A High occupancy toll (HOT) is a toll enacted on single occupant vehicles who wish to use roads, and lanes within roads, designated for the use of high occupancy vehicles (HOVs). Tolls are collected either by manned toll booths or computer controlled image recognition and electronic tagging systems. High occupancy tolls are a form of road pricing.

Concept

The use of HOT lanes (and potentially HOT roads) is an expansion of HOV lanes. HOV lanes are designed to promote vehicle sharing and use of public transport by creating areas of lower road use as an incentive. Since some of these areas are under-used and therefore increase congestion, this has led to criticism of the scheme. HOT lanes are one answer to this. Since HOT lanes are often constructed within the existing road space there is much criticism of the idea, mostly commonly that HOT lanes are an environmental tax or perk for the rich.

Use of HOT lanes

HOT Lanes are currently mostly confined to the US. If the idea is percived as a success, they may spread world-wide. Other countries reported to be monitoring the results of US tests are Canada and the UK.

Examples of HOT lanes

Current HOT lanes

The following roads are among those currently using HOT Lanes:

• Interstate 15, San Diego, California, USA
• 91 Express Lanes, Orange County, California, USA
• Interstate 10 ("Katy Freeway"), Houston, Texas, USA
• Route 290 ("Northwest Freeway"), Houston, Texas, USA

Future HOT lanes

The following roads are being reconfigured for HOT Lanes, which have not yet opened for toll-paying traffic

• Interstate 394, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Possible HOT lanes

The following roads are among those being considered for HOT Lanes:

• Interstate 90, Seattle, Washington, USA
• Interstate 405, Seattle, Washington, USA
• SR 167, Seattle, Washington, USA
• SR 590, Seattle, Washington, USA

External Links

• Washington State paper on HOT Lanes
• RPPI paper on HOT Lanes
• Brookings Institution economic study on HOT Lanes
• A Guide for HOT Lane Development (FHWA, 2003)