Project Mobility:
Route 3 Express Toll Lanes Study
Introductory Briefing to the South Shore Coalition
March 26, 2015
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Highway Division
Agenda
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Introductions
Purpose of the meeting
Overview of Public-Private Partnership (P3)
opportunity
Overview of toll lane study
Discuss opportunity for project in Long Range
Transportation Plan
Q & A and Discussion
Goals for South Shore Coalition Briefing
Provide overview of the P3 concept, origins
and benefits
• Introduce the Route 3 Express Toll Lane study
• Describe study process, next steps and
interest in Long Range Transportation Plan
• Answer questions
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Why Express Toll Lanes on Rte. 3?
Address identified safety
problems
• Restore the breakdown
lane to its intended use
• Improve mobility for
autos and buses
• Reduce congestion
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Public-Private Partnerships (P3): Overview
Legislature authorized P3 in 2009 Transportation
Reform
• A private concessionaire leases asset for 30-50
years, implements the project and returns the
facility in a state of good repair
• The financing mix can vary:
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state payments;
private equity;
private loans; and
federal TIFIA loans
Toll revenues cover financing & maintenance costs
P3 Advantages
Opportunity to share or transfer risk
• Ability to pursue projects in times of limited
federal and state funding
• As in Design-Build projects, increased
opportunities for private-sector innovation and
improved project delivery
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What is Project Mobility?
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Project Mobility is a study to explore Express Toll
Lanes on Route 3 South
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Proposed project runs from the Norwell-Marshfield
line, north of Exit 12, to Exit 18/19 at the Braintree
Split and beyond Exit 6 on I-93/Route128 in Quincy,
about 17 miles
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Toll lanes would be in median with restored shoulder
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Two toll-lane options are being studied:
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two-lane reversible facility (reverses a.m. & p.m.)
single, permanent dedicated lane in each direction
Toll lane free for buses
Project Mobility Objectives
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Key Issue is Safety:
Peak Period Breakdown Lane Use
More crashes and higher crash rate on Rte. 3
segments with active breakdown lane
• Data suggest peak-period breakdown lane use
influences crash rates
 Rte. 3 SB: 17% more crashes
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Rte. 3 NB: 37% more crashes
• Project would restore shoulder for emergency use only
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Key Issue is Safety:
High-Crash Locations Throughout Corridor
Rte. 3 interchanges are on State list of the highest
crash locations in Greater Boston region*
• Burgin Pkwy/Washington Street, Exit 18/19
• Union Street, Exit 17
• Main Street, Rte. 18, Exit 16
• Derby Street, Exit 15
• Hingham Street, Rte. 228, Exit 14
• Washington Street, Rte. 53, Exit 13
* MassDOT Highway Safety Improvement Program-identified crash clusters, 2011–2013 for the area between Merrimack Valley & Northern
Middlesex; Central Mass., and Old Colony.
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Project Mobility Project Area
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Existing Conditions, South Section
Exit 12 (Rte. 139) to Exit 14 (Rte. 228)
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Existing Conditions, Middle Section
Exit 14 (Rte. 228) to Exit 16 (Rte. 18)
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Existing Conditions, North Section
Exit 16 (Rte. 18) to Exit 18/19
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Option 1: Two-lane Reversible
Shoulder
North Section
Shoulder
Shoulder
South Section
Express Toll Lane
Shoulder
General Purpose Lane
Shoulder
Option 2: Single Express Toll Lane in Each Direction
Shoulder
Shoulder
North Section
Shoulder
Shoulder
Express Toll Lane
Shoulder
General Purpose Lane
South / Middle Section
Transportation & Mobility
Express toll lanes give drivers flexibility to
choose toll lane or existing lanes
• Research finds that few drivers choose to
use toll lanes all the time
• Detailed traffic and revenue
studies will determine appropriate tolls
• Travel time savings must be
significant to attract users and
reduce congestion in free lanes
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Operational Issues
Goal is to use pricing to manage toll lane volumes
to maintain a minimum continuous speed of about
45 mph
• Goal is to improve travel speeds in general
purpose lanes by attracting drivers to the toll lanes
• All Electronic Tolling (AET) will prevent delays
associated with toll plazas
• Toll pricing structure has not been
established
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Environmental Issues
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Corridor has sensitive resources: wetlands,
water supplies, protected habitat
Majority of widening is within existing right-ofway and median
Unavoidable impacts to wetlands
Improvements to wildlife passages
Stormwater management benefits
Potential for noise barriers
South Section Environmental
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Middle Section Environmental
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North Section Environmental
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Consistency with MPO Goals
Safety
Improves high-crash cluster locations identified
by MassDOT
• Adds capacity to help reduce peak-period
congestion and resulting rear-end collisions
• Restores breakdown lane for its intended
emergency-only use which may help reduce
crashes
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Manages congestion using active lane
management and congestion pricing
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Improves mobility for bus passengers with freeflow express lanes
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Improves mobility for pedestrians and cyclists
with new accommodations on bridges
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Reduces congestion on arterials
by improving travel time on Rte. 3
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Cape Cod Times/Steve Heaslip
Consistency with MPO Goals
Capacity Management/Mobility
Consistency with MPO Goals
System Preservation
Helps achieve state of good repair
• Rehabs or replaces 27 bridges
• New pavement on existing lanes
• New ITS elements
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Permanent Variable Message Signs
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Fiber optic cable
Modernizes roadway drainage
Consistency with MPO Goals
Economic Vitality
Modernizes and expands Route
3 to improve access to existing
employment centers and homes
• Reduces auto and bus riders’
travel time
• Helps address perception of
South Shore as hampered by
mobility issues
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Cost and Schedule
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Estimated construction duration: 4 years
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Estimated construction cost: $600 m–$800 m
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P3 procurement will induce private investment
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Project must be in new Long-Range Transportation
Plan to initiate federal environmental process
Study Status
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MassDOT has initiated a study of engineering,
traffic, financial and environmental issues
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Federal and state environmental processes to
begin later in 2015
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Public and agency outreach is beginning
Questions & Discussion
Comments or questions?
Route3ExpressLanes@dot.state.ma.us
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