Effect on Congestion and Motorcycle Safety of Motorcycle Travel on High-Occupancy-Vehicle Facilities in Virginia

Abstract

The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 mandated that motorcycles be permitted to travel on federally funded high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) facilities unless they created a safety hazard or adversely affected HOV operations. Although motorcycles had previously been banned from traveling on Virginia's HOV lanes, the Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) authorized motorcycle travel on HOV facilities in Virginia as of September 21, 1992, for a 2-year trial period. Study of that 2-year trial period found that motorcycles account for as much as 3 percent of the annual peak traffic volume on some HOV lanes. However, in the 2 years after the CTB authorized their travel on HOV facilities, there were only five motorcycle crashes on HOV lanes in the peak direction during hours that HOV restrictions were in effect. The study concludes that there is no evidence that allowing motorcycles to travel on HOV lanes in Virginia has an adverse impact on motorcycle safety or congestion on HOV lanes.