Lane Type

Definition

Usage

Specification

Regular

A regular lane is a lane that does not have a specific use. It is also applied for a lane on Plural Junctions when the road is internal to a Lane Traversal condition.

HOV

An HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lane or carpool lane is reserved for carpool usage. Carpool lanes require a minimum number of passengers in order for a car to use the carpool lane. HOV lanes may also be reserved for hybrids, motorcycles, alternate fuel, and so on. HOV lanes may require a fee. Lane Type (HOV) is applied only if a lane is used by HOV or carpools at all times.

Reversible

Acceleration

• Lane Type (Acceleration Lane) is applied for any lane that is designated for the purpose of accelerating and merging into traffic on surface streets as well as on non-surface streets, such as motorways.
• Access Characteristics of the acceleration lane are applied according to reality.
• Lanes of Lane Type (Acceleration Lane) may receive the following:
  • Lane Forming/Ending
  • Lane Divider Marker/Center Divider Marker
  • Direction Category
  • Lane Traversal condition.
• Acceleration and deceleration Lane Types may be applied instead of, or in succession with, an auxiliary lane. See Auxiliary Lane.

Deceleration

• Acceleration and deceleration Lane Types are only applied when in reality, a deceleration lane longer than 100 m exists prior to the split point or an acceleration lane exists more than 100 m following the merge point of the ramp in the database.
• Acceleration and deceleration Lane Types may only be coded on motorways, as seen in the following image, and to roads that function as a motorway, such as roads that received Functional Class =1-4 roads that are only accessible via ramps.

  

  

• Lane Type (Acceleration) and Lane Type (Deceleration) are applied only on motorways and on roads that function as a motorway (Functional Class = 1-4 and accessible via ramps).
• Acceleration and deceleration Lane Types may be applied instead of, or in succession with, auxiliary lanes. See Auxiliary Lane.Auxiliary Lane

  An auxiliary lane is a lane that runs parallel to a motorway and connects the entrance ramp or acceleration lane from one interchange exit ramp or deceleration lane of the next interchange. This does not include separately digitised parallel ramps. See the following image for an example.

  • Lane Type (Auxiliary Lane) is applied only on motorways and on roads that function as a motorway (Functional Class = 1-4 and accessible via ramps).

  

  • Only auxiliary lanes shorter than 500 metres can receive Lane Type (Auxiliary Lane).
  • An entire auxiliary lane can receive a succession of different Lane Type values as follows:
    • For auxiliary lanes shorter than 1km: Acceleration Lane - Deceleration Lane
    • For auxiliary lanes longer than 1 km: Acceleration Lane - Regular or Auxiliary Lane (whichever function is indicated by lane markings) - Deceleration Lane

  Slow

  A slow lane, such as truck lane in the U.S., also known as crawler lane in Great Britain, is a lane on long or steep uphill or downhill stretch of high-speed road that is designated to facilitate slow traffic. See the following image for an example.

  

Passing

A passing lane is a lane that can occur on steep mountain grades or other roads where overtaking needs to be regulated for safety, such as with curvy roads. They are used to safely pass slow moving vehicles. See the following image for an example.

Shoulder

A shoulder lane is reserved paved area on the side of the road (one or both sides) that are not generally used for driving, although it is possible under certain circumstances, as seen in the following image.

• Lane Type (Shoulder Lane) is coded if the paved area representing the shoulder is at least wide enough to accommodate an automobile.
• In the initial product phase, only shoulder lanes designated as a part-time driving lanes are represented. Shoulder lanes that are never drivable are not included and represented upon product launch.
• Access Characteristics of the shoulder lane are coded according to reality.
• Shoulder lanes that are designated as part-time driving lanes can be represented in two ways:

• The Date/Time modifier publishes the date and time when the shoulder lane is restricted for driving.
• If no lane access restriction is applied, then the lane is a non-drivable shoulder lane. Non-drivable shoulder lanes that are never used for driving are coded lane Travel Direction = N (Closed in both directions).

• Lane Travel Direction for shoulder lanes match the travel direction of the Lanes From/To for the road it is located unless administrative rules, signs, or painted lane text indicate otherwise.

