Savings on reserved freeway lanes and associated infrastructure and services.

Context and issues

This thesis looks at the socio-economic impacts of developing reserved lanes on freeways, dedicated to carpooling, express coaches or less polluting vehicles. In France, these infrastructures are still rare and often experimental. In recent years, however, there has been growing interest in their development, due to the economic, social and environmental benefits that widespread use could bring. Following in the footsteps of pioneering cities such as Strasbourg, Grenoble and Lyon, large-scale projects are now emerging, such as the idea of reserving a lane on the Paris ring road at certain times for the busiest vehicles. This study aims to provide a framework for analyzing the socio-economic costs and benefits associated with these infrastructures. This thesis looks at the distribution of impacts between different actors and territories, as well as the optimal conditions for maximizing these benefits.

Objectives

The main aim of this thesis is to assess the socio-economic opportunity of reserving certain lanes for vehicles with a minimum occupancy rate, for public transport services or for low-polluting vehicles. These opportunity studies will be compared with the characteristics of existing mobility services, associated infrastructure (bus stops, car-sharing areas, etc.) and their possible performance according to the level of ambition set. A cost-benefit analysis will be carried out, taking into account the externalities of the mobility systems studied. Finally, with a view to a just transition, the study will examine the impact of these costs and benefits on different population categories, in order to guarantee equity in the access and benefits offered by these infrastructures.