Effectiveness of High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) transit lanes

We are interested in studying the impact of HOV lanes on local factors in the study areas.  Many cities have implemented HOV strategies to reduce transit times and the trend only seems to be growing.  This study will evaluate how these lanes have impacted commute times, as well as look for other positive consequences.

Research question:

What impact does the addition of HOV lanes to highways have on commute time?

Hypothesis:

We believe that the addition of HOV lanes to highways will result in lower average commute times and other positive changes?

Units of analysis:

Highway Segment

Data required and sources:

We will need transit data for the selected highway segments.  From this data, we will need to determine average speed of travel during high traffic times of the free lanes versus the pay lanes.  We expect to find this data through the Department of Transportation sites associated with the study areas.

Methodology:

We will gather data on twenty highway segments, four from each of major regions of the United States.  These segments will be selected by determining the four largest MSA populations that have utilized HOV lanes in the West, Southwest, Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast.  Once we have selected the cities, we will determine the year in which the HOV lanes were installed and collect comparative data on the effects.  At this point, we will be able to determine whether there is a statistical difference in travel times with the installation of HOV lanes.

Anticipated results:

We anticipate that HOV lane installation will have a statistically significant impact on the commute times in the investigated areas.