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We already knew Project Neon would spell the end of I-15's current express lanes between Silverado Ranch & Sahara–it is to be converted to HOV (in areas where there are two express lanes, the second express lane will become an additional general purpose lane).

With the new HOV connector between I-15 & US 95 at the Spaghetti Bowl being built as part of Project Neon, this will result in 22 miles of continuous HOV lane facilities from I-15 & Silverado Ranch to US 95 & Elkhorn Road (where an HOV-only exit is under construction as part of the US 95 Northwest project).

What I didn't know was that the HOV rules for the whole valley would be changing...

Rules for Las Vegas HOV lanes to change when Project Neon complete (https://www.reviewjournal.com/traffic/rules-for-las-vegas-hov-lanes-to-change-when-project-neon-complete-1639724/), Las Vegas Review-Journal, 4/12/19

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Regulating HOV lanes will also change. Currently the HOV lanes are utilized as such only during high traffic times, from 6 a.m. until 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Once the new lanes go live in mid-May the HOV lanes will be enforced 24 hours a day, seven days per week, according to Dale Keller, NDOT assistant chief of project management, who presented the HOV plan Thursday to the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada board of commissioners.

Additionally, crossing the solid double white line of an HOV lane is also illegal; motorists are allowed to enter and exit the lane only where dotted lines are present.

Interestingly, the US 95 HOV lane was 24/7 when originally implemented, but after maybe a year was changed to the current peak-hour enforcement.

But it seems NDOT is taking a page from Caltrans' SoCal playbook in creating designated entry/exit points for HOV lanes with double solid lines. This is a departure from the current "you can cross the solid line at any time" style (which I never thought was a good practice–should've used broken lines).

Is there evidence that the HOV lanes are overused even outside of peak hours, though? My beef with Caltrans is that freeways that run relatively empty off peak really shouldn't have 24-hour HOV lanes, or otherwise you're taking away capacity that's just not being used at other times. I think the only justification for 24-hour lanes is when the HOV lanes don't achieve minimum speeds at any time.

I think they need to take a look at how it goes and see if there is really such a demand for off peak usage. In cities like SF and LA I can understand 24 hour HOV lane enforcement, but Las Vegas doesn't seem like it should be enforced at night.

Quote from: ClassicHasClass on April 13, 2019, 01:52:08 PM
Is there evidence that the HOV lanes are overused even outside of peak hours, though? My beef with Caltrans is that freeways that run relatively empty off peak really shouldn't have 24-hour HOV lanes, or otherwise you're taking away capacity that's just not being used at other times. I think the only justification for 24-hour lanes is when the HOV lanes don't achieve minimum speeds at any time.

I would say no. I can potentially see more demand for the HOV lanes on I-15 than those existing on US 95, but not to the point that 24/7 enforcement would make any appreciable impact outside of peak hours.

I'm guessing they're going to go with the most restrictive enforcement as the entire HOV network is unveiled (including Vegas' first HOV-only interchanges), and reevaluate after a year or so of use. This is basically what happened when NDOT introduced HOV lanes to US 95 several years ago–they loosened the 24/7 after about a year or so, in part because there was no demand for it outside of the am/pm peak hours.

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on April 13, 2019, 04:36:14 PM
I think they need to take a look at how it goes and see if there is really such a demand for off peak usage. In cities like SF and LA I can understand 24 hour HOV lane enforcement, but Las Vegas doesn't seem like it should be enforced at night.

SF doesn't have 24 hour HOV lanes.

The Bay Bridge has some Bus Only lanes that can be used by carpools during carpool hours, but carpool lanes on freeways (and I believe all other bridge toll plazas) are all peak only AFAIK.

Quote from: Junkie on April 16, 2019, 03:55:08 PM

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on April 13, 2019, 04:36:14 PM
I think they need to take a look at how it goes and see if there is really such a demand for off peak usage. In cities like SF and LA I can understand 24 hour HOV lane enforcement, but Las Vegas doesn't seem like it should be enforced at night.

SF doesn't have 24 hour HOV lanes.

The Bay Bridge has some Bus Only lanes that can be used by carpools during carpool hours, but carpool lanes on freeways (and I believe all other bridge toll plazas) are all peak only AFAIK.

