OGDEN — Public toll roads, reversible lanes, "HOT" lanes and other innovative road-management techniques could be coming to Utah if state lawmakers act on the recommendation of a legislative planning committee.

The Transportation Planning Task Force voted unanimously Wednesday to recommend to the Legislature a short list of methods for "managing lanes."

"I don't think we're saying we're going to use any or all, but just look into them as possible efficiency measures," task force co-chairwoman Rep. Becky Lockhart, R-Provo, said during Wednesday's meeting in the Weber County Commission chambers.

The recommendation comes as the Utah Department of Transportation concludes its yearlong study of managed lanes as a way to maximize the capacity of the state's road system.

UDOT executive director John Njord presented five options for utilizing managed lanes in Utah:

• Toll roads. Users would pay a toll, or fee, to use a limited-access road, freeway or bridge. Utah currently has one private toll road, the Adams Avenue Parkway south of Ogden.

"Toll roads still need to be subsidized with some other revenue source to build them," Njord told the panel, adding that 40 to 50 percent of the cost of a toll road can be paid for by user fees.

"We think there are some opportunities in our state to have some toll roads. Where these areas are, we're not sure yet."

• Reversible lanes. The direction of travel on one or more lanes of a highway or freeway are reversed during rush hours to provide more capacity in the direction of high demand.

Reversible lanes are now used in Seattle, New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia and even Tucson, Ariz. There are, however, high costs associated with operating and maintaining the lanes, according to UDOT.

• High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. They debuted in Utah in 2001 with the completion of the I-15 reconstruction project in Salt Lake County, and UDOT is nearly finished with extending those car-pool lanes south to the Utah County line.

Among the disadvantages: Car-pool lanes require police enforcement and a substantial amount of congestion in order to work. But the I-15 car-pool lanes, according to UDOT, have been successful, and more HOV lanes are planned for the future.

• High-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes. This concept allows motorists who are driving alone to pay for the use of a car-pool lane. Only those who can afford it can use them, but HOT lanes have been effective in Houston, San Diego and Orange County, Calif.

"It's selling excess capacity," Njord said. "We think there's a lot of advantages in doing that."

• Cordon pricing. Currently used only in foreign cities, including London and Singapore, this tolling system charges drivers a fee for entering certain congested parts of a big city.

Panel members were least excited about cordon pricing but agreed to include it as an option and let the Legislature decide whether to pursue that method.

"Some of these, in particular, have great potential, and we need to educate the Legislature on them," said Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Sandy, the task force's other co-chairwoman.

The task force will present this and other recommendations to lawmakers prior to the 2005 Legislature, which begins Jan. 17.

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