HOUSTON — Houston-area drivers may soon need to add another person to their carpool on some of the region’s busiest highways.
Metro is considering requiring at least three passengers instead of two per vehicle in their HOV/HOT express lanes along I-45 and parts of I-69 during some peak travel times.
During certain hours, no toll-paying solo drivers are allowed in the lanes, only cars with 2 or more people. However, because the average speed has dropped below the Federal Transit Administration’s minimum 45 mph requirement in some spots within those lanes, Metro’s considering changes to move cars faster and boost bus reliability.
Their proposal: from 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., only carpools of 3 or more people could use Metro’s I-45 HOV/HOT express lanes north of downtown and south of downtown. From 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., the same rule would apply for the HOV/HOT express lanes along Interstate 69 southwest of downtown.
It’s the same rule Metro’s had in place since 1999 for their HOV/HOT lane on Highway 290 between 6:30 a.m. and 8 a.m.
“Well, that would encourage carpooling wouldn’t it?” said driver Susan Blackmore, who said she leaves early to avoid rush hour.
“You see people in (the HOV lane) all the time that only have one person in the car, so them adding an extra person ain’t gonna matter,” said driver Blaine O’Connor. “They’re still gonna use it regardless.”
“I think it’s a good idea because…(O’Connor’s) aunt actually got pulled over for riding in it, and she was by herself,” said Amber Conner.
So, why not just go after solo drivers who aren’t allowed in that lane?
At a December 5 board meeting, METRO Police Department Captain Darrin Lewis told the agency’s Board of Directors that his officers did just that, making 561 stops over 10 days during peak evening hours. However, in the 10 days following the enforcement period, average HOV lane speed during the same time along the same route remained basically unchanged.
Now the board is brainstorming new ways to give drivers a less stressful commute.
“I would be in favor of having something consistent both in the a.m. and in the p.m. hours,” said Sanjay Ramabhadran, a Metro board member, during the December 5 meeting.
Metro’s Board would have to approve any changes. If that happens, Metro officials say the changes would not happen overnight, and the agency would educate drivers beforehand through electronic “dynamic messaging signs” along the freeway, as well as the agency's website.