Delaware Administrative Code
Title 2 - Transportation
2000 - Department of Transportation
2400 - Division of Transportation Solutions
2402 - Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)
Part 2 - Signs
Chapter 2G - PREFERENTIAL AND MANAGED LANE SIGNS
Section 2G.01 - Scope

01 Preferential lanes are lanes designated for special traffic uses such as high-occupancy vehicles (HOVs), light rail, buses, taxis, or bicycles. Preferential lane treatments might be as simple as restricting a turning lane to a certain class of vehicles during peak periods, or as sophisticated as providing a separate roadway system within a highway corridor for certain vehicles.

02 Preferential lanes might be barrier-separated (on a separate alignment or physically separated from the other travel lanes by a barrier or median), buffer-separated (separated from the adjacent general-purpose lanes only by a narrow buffer area created with longitudinal pavement markings), or contiguous (separated from the adjacent general-purpose lanes only by a lane line). Preferential lanes might allow continuous access with the adjacent general-purpose lanes or restrict access only to designated locations. Preferential lanes might be operated in a constant direction or operated as reversible lanes. Some reversible preferential lanes on a divided highway might be operated counter-flow to the direction of traffic on the immediately adjacent general-purpose lanes.

03 Preferential lanes might be operated on a 24-hour basis, for extended periods of the day, during peak travel periods only, during special events, or during other activities.

04 Open-road tolling lanes and toll plaza lanes that segregate traffic based on payment method are not considered preferential lanes. Chapter 2F contains information regarding signing of open-road tolling lanes and toll plaza lanes.

05 Managed lanes typically restrict access with the adjacent general-purpose lanes to designated locations only.

06 Under certain operational strategies, such as the occupancy requirement of an HOV lane changing in response to actual congestion levels, a managed lane is a special type of preferential lane (see Sections 2G.03 through 2G.07).

07 A managed lane operated on a real-time basis in response to changing conditions might be operated as an HOV lane for a period of time as needed to manage congestion levels.

08 Sections 2G.16 through 2G.18 contain additional information regarding signs for managed lanes that use tolling or pricing as a management strategy.

09 Section 9B.04 contains information regarding Preferential Lane signs for bike lanes.