Traffic Cheaters

Driving north on Interstate 95 towards Washington, drivers encounter high-occupancy vehicle lanes (HOVs) that run for roughly twenty miles and are thought to ease congestion by taking cars off of the roads. Vehicles carrying three or more persons are allowed to use the lanes, which are typically, but recently less frequently, faster moving than the main interstate. Many of the traffic problems in HOV lanes are a result of cheaters who use HOV lanes while driving alone. "I'm looking at HOV right now, and two out of every five [vehicles] have only one person," said one commute on a cell phone near Woodbridge, Virginia. "I get envious watching them move that fast. They don't need an HOV. [Getting rid of it] would relieve a lot of this congestion." As transportation planners think about how to improve the atrocious traffic around Washington, fewer are considering new HOV lanes. "We believe there's actually more congestion management potential from express toll lanes than HOV lanes," said Neil J. Pedersen, chief of the Maryland State Highway Administration. "Our thinking has evolved to that, and it's a combination of looking at what can most effectively manage congestion together with a very practical funding issue." The fact that only 7% of Washington area drivers travel in carpools makes an even stronger case for discontinuing HOV lanes in future highway projects.

Thanks to Peter Buryk