Study to offer insight on possible high-occupancy vehicle lane on I-26
Increased congestion on Interstate 26 makes the idea of a high-occupancy vehicle lane worth looking into, and a new study to be released soon will shed light on the pros and cons.
Doug Frate, chief transit planner with the S.C. Department of Transportation, outlined some early findings Monday to Lowcountry officials, but he stopped short of predicting if such a lane would relieve overall congestion on the Lowcountry's main traffic artery.
Previous story
Riley affirms backing of commuter rail, published 09/10/08
"The first question we have to ask ourselves is: Is it feasible?" he said.
Frate said projections show that sections of I-26 will fail to handle daily traffic loads by 2030, even after they're widened, but he said it's unclear how much creating an HOV lane — a lane restricted to cars with at least two or three, or more, passengers — would help. He said any new lane not only should move cars quickly but also should help relieve congestion on other lanes, too.
A related idea would be to create "hot lanes," which would be restricted to high-occupancy vehicles and single-occupancy cars whose drivers have paid a fee.
Frate talked Monday to the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments and said he would approach the council soon with final results of the I-26 study. The council and the SCDOT Commission would have a say in what lanes, if any, are built.
One complicating factor is that interstate commuters don't all enter and exit from the same points, he said. Part of the solution also may be better public transportation. Frate noted ridership on the express bus line linking northern North Charleston to downtown Charleston rose 129 percent during the past year.
The council also has filed a $206 million application with the S.C. Infrastructure Bank to build two commuter rail lines between Charleston and Summerville and Moncks Corner, COG Executive Director Ron Mitchum said. The bank will evaluate the request but currently has no money for other projects already approved. "It could be a while before they get to us," Mitchum said.
COG Chairman and Charleston Mayor Joe Riley said President-elect Barack Obama's call for a national infrastructure bank could help move the project along more quickly.
Frate is set to give a similar presentation today to the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce Developers Council.
Reach Robert Behre at 937-5771 or behre@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
back2u (anonymous) says...
I visited Atlanta for a couple of weekdays a few months ago and saw maybe a total of 10 vehicles using the HOV lanes. I personally thought it was a waste. I did see stoplights on the entrance ramps that only let 1 car through at a time which helped get all the cars merge smoothly on the interstates. Those stoplights only worked during peak traffic hours. That may be a more feasible & cost-efficient option in the short run along with better mass transportation.
November 18, 2008 at 6:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
islandbenzbc (anonymous) says...
HOV lanes will not help traffic congestion in Charleston...they might worsen the problem!
November 18, 2008 at 7:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
exorcist_pencocky4u (anonymous) says...
So PeeWee Riley is looking forward to President "0" helping him build his "Train to Nowhere". You do realize President"0" will be using increased federal tax dollars that he squezzzzes from the "American Middle Class".
November 18, 2008 at 7:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jca (anonymous) says...
whats needed is actual stop lights going from 526 to 26
sad that the highway needs a stop light
specially going on to 26 from 526
insanity there specially at 5pm
the people coming from west ashley and mt p run into each other.
an hov lane will not fix this it will make it worse as people who dont have 2 or more people will use it illegally
November 18, 2008 at 7:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
icbmman (anonymous) says...
Now that I'm working in Charlotte, I've witnessed first hand how effective an HOV lane is...it's not effective at all. Like back2u said, HOV lanes are not highly utilized in the big cities of the South, primarily because many people do not want to carpool. As a result, few cars actually use the lane while many cars would still be stuck in traffic.
However, widening the lanes is a must with the traffic volume on I-26. Cities like Charlotte have widened some of their interstates, and the widening opens up more traffic flow. It makes changing lanes easier if there is slower traffic.
Actually, I-526 also needs to widened since it is the main beltway around the city. Common sense, DOT. Use it.
November 18, 2008 at 8:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
desspec (anonymous) says...
Bovine Scatterlings! Get motorists off their cell phones and out of the left lane unless passing; that'll get things moving better than anything else.
November 18, 2008 at 9:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
HighDef (anonymous) says...
HOV lanes dont work up north either, trains and trolleys do, HOV does bring in money though, not that I want a toll road. I wouldnt live is slummerville if I worked downtown.
November 18, 2008 at 9:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
onedeep (anonymous) says...