• Lanes of Lane Type (Shoulder Lane) may receive the following:
  • Lane Forming/Ending
  • Lane Divider Marker/Center Divider Marker
  • Direction Category
  • Width (default values provided in the HERE Country Profiles document)
  • Lane Traversal condition

  Regulated Access

  A regulated access is a lane designated as a holding zone, used to regulate traffic using time intervals.

  • Regulated lane access is only coded for truck holding zones that are used to regulate truck access into tunnels and over bridges using time intervals, such as some tunnel accesses in Switzerland.
  • In the following image, Lane 3 is a regulated lane access. Only trucks are allowed on this lane. Lanes 1 and 2 are prohibited to trucks.

  

Turn

A turn lane is a dedicated lane that is used for making a turn in order not to disrupt ongoing traffic. See the following image for an example of a right turn lane.

Center Turn

Center turn lanes are bidirectional turn lanes located in the middle of a road that allows traffic in both directions to turn left, or right for left side driving countries. See the following image for an example.

• Center turn lanes are bidirectional lanes.
• Only center turn Lanes longer than 20 metres are included. However, shorter center turn Lanes may be included if significant.

Truck Parking

Truck parking lanes are wide shoulder lanes that maybe used for truck parking as well as for emergencies. See the following image for an example.

Parking Lane

Parking Lanes are portions of the road bed that may be used for parking legally. They may allow vehicles to use them as driving lane at times, though.

• Legality may be indicated by “Parking Allowed” signs, “No Parking” signs, or markings on the roadbed.
• Lane Type (Parking Lane) is a lane, typically on the right side of a roadway (in right-side driving countries), that may be used for parking as indicated by markings and/or signs.
• In the initial product phase, only parking lanes designated as a part-time driving lane are represented.
• Access characteristics of the parking lane are applied according to reality.
• Lane Access Restrictions with Date/Time modifier indicate if the parking lane is a part-time driving lane.
• If a Lane Access Restriction is applied, then the lane is a part-time driving lane, and may be used for driving at times. Specific times when the parking lane can be used as a driving lane may be indicated via signs.
• Date/Time modifier indicates the date and time when the parking lane is restricted for driving.
• Permanent parking lanes that are never used for driving are coded Lane Travel Direction= N (Closed in both directions).
• Permanent parking lanes that are never drivable are not included and represented upon product launch.
• Lane Travel Direction for parking lanes match the Travel Direction of the Lanes From/To for the road it is located on. unless administrative rules, signs or painted lane text indicate otherwise.
• Lanes of Lane Type = 16384 (Parking Lane) may receive the following:
  • Lane Forming/Ending
  • Lane Divider Marker/Center Divider Marker
  • Lane Traversal condition
  • Width (default values provided in the HERE Country Profile)

Variable Driving Lane

Variable driving lanes are lanes added to a road that open and close to accommodate traffic volume and flow using variable indicators, as seen in the following image.

• Access Characteristics of the variable driving lane match those of the road unless signage indicates that certain vehicles are excluded to use the variable driving lane, such as buses or trucks.
• For Lane Type (Variable Driving Lane), a Lane Access Restriction with Dependent Access Type is included.

• Lanes of Lane Type (Variable Driving Lane) may receive the following:
  • Lane Forming/Ending
  • Lane Divider Marker/Center Divider Marker
  • Direction Category
  • Lane Traversal condition

Bicycle lanes are lanes added to the roadbed that only allow bicycle travel as indicated by lane markings, signs, buffers, or barriers.

• Lane Type (Bicycle Lane) is coded for lanes dedicated to bicycle traffic.
• Lane Travel Direction for bicycle lanes matches the Travel Direction of the Lanes From/To for the road it is located on, unless administrative legal rules, signs, or painted lane text indicate otherwise.
• A bidirectional bicycle lane along a singly digitised one-way road is coded lane Travel Direction (Open in both directions).
• Lanes of Lane Type (Bicycle Lane) may receive the following:
  • Lane Divider Marker/Center Divider Marker
  • Direction Category