VPP Projects Involving Tolls
Category: Priced Lanes
Sub-Category: High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes

Project - TEXAS: HOT Lanes on I-10 and US 290 in Houston

In January 1998, Houston's "QuickRide" pricing program was implemented on existing HOV lanes of I-10, also known as the Katy Freeway. It was implemented on US 290 in November 2000. The HOV lanes are reversible and restricted to vehicles with three or more persons during the peak hours of the peak periods. The pricing program allows a limited number of two-person carpools to buy into the lanes during the peak hours. Participating two-person carpool vehicles pay a $2.00 per trip toll while vehicles with higher occupancies continue to travel free. Single-occupant vehicles are not allowed to use the HOV lanes. The QuickRide project is completely automated and no cash transactions are handled on the facility. Results from surveys conducted on I-10 indicate that the primary source of QuickRide participants is persons who formerly traveled in single-occupant vehicles on the regular lanes. Toll revenues from several hundred vehicles each day pay for all program operational costs.

Evaluation Funds Awarded

September 2000

Project Status

The final report has been completed. Reports and findings may be found at http://houstonvaluepricing.tamu.edu/reports.

For More Information Contact

David Fink
Transportation Operations Engineer
Texas Department of Transportation
Phone: (713) 881-3063
E-mail: dfink1@houstontranstar.org

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