High occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes as a means of transport demand management: The Thessaloniki experience

Abstract

Transport Demand Management (TDM) measures are used worldwide as a means to reduce traffic and environmental impact in congested areas. These measures affect travel behavior in such a way as to promote sustainable mobility. One of the TDM measures is the High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV) lane. In the framework of this paper an attempt has been made to present three case studies concerning the evaluation of HOV lanes hypothetical scenarios in the city of Thessaloniki, Greece. The evaluation has been made through the use of modeling techniques and the results are expressed in terms of traffic and environmental indicators. HOV lanes have been proved to be, in principal, an efficient tool for managing transport demand but there is need for further examination of the environmental impact. © 2009 WIT Press.