| OPTIONAL TOLLS ON I-394 FAVORED BY 64% ACCORDING TO NEW SURVEY FROM THE STATE AND LOCAL POLICY PROGRAM An independent survey released
through the State and Local Policy Program at the Humphrey Institute has
found more than six out of every 10 Minnesotans living near I-394 like
the idea of giving solo drivers the option of paying a toll to use the
I-394 high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane.
The survey found strong support for converting the existing
I-394 HOV lane into what the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT)
is calling the I-394 MnPASS Express Lanes. Under MnPASS, which will be
launched in May 2005, solo drivers and owners of small commercial vehicles
will be given a new option of paying a toll to use a currently underused
HOV lane.
For the survey, 750 people living near I-394 were asked
a range of questions about transportation in general and MnPASS in particular.
For the sake of comparison, 250 people living near I-35W were also interviewed.
Among those living near I-394:
- Sixty-four percent said allowing solo drivers the option of paying
to use the HOV lane was a "good idea," 28 percent said it
was a "bad idea," and 8 percent were undecided.
- Support for the project didn't vary significantly across income levels
(65 percent support for under $50,000 household income and 65 percent
support for over $150,000 household income).
- The most common reasons respondents gave for their position was that
it "made better use of the carpool lane" and "added capacity
to the roadway."
- Sixty-nine percent had heard of the project, while 29 percent had
not.
- Seventy percent said the I-394 HOV lane is currently "not at
all congested," while only 15 percent described non-HOV lanes on
I-394 that way.
- Seventy-three percent of the respondents say they usually drive I-394
solo, 24 percent usually drive with someone and 3 percent usually use
transit.
"In years past, Minnesotans had a lot of questions
about tolling, but a strong majority now supports this type of tolling,"
said Lee Munnich, director of the Humphrey Institute's State and Local
Policy Program. "The fact that this proposal makes toll payment optional
and preserves express service for carpools and buses seems to be popular
with the public."
The tolls will be collected electronically. Drivers will
place a small device called a transponder on their vehicle windshields.
When drivers pass at full highway speed under equipment installed over
the freeway, a toll will be electronically deducted from users' prepaid
MnPASS accounts. Under this system, there will be no stopping or slowing
at gates or booths, and carpools, buses and motorcycles will continue
to use the HOV lane for free.
Continually adjusting toll rates every few minutes will
help maintain the flow of traffic in the MnPASS Express Lane at about
50 to 55 mph, even when other I-394 lanes are experiencing gridlock. The
MnPASS System will continually monitor express lane traffic and increase
the toll rate as traffic in the Express Lane starts to increase, and decrease
the toll rate when traffic in the lane starts to decrease. These changes
will be communicated to drivers via electronic signs all along the freeway.
The goal of this "dynamic pricing" system is to
make efficient use of the existing HOV lane, while maintaining express
service for carpools, buses, motorcycles and toll-payers. In southern
California and elsewhere, this approach has been used successfully for
a number of years.
"We've seen around the country that projects like this
are very popular with the public," said Munnich. "They certainly
don't eliminate congestion or solve every problem in the corridor, but
they do increase the capacity of the road and give drivers another choice
for saving time."
Minnesotans soon will be able to open MnPASS accounts online,
by telephone or by visiting at a new MnPASS service center in Golden Valley.
Additional information about how MnPASS will work is available at www.mnpass.org.
The survey was conducted between November 19, 2004 and December
17, 2004. After the I-394 MnPASS Express Lane project has begun operating,
two additional surveys will be conducted to gauge changes in respondents'
awareness, attitudes and behavior.
NuStats, an independent Texas-based research firm with extensive
experience evaluating transportation projects around the nation, conducted
the survey on behalf of the Humphrey Institute. In addition to the NuStats
surveys, Mn/DOT has also retained an independent company to conduct a
comprehensive review of technical issues related to the project, such
as changes in the number and speed of vehicles using I-394.
"This is a proven approach, but these evaluation tools
will help state officials learn and adjust as the project progresses,"
said Munnich. "As the old carpenters say, measure twice and cut once." |
