So much HOV lane cheating (Tucker, Chamblee: law, bus, moving)

[ATLTJL]

Have you ever paid close attention to who is driving in the HOV lane?

Last Friday, I was stuck in a bit of a traffic jam in the far left lane. I started paying close attention to the cars whizzing by me in the HOV lane. At least a third of them only had one person in the car.

I figured if I accounted for the cars that may have had infants in the back seat that I couldn't see, that number might be closer to a quarter of the cars. This doesn't count the cars with tinted windows that you can't see inside, I have no idea how the police check on those.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em...that's what I did. I hopped in the HOV lane, too, and wouldn't you know it....I totally got away with it.

It seems to me that the HOV lanes are not enforced very well. Just wondering if anybody else has noticed this. Years ago, I realized I could take the HOV entrance ramp onto the connector from Williams Street and come out on the left side of the road, so I didn't have to cross 4 lanes of speeding traffic to make sure I got on I-85 at the split. Sometime during week 2 or 3 of doing this, I got busted and got a ticket.

But it seems like nowadays, nobody patrols the HOV lane. Was my observation an isolated incident, or do you see people violate HOV rules with reckless abandon?

BTW, this was the the strict HOV lane on I-85 south of Chamblee Tucker, not the HOT portion where single drivers might have paid the toll.

[evannole]

I was just thinking the same thing the other week. I would love to see better enforcement... Would be nice if they could come up with some sort of automated system for monitoring the usage of these lanes. The frequency with which I see solo drivers in those lanes is just infuriating.

If enforcement is going to be so lax, I think that fully converting them to pay lanes (with a free use option for vehicles with 2+ or 3+ occupants, as in the I-85 lanes OTP) at least warrants consideration.

[cwkimbro]

I think HOT lanes will help, but I think we should a step further. If someone is caught violating the HOT lane (ie. pretending to be a 3 carpool for free in the case of I-85N), then they should lose the privilege to be able to use it at all for a long period. That is something we can electronically track.

At least that way when we have little short periods of heavy enforcement, we can catch and throw out the people ... rather than having to keep finding a way to enforce again and again.

[primaltech]

Bus only lane. K thanks.

[bornjacksonian]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

Years ago, I realized I could take the HOV entrance ramp onto the connector from Williams Street and come out on the left side of the road, so I didn't have to cross 4 lanes of speeding traffic to make sure I got on I-85 at the split. Sometime during week 2 or 3 of doing this, I got busted and got a ticket.

I just did the same thing Saturday night coming from downtown for the same exact reason, I did not want to cross any lines trying to stay going 85 north. I frequent that ramp at times heading home.

[Atlmike]

They shold just make it a pay lane(peachpass) all the way like it is from pleasntdale onto Gwinnett. Its utterly useless once you hit the city and actually have 2 + people in the car. You get stuck wacthing cars clog the lane that only have one person.

[DreamerD]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

Have you ever paid close attention to who is driving in the HOV lane?

Last Friday, I was stuck in a bit of a traffic jam in the far left lane. I started paying close attention to the cars whizzing by me in the HOV lane. At least a third of them only had one person in the car.

I figured if I accounted for the cars that may have had infants in the back seat that I couldn't see, that number might be closer to a quarter of the cars. This doesn't count the cars with tinted windows that you can't see inside, I have no idea how the police check on those.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em...that's what I did. I hopped in the HOV lane, too, and wouldn't you know it....I totally got away with it.

It seems to me that the HOV lanes are not enforced very well. Just wondering if anybody else has noticed this. Years ago, I realized I could take the HOV entrance ramp onto the connector from Williams Street and come out on the left side of the road, so I didn't have to cross 4 lanes of speeding traffic to make sure I got on I-85 at the split. Sometime during week 2 or 3 of doing this, I got busted and got a ticket.

But it seems like nowadays, nobody patrols the HOV lane. Was my observation an isolated incident, or do you see people violate HOV rules with reckless abandon?

BTW, this was the the strict HOV lane on I-85 south of Chamblee Tucker, not the HOT portion where single drivers might have paid the toll.

Okay so here I am almost wetting myself every time I accidentally stay in the H.O.V. lane for 2 seconds. HAHA (I don't use the highway too often and so sometimes I don't know/forget where H.O.V. begins).

I was under the impression that there are cameras and they catch your license plate. I guess I was very wrong.

[cqholt]

I have witnessed people use it to speed around a slower moving car in the left lane, but yes there needs to be better enforcement of ALL traffic laws. One of the reasons why people are so terrible at driving here is the law enforcement of traffic laws. eg: Cobb PD cannot ticket someone on the few roads they run radar on, unless that vehicle is at least 10 mph over the posted speed limit.

[wasel]

Due to my electric car I have the "right" to drive in the HOV lane as a sole occupant, but often when traffic is heavy it is actually slower than the other lanes.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by wasel

Due to my electric car I have the "right" to drive in the HOV lane as a sole occupant, but often when traffic is heavy it is actually slower than the other lanes.

Its a privileged because you own an alternative fuel vehicle, HOT lanes do not offer the same privilege to alternative fuel as HOV lanes.