My overall thoughts is that this "HO/T network" is not really going to alleviate traffic congestion issues in the Hampton Roads region, and in some areas will make it worse. The only benefit of the HO/T lane scenario over the GP lane scenario is that you have at least one lane guaranteed to be moving at free-flowing speeds. But looking at the overall operation and LOS of each roadway, it does not make an improvement, or makes it worse such as the HRBT approach and the HRB corridor.
Since the HOT lane can be managed up to about 90% of capacity and kept free-flowing, you would only gain about 10% and only on that one lane if it became general purpose.
Or are you suggesting that they be HOV instead of HOT? The issue there in the H.R. region is that they operate far below capacity, and that is the reason why the move to allow sub-HOV vehicles to 'buy into' the lane.
The long-term goal of HOV was to promote car-pooling and van-pooling and express transit bus service. So there was the goal of ultimately having one HOV lane each way on I-64 between Williamsburg and Bowers Hill, and one HOV lane each way on I-264 between downtown Norfolk and the Virginia Beach oceanfront.
I consider those to be very worthwhile goals, and that eliminating all managed lane restrictions would cancel those goals.
The goal to "alleviate traffic congestion issues" is more than just the tactical look at the LOS on a freeway at certain hours of the day.