Special vehicle lane assessment guidelines

About special vehicle lanes (SVLs)

Special vehicle lanes (SVLs) are defined lanes that give priority to a particular class or classes of vehicle. They include specific lanes for use by buses, freight, high-occupancy and other priority vehicles.

Once they are installed there are rules for how vehicles use SVLs, the times they operate and how their use can be enforced.

Benefits of SVLs

SVLs make the best use of the existing, and often limited, road space. They can help ease congestion and support the efficient movement of people and goods. Specifically, an SVL can reduce journey times and make journey planning more reliable for the priority vehicles that use them.

Purpose of the guidelines

We've put together this guideline to help when assessing new SVLs. The framework can also be used to review and evaluate existing ones.

The guide has been well researched and peer reviewed. Its aim is to make sure that SVL projects use robust data and also include community input.

What the guidelines include

Part 1 gives an introduction and also outlines why SVLs are used.

Part 2 outlines other types of priority measures that have been used. It then highlights the effectiveness and positive outcomes of SVLs. It also covers learnings that can be applied to future designs.

Part 3 covers the SVL assessment. It gives guidance about the best type of SVL to use for a location and what the benefits would be of implementing it. These include the levels of service for road users, increased efficiency and productivity benefits.

Part 4 covers safety considerations when planning new SVLs. These include assessments and audits that are required to identify potential risks. It also highlights the need for monitoring and evaluation after an SVL is implemented.

Part 5 looks at further considerations that need to be taken into account. These include reliability of SVLs, types of vehicles that an SVL might be used by and how the SVL may affect others on the road network, including pedestrians.

What the guideline does not cover

The guide focuses on the urban transport network. It does not apply to motorways or on-ramps.

It also does not apply to cycle lanes. While cycle lanes are a type of SVL, they are not covered by this guide. Details of the design and implementation of cycle lanes can be found in the Transport Design Manual (TDM).

Download the guidelines

We have also developed a tool to help apply the guidelines. Part 3 of the guide has more information about the assessment.

Related strategies and reports

The SVL assessment guide works alongside other Auckland Transport (AT) plans and strategies. It is a refresh of guidance that was in the draft Auckland Transport Code of Practice (ATCOP). It has been designed in conjunction with existing work — our long-term network plan (Future Connect), our parking strategy (Room to Move) and the overall transport network planning (Auckland Network Operating Plan).

Together, these plans and strategies have been created to help with planning and optimising the Auckland road network and ultimately, they improve the efficient movement of people and goods.

The guide is not intended to replace any existing standards in the Transport Design Manual (TDM).