Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Pricing Comes to Minnesota: Baseline Attitudinal Evaluation of the I-394 HOT Lane Project
Summary Information
In May 2005, Minnesota implemented High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes along 11 miles of Interstate 394 from downtown Minneapolis through the western suburbs. The system, also known as the I-394 MnPASS Lanes, operates in a similar fashion to the facilities in Southern California, where commuters purchase electronic transponders and drive through gantries, which automatically deduct the toll. Tolls are variable and determined by the number of commuters in the HOT lanes. Typical peak period tolls run between $1 and $4; but they can go as high as $8 during periods of unusual congestion. The more congested the lanes, the higher the toll. The goal of the system is to maintain the free flow nature of the managed lane and improve the overall effectiveness of the corridor. The evaluation of the facility, sponsored by Minnesota DOT focuses on the design and results of the the baseline attitudinal survey.
RESULTS
The survey results indicated:
- 59 percent of travelers would pay $2 to save 20 minutes
- 40 percent would pay $2 to save 15 minutes
- 23 percent would pay $2 to save 10 minutes
- less than 10 percent would pay $2 to save 5 minutes.
- Willingness-to-pay decreased as toll rates increased. Virtually no one was willing to pay more than $6 for any amount of time savings.