DRIVERS' PERCEPTION SURVEY FOR TOLL LANES AND CAR POOLS

Authors

E Kwon
C Kelen

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

1998

Subject Area

operations - traffic, infrastructure - vehicle, infrastructure - bus/tram priority, infrastructure - bus/tram lane, planning - surveys, ridership - drivers, policy - congestion, economics - pricing, mode - bus, mode - rail, mode - carpool, mode - car

Keywords

Traveled way, Traffic lanes, Tolls, Toll roads, Surveys, Roadway, Public opinion, Priority lanes, Minneapolis (Minnesota), Lanes, HOV lanes, High occupancy vehicle lanes, Express buses, Diamond lanes, Decision support systems, Data collection, Data acquisition, Congestion pricing, Carriageways, Carpooling, Carpool lanes, Car pooling (Railroads)

Abstract

As part of an ongoing research effort to develop a computer-based decision support system for congestion pricing, a mail-back questionnaire survey was conducted with drivers commuting to downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, where the first toll-lane demonstration project was planned to start in November 1997. The survey focused on the drivers' perceptions of the toll lane, maximum acceptable amount of toll, and willingness to switch to a carpool or express bus running on a toll lane. Approximately 1,500 questionnaires were distributed randomly to drivers at parking garages located in downtown Minneapolis; 380 were returned by mail. Preliminary analysis indicates that 53% of respondents were willing to use a toll lane with the one-way toll ranging from 10 cents to $2. Furthermore, 46% of respondents indicated that they would use a toll lane if the toll was 50 cents one way, while only 26% would do so if the toll was $1. The average maximum toll drivers were willing to pay was 71 cents. Forty-three percent of single-occupancy vehicle drivers would switch to a carpool if they could reduce their trip time by 20 minutes, while 49% indicated that they would be willing to take the toll-lane-based express bus if the additional trip time was below 20 minutes.

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