Thanks for the correction. I paused when I typed SF Bc I couldn't remember exactly what their rules were like.

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on April 13, 2019, 04:36:14 PM
I think they need to take a look at how it goes and see if there is really such a demand for off peak usage. In cities like SF and LA I can understand 24 hour HOV lane enforcement, but Las Vegas doesn’t seem like it should be enforced at night.

The Wasatch Front metropolitan area is fairly similar to Vegas in population, and the HOV (now HOT) lanes on I-15 there have been restricted 24 hours ever since their introduction in 2000/2001. Initially, you could get into them wherever you liked and they were marked with a single solid white line, but that was converted to a double solid line when they added the ability for single drivers to buy a sticker to drive in the lanes. (They later switched to a transponder system when congestion pricing was implemented.)

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on April 16, 2019, 04:13:22 PM
Thanks for the correction. I paused when I typed SF Bc I couldn't remember exactly what their rules were like.

For the curious, SF itself has no HOV freeway lanes, I only recall a HOV entrance for Interstate 80 that is 3+ but only on rush hour (3PM to 7:30PM) on Bryant Street and 2nd.

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7830424,-122.3937612,3a,51.2y,50.67h,94.63t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sbhmQPFsMrHcbv5kaV1hRhw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Quote from: Techknow on April 16, 2019, 07:23:12 PM

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on April 16, 2019, 04:13:22 PM
Thanks for the correction. I paused when I typed SF Bc I couldn't remember exactly what their rules were like.

For the curious, SF itself has no HOV freeway lanes, I only recall a HOV entrance for Interstate 80 that is 3+ but only on rush hour (3PM to 7:30PM) on Bryant Street and 2nd.

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7830424,-122.3937612,3a,51.2y,50.67h,94.63t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sbhmQPFsMrHcbv5kaV1hRhw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Lack of clarification on my part. I was referring to the metro area. I'll often just say the parent city without mentioning I am referring to entire metro which sometimes confuses people.

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on April 16, 2019, 08:09:52 PM

Quote from: Techknow on April 16, 2019, 07:23:12 PM

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on April 16, 2019, 04:13:22 PM
Thanks for the correction. I paused when I typed SF Bc I couldn't remember exactly what their rules were like.

For the curious, SF itself has no HOV freeway lanes, I only recall a HOV entrance for Interstate 80 that is 3+ but only on rush hour (3PM to 7:30PM) on Bryant Street and 2nd.

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7830424,-122.3937612,3a,51.2y,50.67h,94.63t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sbhmQPFsMrHcbv5kaV1hRhw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Lack of clarification on my part. I was referring to the metro area. I'll often just say the parent city without mentioning I am referring to entire metro which sometimes confuses people.

I think with the Bay Area the distinctions are a bit more subtle, as the three major urban cores (SF, Oakland, SJ) all are culturally separate and each have their own set of suburbs.

The two nearest HOV lanes to San Francisco are probably the US 101 carpool lane that starts in Redwood City I think it is...about 25 miles to the south, and the Eastshore Freeway/I-80 HOV lane that ends at the Bay Bridge toll plaza in West Oakland. 

Some City of Las Vegas officials have concerns about the new HOV rules (and one just doesn't like HOV lanes at all):


Las Vegas officials concerned about HOV lane regulations (https://www.reviewjournal.com/traffic/las-vegas-officials-concerned-about-hov-lane-regulations-1643647/), Las Vegas Review-Journal, 4/17/19

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Las Vegas city officials want to put the brakes on portions of proposed changes in the rules governing high occupancy vehicle lanes that are slated to take effect when Project Neon is completed next month.
<...>
On Wednesday, Dale Keller, Nevada Department of Transportation's assistant chief of project management, gave the Las Vegas City Council an overview of the coming HOV lane changes. After the briefing, Councilman Stavros Anthony said if it were up to him there would be no carpool lanes.

"I want to drive in those lanes, too,"  Anthony said. "But I don't because I'm not going to violate the law."

