This paper summarizes the approach to and key findings of the Los Angeles County HOV Performance Program study. Recently, the effectiveness of HOV lanes has been increasingly questioned. It has become evident that effective operation and expansion of any regional HOV program requires data collection and evaluation on an ongoing basis to substantiate performance. In response, the HOV Performance Program was designed as a comprehensive effort to monitor and evaluate the performance of the existing HOV lane system in LA County, currently the country's largest with over 383 lane miles of carpool lanes. The program is the most comprehensive evaluation ever undertaken of any carpool lane system in the United States. The study was conducted for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, with significant involvement from Caltrans and other public agencies. The HOV Performance Program evaluates the performance of the LA County HOV system against a series of measures of effectiveness falling under five general objectives: travel demand/person movement, HOV use, time savings/trip reliability, air quality, and cost-effectiveness. Substantial data was collected from Caltrans and other sources, and was supplemented by a major market research effort to gauge public opinions, attitudes, and changes in travel behavior resulting from carpool lanes. The program findings generally indicate high levels of person movement and utilization, benefit-cost ratio, and public acceptance of the HOV lanes in LA County. The findings address some of the common questions and misconceptions regarding HOV lanes and the overall performance of the carpool lane system in LA County.
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