HOV Lane enforcement

[SSOWorld]

After a drive into Nashville at 8:00, I kind of wonder how much enforcement cities and states put into HOV use.  I saw more than 10 cars with single occupants use the I-40 inbound from East HOV Lane during my trip in.  This tells me they don't care about the lanes.

I am aware that cities like Atlanta with its HO-T lanes have cameras watching you. 

Thoughts? Any other findings?

[US 89]

Enforcement is spotty to non-existent on the I-15 HO/T lanes in Salt Lake City. On occasion, there will be a policeman at the bottom of the northbound HOT-only Exit 307, giving out tickets to non-paying single occupants. I've never seen HOV enforcement in the lanes themselves.

The other thing I've rarely seen enforced is the "do not cross double white line" rule. Almost every time I'm on I-15, I'll see people cross the line, and it kills traffic. It's also incredibly dangerous, given that during rush hour the speed differential between the general and HOV lanes can be 60 mph or greater.

[Hurricane Rex]

Oregon's only Carpool/HOV lane is NEVER enforced (at least I've never seen it enforced) but then again, it is a HOV from 3-6 PM Monday to Friday which makes it confusing for out of town people to understand. It is violated constantly.

LG-TP260

[roadman]

The 'zipper' HOV lane on the Southeast Expressway has a State Police trooper stationed at the entrance.  If a single occupant vehicle tries to enter, they are directed back into the general lanes.  This enforcement is generally in place at all times when the lane is deployed.

The HOV lane on I-93 southbound in Somerville has no enforcement at the entrance.  Since the Zakim Bridge was constructed, there is now an "enforcement area" pullout about midway between the HOV entrance and the Zakim Bridge.  State Police will randomly set up enforcement in this area.  Single occupant vehicles are ticketed, then directed back into the general lanes.

Prior to construction of the Zakim Bridge, the Somerville HOV lane was also the exit lane to the Tobin Bridge northbound.  In those days, a trooper would sit at the end of the HOV Lane.  When they spotted a single-occupant vehicle attempting to get back into the general lanes, they would wave them over into the gore, write them a ticket, and them direct them to use the Tobin Bridge exit instead of allowing them back onto I-93.  Of course, some single drivers would risk using the HOV lane and hope there was no enforcement that morning.  If there was, they would continue onto the Tobin Bridge ramp, then cross traffic and take the exit ramp into Charlestown (this weave was worse than the old Charles River Crossing weave was).

Over the past years, there have been a number of instances where drivers were caught using a dummy passenger in both the Expressway 'zipper' and I-93 HOV lanes.  The most unique twist on this technique I remember happened in the early 1980s in the I-93 Somerville HOV lane.  A male driver had set up a female 'passenger' in his car.  He would change the dress on his 'passenger' every day to minimize suspicion.  This went on for about two months when the man decided to get clever.  He then rigged his 'passenger' so it would wave at the trooper every day.  This worked OK until the same trooper got HOV duty for several days in a row and noticed how one particular woman would wave at him exactly the same way each time he saw "her".  Suspecting something quirky, he finally pulled the car over one morning and discovered the ruse.

[02 Park Ave]

I have wondered if the HOV lanes on the New Jersey Turnpike are ever enforced.  I have seen numerous single occupant motor cars in them.  However, complicating the situation is the fact that electric and alternate fuel vehicles are exempt from the restriction.

Likewise, I've never seen the truck restriction to the two right hand lanes in that sector being enforced either.

Enforcing these rules would be a good source of income for the authorities, at least until the restrictions are fully obeyed.

[jakeroot]

In Washington, HOV enforcement is done by other drivers calling a special hotline to report violators, or police just hanging out on overpasses (especially the Texas-T interchanges that are reserved for diamond lane users).

On the 167 HO/T lane south of Seattle, where the cameras only charge you if you have a tag (no tag is assumed to be carpool), a small light on the sign gantry blinks when it senses a toll tag. Police watch this light, and pull over all drivers without a blinking light who also appear to be alone.

On the 405 north of Bellevue, all cars are automatically charged, so there's no need for enforcement. Anyone can drive alone in the express lanes with or without a tag, but will be charged according to whether or not they had a tag. The only police hanging out along this stretch are watching speed, since drivers seem to routinely hit 80 (in a 60 zone) due to all the cheapos hanging out in the GP lanes.