Anthony said he regularly speaks with residents in his area of the northwest valley, where the current HOV lanes run, and they aren't happy about the existing HOV lanes, even with the current intermittent regulations.
<...>
Currently the HOV lanes are utilized as such only during high traffic times, from 6 to 10 a.m. and 2 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Under the new rules, the HOV lanes will be enforced 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

Additionally, crossing the solid double white line of an HOV lane is also illegal; motorists are allowed to enter and exit the lane only where dotted lines are present. There will be 14 enter/exit points across the 22 miles of HOV lanes where motorists can legally move in and out of the lanes.

Motorists will face a $250 fine for violating any of the prohibited actions in the carpool lanes.

The lack of current regulation on the existing HOV lanes worries Anthony, and said adding the 24-hour restriction will create even more issues.

Despite Anthony's concerns, Highway Patrol Trooper Lt. Chris Dreyer said the uniform rules will actually help the department enforce them, despite the increased hours.
<...>
Councilwoman Michele Fiore doubled-down on the 24-hour regulation concern.

"That's something that we really have to look at,"  Fiore said. "You're looking at taking the benefit of everyone else using the HOV lanes at certain hours and making it 24/7, and I am in 100 percent disagreement with that, at minimum."
<...>
Councilman Bob Coffin said he was in support of the HOV lanes, due to the perceived environmental effect the lanes could have on reducing emissions as residents carpool with each other.

He didn't understand why electric or hybrid vehicles wouldn't be allowed to travel in them even when those vehicles have one occupant, as is the case in California and other states.
<...>
Keller said NDOT will monitor the HOV lanes when they open and the department will make changes to any aspect it feels is needed. Keller also said there's federal funding tied in with the valley's freeway system, with HOV lanes being part of that.

Despite the funding tied to the HOV lanes, Anthony requested the HOV changes be discussed again at the May 15 City Council meeting, with a public comment period open between now and the meeting.

Not sure that the city council has any jurisdiction to affect the HOV lanes on a state facility... But I agree with Councilwoman Fiore about the 24/7 restriction.

The last article detailed that the HOV lanes would now have entry/exit points. New in this article is the accompanying graphic showing the specific entry/exit points. The count of 14 points counts approximate locations (whether there is access in one direction or both) and appears to include future HOV interchanges as two of the 14.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fres.cloudinary.com%2Fstephens-media%2Fimage%2Fupload%2Fv1555567401%2Fhovlanesgraphic.jpg&hash=a3721d4747f7d9b33d3001c92fd0b0ce103d7edc)

My hope is that NDOT includes some signage that indicates when to leave the HOV lane to get to certain exits, a la I-5 (https://goo.gl/maps/NNrjcX4pAGyYsJzd9) in SoCal (https://goo.gl/maps/JdiWH4XGE7mEVj6TA).

And also that they use actual double solid lines to mark the HOV lanes. They called the lines separating I-15's express lanes "double solid", but these are actually two single solid lines spaced about four feet apart.

Quote from: roadfro on April 20, 2019, 11:14:04 AM
And also that they use actual double solid lines to mark the HOV lanes. They called the lines separating I-15's express lanes "double solid", but these are actually two single solid lines spaced about four feet apart.

In my experience, the extra-wide double solid lines are better than standard-width double solid lines at deterring traffic from crossing them, because they create a wider gap between the express and general lanes.  Compare the normal width (https://goo.gl/maps/5pMbMPh9y3CnqHSR8) to the extra-wide version (https://goo.gl/maps/nhcdBabFrzwhZWGp6) - although it didn't seem to stop that one car from crossing!

Quote from: US 89 on April 20, 2019, 11:26:50 AM

Quote from: roadfro on April 20, 2019, 11:14:04 AM
And also that they use actual double solid lines to mark the HOV lanes. They called the lines separating I-15's express lanes "double solid", but these are actually two single solid lines spaced about four feet apart.

In my experience, the extra-wide double solid lines are better than standard-width double solid lines at deterring traffic from crossing them, because they create a wider gap between the express and general lanes.  Compare the normal width (https://goo.gl/maps/5pMbMPh9y3CnqHSR8) to the extra-wide version (https://goo.gl/maps/nhcdBabFrzwhZWGp6) - although it didn't seem to stop that one car from crossing!

NDOT's I-15 Express Lanes are set up like your second example, generally with a 4-ish foot buffer. People cross them all the time.

