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TERMINOLOGY

Type A Projects:

HOT lanes. "HOT" is the acronym for "High Occupancy/Toll." On HOT lanes, low occupancy vehicles are charged a toll, while High-Occupancy Vehicles (HOVs) are allowed to use the lanes free or at a discounted toll rate. HOT lanes create an additional category of eligibility for people wanting to use HOV lanes. People can either meet the minimum vehicle passenger requirement, or they can choose to pay a toll to gain access to the HOV lane.

FAIR lanes. "Fast and Intertwined Regular Lanes" or "FAIR lanes" involves separating freeway lanes, typically using plastic pylons and striping, into two sections: "fast" lanes and "regular" lanes. The fast lanes would be electronically tolled express lanes where tolls may change dynamically to manage demand. In the regular lanes, constricted flow would continue, but drivers with transponders would be compensated with credits. Credits could be used as toll payments on days when they choose to use the fast lanes, or as payment for transit, paratransit or parking at commuter park-and-ride lots in the corridor.

Type B Projects:

Priced new express lanes involve tolls on added lanes that vary by time-of-day and are collected at highway speeds using electronic toll collection technology. Tolls may be set "dynamically," i.e., they may be increased or decreased every few minutes to manage demand so as to ensure that the lanes are fully utilized, yet remain uncongested.

Queue jumps are roadway facilities that can be used by drivers paying a toll to bypass points on the transportation network where congestion is typically severe (colloquially, a "bottleneck").

Managed lanes is a term used to refer to HOV lanes, HOT lanes, or other types of restricted or special lanes such as truck lanes.

Value Lanes is a term used to describe a concept that includes both HOV lanes and HOT lanes.

Type C Projects:

Variable tolls on toll facilities involve tolls on congested toll facilities that are varied by time of day with the intention of encouraging some travelers to use the roadway during less congested periods, to shift to another mode of transportation, or to change routes. With less people traveling during congested periods, the remaining peak period travelers will have decreased delays. To be eligible for the variable toll programs, vehicles must be equipped with transponders, which are read by overhead antennas.

Type D Projects:

Pay-As-You-Drive (PAYD) Automotive Insurance converts automotive insurance from a fixed to a per mile cost, providing a financial incentive to drive less.

Car sharing involves automated hourly neighborhood car rentals that substitute for car ownership. By sharing a neighborhood car, individuals eliminate their fixed monthly car expenses such as car loan and insurance costs, and instead incur a variable car payment based on usage.

Parking Cash Out is a strategy that involves employers offering their employees the option of receiving taxable cash in lieu of free or subsidized parking provided by the employer. Employees may deny the cash and keep the tax-free parking subsidy or accept tax-free transit or vanpooling benefits in its place-with any balance in taxable cash. When people have a car readily available, they tend to think that using it is free, since the up front costs are already paid and each trip incurs few additional costs.

Car cash-out involves paying households to use one less car for a certain period of time. It helps people review their transportation choices and see how travel by foot, bicycle, transit, and ridesharing is competitive with the private automobile. The goal is to show people that they can save money and simplify their lives by not owning a second - or even first - car.

Blue Line

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United States Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration