Abstract
This paper examines the variation in the value of travel time savings (VTTS) for travelers with a managed lane (ML) option when taking an ordinary trip versus a trip that is unusual in some way. VTTS estimates vary substantially depending on the urgency of the trip made. At the low end, the mean VTTS for a traveler who wants to make extra stops and still arrive on time is approximately 10% higher than that for an ordinary trip. At the high end, a traveler running late for an appointment shows a mean VTTS that is approximately 300% higher than that for an ordinary trip. These estimates vary widely over the population of travelers. In light of these variations, the value of an uncongested travel alternative (such as MLs) is examined and found to be greatly undervalued if using typical VTTS estimates.
Acknowledgements
The authors recognize and appreciate the support provided by a grant from the University Transportation Center for Mobility. Douglass Shaw also acknowledges support from a USDA Hatch grant. The authors wish to thank David Ungemah, then at the Texas Transportation Institute, for the support he provided in hosting the survey website. Additionally we would like to thank HCTRA for helping with the collection of data for this study.