation make informed planning, design, and operational decisions when considering these facilities for its jurisdiction. This document summarizes the activities of the first three years of this multiyear project, highlights the accomplishments to date, provides a status report of efforts underway, and outlines planned activities for the coming year.

Texas cities are currently considering the managed lane concept for major freeway projects. As a new concept of operating freeways in a flexible and possibly dynamic manner, the managed lane concept has a limited experience base, thereby creating a knowledge vacuum in emerging key areas that are critical for effective implementation. . Complicating the effort is the rapid progress of several freeway improvement projects in Texas in which TxDOT is proposing managed lane operations. The operational experience both in Texas and nationally for managed lanes is minimal, particularly for extensive freeway reconstruction projects. The managed lane projects currently in existence involve retrofits of existing freeway sections within highly fixed access, geometric, and operational configurations, and established eligibility considerations. There are few projects in operation from which to draw experiential data on the implementation of managed lane freeway sections with complex or multiple operational strategies, including variations in eligible vehicle user groups by time of day. The objectives of this project are to investigate the complex and interrelated issues surrounding the safe and efficient operation of managed lanes using various operating strategies and to develop a managed lanes manual to help the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) make informed planning, design, and operational decisions when considering these facilities for its jurisdiction. This document presents the critical research results obtained over the five years of this project.