MINNESOTA: Priced Dynamic Shoulder Lanes
The Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, encompassing Minneapolis and St. Paul, will be converting narrow bus-only shoulder lanes along the northbound portion of Interstate 35W between 46th Street and downtown Minneapolis to wider priced dynamic shoulder lanes (PDSLs), and will be moving these lanes from the right-most to the left-most portion of the roadway to minimize conflict with entering vehicles. Buses and high-occupancy vehicles will operate at no charge in the PDSLs with access allowed during peak times to single-occupant vehicles whose drivers are willing to pay the toll, with prices set to ensure free-flow travel. PDSLs enable bus speeds to increase to 50 mph from the current bus-only shoulder lane speeds of 35 mph or less.
The PDSL links to the dynamically-priced high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes on Interstate I-35W, which was created by converting the existing high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. The original HOV lanes extended from approximately I-494 to the Burnsville Parkway south of the Minnesota River. Through the Urban Partnership Agreement, these lanes were extended through the Crosstown Commons between I-494 and 46th Street. The result was a new 15-mile, dynamically-priced managed-lane corridor, speeding bus and HOV trips and also providing motorists a new option to experience a fast and reliable trip.
Implementation Funds Awarded
2008
Project Status
Open to Traffic
April – June 2018 Update
The facility now has nine years of performance data. The northbound I-35W MnPASS Express Lanes operate from 6am to 10am during the morning rush hour and from 3pm to 7pm in the afternoon. Tolled trips northbound in the AM and PM peak periods on the PDSL totaled 55,209 for the quarter, a 16% decline from the previous quarter. Revenue amounted to $127,250 on average tolls of $2.20 per trip. The southbound I-35W MnPASS Express Lanes operate 6 AM to 10 AM from 42nd Street to Highway 62 in the morning, and the full stretch of road from 42nd Street to Cliff Road from 3 PM to 7 PM in the afternoon.
For More Information Contact
Kenneth R. Buckeye
Program Manager Value Pricing
Phone: (651) 366-3737
E-mail: kenneth.buckeye@dot.state.mn.us
