Why empty buses are allowed to use HOV lanes

Starting Sept. 27, drivers in the HOV lanes on I-405 will need three people in the car to ride for free.

So why do empty buses get to use high-occupancy vehicle lanes? Shouldn’t they be in the slow lane if they’re empty?

Tell us about what slows you down

Drivers have complained that the empty buses &#8212 often flashing the “to terminal” sign” &#8212 cause problems when they merge all the way over to get to the HOV lanes.

Jeff Switzer, with King County Metro, said that there is really no one answer behind the “to terminal” sign.

“It can be either that the bus is going back for another run to pick up more people (and) is on the way to the location where it starts its trip,” Switzer said. “Maybe it’s heading from the base and starting its trip. Maybe it’s done for the day and it’s going back to the base and it’s using the freeway system.”

What drivers might not realize is that buses need to make empty trips sometimes, Switzer explained. They don’t always pick people up on their out-bound or in-bound trips, depending on what route they’re on.

“When they finish that trip, they got to go back to start sometimes and pick up a whole other load of people,” Switzer said. “That means they may be running back empty using the HOV lane to get a time advantage.”

The buses use the faster HOV lanes to ensure a quicker trip to their destination and to make sure they stay on schedule.

“Having the buses using the HOV lane when they are empty and heading back to start another trip helps to make the system more efficient, helps save dollars, and helps reduce greenhouse gasses,” Switzer said.

Related: WSDOT sets launch date for new I-405 Express Toll Lanes

While it would be great that every bus had passengers every time it is on the road, the system isn’t set up that way.