Those costly carpool lanes

Caltrans has an idea for relieving congestion on carpool lanes: Increase the fine on cheaters (which is now about $500). Gary Richards said Caltrans is struggling to unclog the lanes:

Carpool cheaters may be paying higher fines for diving into the diamond lane. Caltrans announced today that it will recommend raising penalties as a way to ease congestion in the state's carpool lanes and beef up enforcement from the highway patrol. The average fine with court fees tacked on is currently around $500. The Federal Highway Administration ordered the state to find ways to ease traffic in its more than 1,000 miles of carpool lanes. Caltrans estimates that speeds have fallen under 45 mph in 46 percent of its carpool lanes and of that amount, 13 percent are at stop-and-go levels, most in Southern California.

Comments

[M from Valencia]

Who do we report carpool cheaters too?
Im so sick and tired of people getting on the car pool lane when there is only a single person in the vehicle and they would drive really slow too.

I dont understand how caltrans put a carpool lane from valencia to the 118 and it gets cut off from there. Whats the purpose of the carpool lane when the traffic starts by the 118.

I really dont know understand the concept of that.

please advise of carpool cheaters so these drivers can get a fine! stoopid drivers

[Phil]

Let's face it: the only reason carpool lanes get built in the first place is because they are tied to federal highway subsidies, and they help get new construction passed. Otherwise, the data is running against them, so let's eliminate carpool lanes altogether. Studies in the Bay area, New Jersey and elsewhere show that carpool lanes raise pollution levels, drive down ridesharing, and increase congestion for everyone else, which is one of the reasons they are not reducing pollution. Raising carpool thresholds to 3 passengers per vehicle will only make these negative trends worse, while benefitting few. Further, much carpooling involves ferrying people below driving age within the same family. A mom with two toddlers in car seats is not a deserving carpool lane user.

So let's get rid of them entirely. Someone else surmised that eliminating carpool lanes would only render a 17 mile backup a 15 mile backup. Well, perhaps, but even that would be a meaningful positive improvement on time wasted and pollution derived from idling engines operating in their least efficient mode. Improvements are uniformly better than backsliding, which is what carpooling is getting us.

At the very least, revoke the hybrid exemption for solo drivers, and require at least two people of driving age in any carpool lane vehicle. Also, limos and taxis with only one passenger aside from the driver should be kept out too. But how to enforce? Easy, revert to all lanes for everyone.

This is a no-brainer for the man-causes-global-warming crowd and for everyone else whose main concern is local air quality. But instead, we're likely only to hear ideology trumping the facts.

[Gina G.]

Dan W's idea has a little merit but only a very, very little. Parents often arrange carpools. A minivan or SUV full of kids is not what anyone relishes but it cuts down on fuel emissions by having only one car going to school or soccer practice.
Many moms and dads stay out of the carpool lane when the children are in the car because it's also known as the hyper-speed lane. It can be too dangerous.
Let's keep trucks (those used for work; gardeners, movers, etc.) out of that lane. These people are not "carpooling" and probably know the surface streets better than most.

[If it walks like a duck...]

Two solutions come to mind:
1) leave things as they are (eliminating the car-pool lane in favor of
just one more all-purpose lane would only make a 17 mile back up
of traffic a 15 mile back up...after millions of dollars in studies and
contractors "friendly" to Cal-Trans). Leave things as they are.
2) HOV lane for US citizens only (finally value for being a citizen--
same for the check out lines. Each supermarket/bank/department
store should have one aisle exclusively for US citizens).
A perk is a perk.

[mike]

I agree with Dan, that it should be X number of people driving age. Taking the soccer team to practice shouldnt get you into the carpool lane.

Changing the law doesnt matter if its not enforced anyway.

[LueZuve]

I'd also like to see a few new rules for carpool lanes.

1) NO TRUCKS. And I don't mean just the big rigs. I mean moving trucks and supply trucks, and especially roach coaches. Not to mention those trucks that are so loaded with supplies that they should be all the way to the right.

2) No buses when the highway is moving. In other words, there's no reason for a bus to be in the carpool lane unless the highway is bumper to bumper. I understand the need for buses in the carpool lane...we definitely want to to promote public transportation...but they actually clog up the lane during the less busy times.

3) Allow people to break the yellow line during non-rush hour.

[LAofAnaheim]

Dan - exactly right! This "increased enforcement" talking points is a band-aid to a problem.......what we need is a solution. And, a solution is 1) increase carpool requirements to 3 persons/car and/or 2) disallow hybrid owners into carpool lanes. Hybrid owners already get a tax write-off from purchase and increased gas mileage, how many more incentives do we need to provide?

[Kate]

Lots of cheaters aren't being caught now. Maybe a better answer is to find a way to effectively enforce the existing law. That seems more likely to result in both fewer cheaters and increased revenue for the state.

[Dan W.]

Enforcing rules is fine.

What would be better is if the Carpool Lane rules would be changed to required 2 or 3 ADULTS to use the lanes.

The point of a carpool lane is to reward people who reduce the number of cars on the road, not make it easier for parents to take their kids somewhere.