CHOKEPOINTS

Setting the ground rules for HOV lanes

Jan 18, 2018, 11:00 AM | Updated: 11:01 am

Sound Transit, carpool, HOV lane,...

(KIRO 7)

(KIRO 7)

Drivers continue to ask questions about HOV lanes and left-lane camping, especially because some of our HOV lanes in Puget Sound are not always HOV lanes.

13.5K left-lane campers pulled over in 2017

Let’s set the ground rules. An HOV lane, by law and definition, is not a general purpose lane. The left-lane camping rule does not apply to HOV lanes.

“It’s [HOV lane] not counted as a general purpose lane, and the law applies to the general purpose lanes for left-lane camping,” Washington State Trooper Rick Johnson said. “It is a restricted lane. Unfortunately, there are some people that believe that is the left lane.”

In other words, HOV lanes are not a fast lane.

But what happens when the HOV lane is no longer an HOV lane? Take, for example, I-405 between Bellevue and Renton. The HOV lane is only an HOV lane between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m. It is open to all drivers the rest of the time.

“That HOV lane is still not the left lane, and so you just pretend like it doesn’t exist, in essence, when you’re thinking about that left lane law,” Trooper Johnson said.

Compounding matters even more are the express toll lanes. They are restricted lanes and not subject to the left-lane camping law, but what happens when they open to all between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m.? Just like the section of HOV lane from Bellevue to Renton after hours, the toll lanes are still restricted lanes, and you have a double-white line on the road. Whether the toll lanes are open to all or not, drivers cannot cross that double white line legally.

But does the left-lane camping law apply when there are two express toll lanes?

“If you don’t need to be in that lane and you’re not actively passing, just get into the next ETL lane,” Trooper Johnson said. “That will avoid any kind of aggravation by other drivers.”

Chokepoints

I-5 overpass 145th seattle...

Chris Sullivan

Sullivan: I-5 overpass at 145th in Seattle to close

The North 145th Street overpass of I-5, right there at the new light rail station, is about to close for seven months.

1 hour ago

Photo: WSDOT crews pump concrete at new Veterans Drive tunnel....

Nate Connors

Late night I-5 closures coming up this week as WSDOT works on new tunnel

Contractors WSDOT are prepping for work on the new Veterans Drive Tunnel beneath I-5, adjacent to State Route 516.

15 hours ago

Image: A Pierce Transit Stream Bus can be seen in Pierce County....

Micki Gamez

South Sound travelers may opt for transit after major service change

It's been seven years since Pierce Transit announced a major service change. The change means more access to Tacoma and the region.

2 days ago

headphones windshield obstructions...

Chris Sullivan

Sullivan: Driving with headphones, windshield obstructions in Washington

It's another episode of "rules of the road," I'm tackling two driving questions: Using headphones or windshield obstructions while driving.

2 days ago

four-way stops...

Chris Sullivan

Sullivan: Why do so many people get freaked out at four-way stops?

There is no mystery to how four-way stops work, so why do so many people mess up this simple maneuver?

7 days ago

There's a right way and a wrong way to turn into traffic with a bus lane. (Graphic: Bill Kaczaraba,...

Chris Sullivan

Sullivan: Sweeping bus-only lanes, what’s the right move?

I received feedback from my story on lane sweeping last week. But what happens when you are turning and the closest lane is restricted?

9 days ago

Setting the ground rules for HOV lanes