Miami-Dade 2040 LRTP - Oct. 23, 2014

In August 2013, FDOT issued a directive specifying that FDOT shall consider the implementation of managed lanes or express buses for all new limited access facilities on the State Highway System (SHS), lanes added to existing limited-access facilities on the SHS, new major bridges on the SHS over waterways and replacements for existing major bridges on the SHS over waterways. Express lanes are defined as a type of managed lane where dynamic pricing through electronic tolling is applied to lanes with through traffic, having fewer access points. Express lanes can co-locate within an existing non tolled facility to manage congestion and provide a more reliable trip time. Express lane strategies, may include congestion pricing to reduce peak period traffic volumes to optimal levels or toll roads financed with the toll paying, fully or partially, for the cost of such projects. Additionally, within the directive, the Department specified that all additional capacity on the interstate shall be express lanes. In December 2013, FDOT issued Guiding Principles for Express Lanes, specifying the six principles for the use of Express Lanes throughout the state. These principles are; Feasibility Assessment, Vehicle Eligibility, Financial Feasibility and Toll Collections, Design, and Communications. 1-10 | MOBILITY OPTIONS Figure 1-9 | Lane Management Strategy Source: U.S. Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administation The use of managed lanes is growing in popularity in major urban areas across the United States as these facilities are often cost-effective, highly viable transportation alternatives. Through the control of vehicle eligibility, access, and pricing, managed lanes provide a high degree of operational flexibility enabling operations to be actively managed to respond to growth and chang-ing needs. The tools used in managed lanes are operated in a manner so as to achieve an optimal condition, such as free-flow speeds. At a time when demand for transportation capacity is at a premium, managed lanes provide for the most efficient movement of people and goods to and through the state’s metropolitan areas. Roadways that could benefit from managed lane improvements include I-75, SR-836 (Dolphin), SR-826 (Palmetto), and others. A variety of other modal and multimodal improvements are considered and weighed against the LRTP Goals and Objectives to determine their relative value and priority in the larger system plan. (One of the cost-effective strategies employed in this LRTP is the Congestion Management Process (CMP), which includes numerous potential improvement types as alternatives to costly major capital improvements. The CMP, as required by federal law, is designed to incorporate policy and operational improvements to manage, mitigate, and/or alleviate congestion on the County’s roadways.) Figure 1-10 and Figure 1-11 depict I-95 Express and a rendering of the future managed lanes on the Palmetto Expressway, respectively. Busways Transitways Exclusive Truck Facilities Multifaceted Managed Lane Facilities HOT Lanes Value Priced Lanes Toll Lanes Express Lanes Reversible Lanes HOV Lanes Truck Lane Restrictions Use of HOV Lanes by Other Vehicle Groups Increasing Complexity with Active Management Access Control Pricing Vehicle Eligibility Lane Management Strategy Incorporates Multiple Lane Management Strategies