A HOV lane might not work, but I bet a HOT lane would. I have no one to carpool with from Summerville to where I work, but I would gladly pay a toll to be able to get in that open lane by myself every day and get around the traffic, especially in the evening.
November 18, 2008 at 9:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wjhamilton3 (anonymous) says...
With two additional lanes for part I26 costing over 300 million dollars, the cost to add lanes to 526 might be over a billion. With gas consumption headed downward, gas tax revenue just isn't going to be sufficient to pay for huge amounts of additional road construction. Even if it can, will personal incomes in our area continue to make 2 car households supportable on working class wages?
The train link to Summerville has huge long term potential, but it will take years to build a really efficient rail system. However, by linking new development in the underutilized Neck and N. Charleston area we can create a "linear City" from Charleston to Summerville where home, school, shopping, entertainment and work can all be accessed without daily need for an automobile. That could be a huge competitive advantage for our area. One car families could live here, or families which rent cars for out of town trips, which are common many places.
Gas isn't going to be cheap forever. Saudia Arabia has to sell it to a contracting world economy now. However when things come back, the price is going back up. We know our area can't function at $4 a gallon. We proved that this summer. If we don't build transit systems that make us competitive, we'll simply wither when gas goes back up. However, it's not just gas. CARTA is running full buses because the total cost of car operation, parking, insurance, repairs, payments and gas is now too high compared to local wages for a lot of people.
It costs over five thousand after tax dollars a year to keep the average automobile on the road now. Estimates are that a tax subsidy per private automobile runs into thousand more for police, emergency response, road construction, and maintenance. Less than half the population can drive. The children, the elderly, disabled, poor and those with certain criminal convictions are all unable to drive.
The math isn't working for universal reliance on the private automobile any longer. It was completely different in 1955 with a younger population, lower construction costs, shorter commutes, lower energy costs and a predominance of American made automobiles. That's not coming back.
November 18, 2008 at 11:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jblakeslee (anonymous) says...
A rail system is probably the best idea, but would take a few years to get up and running. CARTA should increase service to outlaying areas.
OH by the way: Hats off to all who live in Summerville and park at the old K Mart lot and use CARTA to get to work...that's great, wish more would do it.
Gas prices are down primarily due to decreased demand, If demand stays down, prices could stay down somewhat.
November 18, 2008 at 12:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
PalmettoDP (anonymous) says...
An HOT lane would work best, but such a lane would need it's own separate ramps from 526. Private capital could be tapped to build said ramps, in the form of a toll concession. Tolls would then rise and fall in response to congestion.
Better traffic light coordination and timing on Rivers might help traffic there, making it a more viable alternative to the interstate. Same for Dorchester Road.
November 18, 2008 at 2:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
PalmettoDP (anonymous) says...
Inflation for contruction materials has outpaced gas tax revenues. Public-private partnerships are the best way to finance new construction.
November 18, 2008 at 2:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ColdBud (anonymous) says...
jblakeslee, a lot of us in the outaying areas don't want Carta, or the crime that follows public transportation, in our areas.
November 18, 2008 at 3:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
GermanyXO (anonymous) says...
Doug Frate, chief transit planner with the S.C. Department of Transportation, said any new lane not only should move cars quickly but also should help relieve congestion on other lanes, too.
Mr. Frate, please observe today how many eastbound drivers on I-26, Rivers Avenue, Dorchester Road, and Rivers Avenue actively carpool. There must be both infrastructure and incentives for commuters and residents alike to commit to carpooling. Building an HOV lane is a great idea, but is it the choice your rush-hour customers (drivers) would pick?
How about we close a few of I-26's exits and on-ramps permanently, then install traffic lights at the on-ramps we decide to keep open? Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, and Denver have made these decisions to regulate interstate traffic congestion. Has any study determined that there are too many on-ramps feeding I-26?
Perhaps the best decision is to leave it alone, because rush hour traffic can be avoided by starting your commute an hour or so earlier, and/or returning home an hour or so later.
November 18, 2008 at 4:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jblakeslee (anonymous) says...
"a lot of us do not want carta".....well it is apparent that "alot more" do....the buses leaving Summerville and filled each morning....
November 18, 2008 at 4:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rollo (anonymous) says...
NO!!!
November 18, 2008 at 9:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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