We Can No Longer Afford to Give Away Highway Lanes to Carpools and Low-Emission Vehicles

High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) and Carpool Lanes promote congestion, while benefiting few commuters. Charging tolls rather than using HOV lanes will reduce traffic while bringing in much needed transportation funding.

3 minute read

July 13, 2004, 12:00 AM PDT

By C. Kenneth Orski

Photo: C. Kenneth OrskiRoad space is becoming a scarce commodity in America's metropolitan areas and there are few prospects of significantly increasing highway capacity except at an exorbitant cost. Can we afford to give away a portion of this valuable resource in the form of lanes exclusively reserved for carpools? And should we extend this give-away to low-emission vehicles, as called for in the Administration's and House surface transportation reauthorization bills and in proposed California legislation (AB 2628)?

Most certainly not, says Robert Poole, director of transportation studies at the Reason Public Policy Institute in a recent commentary in Public Works Financing ("Rethinking HOV and HOT Lanes," May 2004). "America faces twin crises in urban transportation: a congestion crisis and a funding crisis. Express Toll Lanes that give every driver a congestion-relief alternative on major expressways could address both crises," asserts Poole. But this solution, he says, risks being compromised if we dedicate highway lanes to special classes of drivers or vehicles.

I agree. The original rationale for giving priority to carpoolers was to conserve fuel. But today, with the number of carpoolers dwindling and with the remaining carpools largely among family members (who would share a ride with or without an HOV incentive), reserving this valuable space for such a relatively small band of commuters simply makes no sense. Evidence from California's express toll lanes shows that drivers are willing to pay 50-60 cents per mile for the privilege of traveling in congestion-free lanes. Express Toll Lanes thus offer a potential to generate millions of dollars in toll revenue -- money that could be used to supplement the gas tax and improve our highways and transit service.

As for letting low-emission vehicles to use HOV lanes for free, "it's crazy to give away this valuable space to people who would be buying hybrids anyway," says Poole. Hybrids are already selling very well, with long waiting lists and in some case at premium prices. The California Air Resources Board estimates that 55,000 hybrid vehicles will be on California highways by 2007 -- with or without the HOV incentive. Letting 55,000 hybrids into Express Toll Lanes for free would quickly fill up those lanes, deprive motorists of a congestion-free alternative and foreclose the opportunity to provide regional express bus service.

There are some indications that transportation officials are rethinking the notion that carpools should get free access to new express toll lanes. The state of Maryland intends to charge all vehicles without exception on its proposed Express Toll Lane network. (See "Maryland's Express Toll Lanes: A Giant Step Forward," Innovation Briefs, June 2004).

There are some good reasons for doing so, argues Poole. First, giving away part of the toll lane capacity to free carpools might make such lanes unable to generate enough revenues to pay for their construction. Secondly, charging all vehicles does away with the problem and expense of enforcing car occupancy requirements and drastically reduces the number of potential violators. Every vehicle using Express Toll Lanes (with a possible exception of transit buses) would be obliged to have a transponder. A vehicle without one would be easily identified, videotaped and assessed a fine, as is currently done on facilities equipped with E-Z pass or other electronic toll collection technology.

Yes, encouraging ridesharing and low-emission vehicles are worthy public policy goals. But should they take precedence over congestion relief and generation of badly needed highway funds? We join Bob Poole in saying it is time for a serious debate on this issue.


C. Kenneth Orski is editor and publisher of Innovation Briefs, an influential and widely read bimonthly publication reporting on surface transportation developments. He also heads the Urban Mobility Corporation, a Washington-based consulting firm specializing in transportation management and technology transfer. A former Associate Administrator of the Urban Mass Transportation Administration, he was a member of President George W. Bush's transportation transition team.

View More
portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Cobblestone street with vintage street lamps in Savannah, Georgia.

Savannah Reduces Speed Limits on Almost 100 City Streets

The historic Georgia city is lowering speed limits in an effort to reduce road fatalities.

May 20 - WJCL

Sign for Loma Alta Park in Altadena, Los Angeles County.

A Park Reborn: Resilience and Renewal in Fire-Stricken Altadena

Rebuilt in just two months after the devastating Eaton Fire, Loma Alta Park now stands as a symbol of community resilience and renewal, even as some residents hope recovery efforts will continue to support housing stability and long-term equity.

May 20 - Pasadena NOw

Colorful historic homes in Madrid, Spain.

Spain Moves to Ban 66,000 Airbnbs

The national government is requiring the short-term rental operator to remove thousands of illegal listings from its site as part of an effort to stem a growing housing crisis.

May 20 - The New York Times

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Write for Planetizen