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FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions And Answers About High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Facilities)

1. What is an HOV lane?

An HOV lane, sometimes called a carpool lane, is a special lane reserved for the use of carpools (with two or more people, including children), vanpools and buses. They are usually located next to the regular, or unrestricted, lanes. These special lanes enable those who carpool or ride the bus to bypass the traffic in the adjacent, unrestricted ("general purpose") lanes.

2. How do they work?

HOV lanes are intended to save time for car-poolers and bus riders by enabling them to bypass the areas of heaviest traffic congestion. Because most drivers, especially during rush hours, are driving alone, the HOV lane is seldom congested. Giving car-poolers a reliable and congestion-free ride during rush hour serves as a strong incentive for ridesharing. HOV lanes also provide commuters a needed alternative to congestion, which is not always possible if all lanes are opened to everybody.

3. I drive alone to work. Why should I support HOV lanes when I can’t use them?

 HOV lanes benefit not only those who share the ride, but all drivers, taxpayers and area residents. First, by encouraging high-occupancy travel (that is, more passengers in fewer vehicles) these lanes can help ease congestion in heavily-traveled metropolitan areas. Second, by reducing the traffic burden on highways, they can help defer costly expansion projects. Third, by reducing the number of vehicles on the road, HOV lanes can help reduce exhaust emissions and contribute to cleaner air.

4. What does an HOV lane look like?

 For the most part, HOV lanes look like any other street or highway lane, except that they are typically delineated with signs and diamonds painted on the pavement. But there is a great deal of variety in the design and operation of HOV lanes. Some, called concurrent flow lanes, lie adjacent to, and operate in the same direction as general purpose lanes. Reversible lanes, usually placed in the highway median, run in one direction in the morning, then in the opposite direction in the afternoon. HOV lanes are delineated by several methods, including barriers, medians rumble strips, buffer areas, and pavement markings.

5. How many HOV lanes are there in the U.S.?

Presently, there are about 100 HOV projects nationwide, representing over 1200 route-miles. There are also HOV lanes in Canada and in a wide variety of locations abroad.

6. Is it legal to restrict publicly-funded highway lanes to HOVs?

Most state departments of transportation have the legal authority to regulate use of the highways, as long as the rules are applied fairly and serve a public benefit. Also, federal legislation, including the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, specifically encourages states to consider, and implement, if feasible, HOV lanes in areas experiencing air quality or traffic congestion problems.

7. How are HOV lanes enforced?

All HOV projects rely on state or local police officers to monitor and enforce HOV lane requirements. In Washington State, a "HERO" program adds an element of self-enforcement, by encouraging commuters to report HOV lane violators to the State Police.

8. What happens to drivers who violate HOV lane rules?

Violators can be stopped and cited by the enforcement officer monitoring the HOV lane, or simply re-directed back into the slower-moving general purpose lanes. Fines accompanying the citation vary from state to state.

9. Why do HOV lanes often appear empty?

HOV lanes, designed to be free of congestion, sometimes have the appearance of being lightly traveled, especially when compared with adjacent, congested unrestricted lanes. When the number of people traveling in an HOV lane is compared, though, HOV lanes are typically busier than unrestricted lanes. HOV lanes carry more people than unrestricted lanes, making them highly efficient as well as beneficial to air quality.

10. What is the safety record of HOV lanes?

Studies have shown that HOV lanes are frequently as safe as, and in many cases safer than, unrestricted lanes.

11. Do HOV lanes operate only during rush hours?

Operating hours vary from state to state. Some states operate their HOV lanes only during rush hours, when traffic is heaviest and HOV lanes are most likely to save time for car-poolers. During off-peak hours, these states either open the lanes to all traffic or simply close them until the next scheduled opening. Other states operate their HOV facilities around the clock. This approach helps to provide ridesharing incentives at all times, and provides travel time savings during times of unexpected congestion, for example, during special events or when there is an incident or accident.

12. Are HOV lanes effective?

Yes. Though results vary from state to state, nearly every state with HOV lanes reports that ridesharing and overall corridor person-moving efficiency has increased since the lanes opened

13. Can HOV lanes be put to other uses as well?

Yes. Some states open carpool lanes to all traffic when the rush hour is over. Others temporarily open the lanes to all traffic during rush hours if there is a major accident causing much more severe congestion than usual on the highway. Some locales are considering allowing trucks to use the lanes during off-peak hours.

14. Some say that HOV lanes aren’t as good for air quality as they were originally thought to be. Is that true?

Several studies have been conducted on this topic, and while conclusions vary as to how much HOV lanes contribute to cleaner air, none dispute that their impact on air quality is positive.

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