The buffer could have been made with double white lines on each side, similar to the SoCal HOV lane buffers (second example linked in my previous post). Closely spaced double solid lines whether white or yellow indicate "do not cross", whereas a two single solid lines with space between does not indicate the same restriction.

Quote from: roadfro on April 13, 2019, 11:52:09 AM

But it seems NDOT is taking a page from Caltrans' SoCal playbook in creating designated entry/exit points for HOV lanes with double solid lines. This is a departure from the current "you can cross the solid line at any time" style (which I never thought was a good practice–should've used broken lines).

SoCal is actually moving away from this practice; most new HOV lanes are separated with broken lines, and some older ones are being restriped with broken lines.

Restriping of I-15's express lanes to HOV lanes began Wednesday night, but the entire HOV system won't be ready till later this month.

https://www.reviewjournal.com/traffic/i-15-hov-lane-restriping-to-begin-wednesday-night-in-las-vegas-1653943/

Local news interview this morning with an NDOT spokesperson & an NHP trooper talking about the HOV lanes.
https://www.lasvegasnow.com/news/local-news/interview-hov-lanes-coming-soon-to-i-15/1986030681

The go-live date for I-15's HOV conversion and the area's 24/7 HOV restriction is May 20th.

Las Vegas City Councilman Stavros Anthony is still fired up about the HOV lanes, and now the city is looking to reduce HOV tickets to lesser fines.

Las Vegas officials vow to reduce HOV fines in their jurisdiction (https://www.reviewjournal.com/traffic/las-vegas-officials-vow-to-reduce-hov-fines-in-their-jurisdiction-1666048/), Las Vegas Review-Journal, 5/16/2019

Quote
At the request of Las Vegas City Councilman Stavros Anthony, high-occupancy vehicle lanes were discussed at Wednesday's council meeting, as he wanted to see what legal avenues the city had to try to stop the lanes from being instituted in their jurisdiction.

The city's legal team revealed there wasn't much it could do to stop the lanes, aside from passing a measure calling for the state transportation board to reconsider the HOV lanes in their jurisdiction.
<...>
Anthony had the city's legal team look at whether the city could change any HOV violation ticket received in its jurisdiction to a reduced infraction.

"Why can't you drop these down to a parking ticket and make it a $10 fine?"  Anthony questioned.

City Attorney Brad Jerbic said HOV tickets will be reduced to parking tickets with the $250 fine being significantly reduced as well.
<...>
"This is social engineering. This is trying to get people to get another person in their car to use the HOV lane and that's not going to happen,"  Anthony said. "People in this community, especially in the northwest, they're like me. I get my car out of the garage, I drive away and I go where I want. I don't want anybody else in the car with me because I don't need them in the car with me, because it's an inconvenience. It's not going to change."

Of the 22 miles of HOV lanes in the Las Vegas Valley, a significant portion of them are actually located within the jurisdiction of the City of Las Vegas–all the lanes on US 95 and Summerlin Parkway, and the roughly 2 miles of HOV lanes set to open on I-15 north of Sahara Avenue (including the new 15/95 flyover and the Neon Gateway HOV interchange, both built as part of Project Neon).

One thing I don't think Councilman Anthony realizes is that the HOV lanes are not only an attempt at congestion mitigation, but also an attempt to improve air quality by encouraging reduced vehicles on the roadway. The Las Vegas area has several days a year that air quality is in non-attainment status, and there are various measures that the local entities are required to implement to help improve that. Not to mention CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation & Air Quality) federal funding is tied to HOV lanes. His cavalier attitude isn't really helping the public recognize these matters–if the Las Vegas Valley is going to continue to grow, moving more people in less space has to be part of the equation.

I often wonder if HOV lanes cause more traffic than before.

The HOV lanes have been in operation for about 2.5 weeks now. It's been widely circulated that by NHP & NDOT that there would be a 30-day grace period on enforcement, with NHP issuing only warnings for HOV violations in the first month. Now they're talking about ramping up enforcement.

HOV lane enforcement to ramp up in Las Vegas (https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/hov-lane-enforcement-to-ramp-up-in-las-vegas-1679498/), Las Vegas Review-Journal, 6/05/2019

Quote
<...>
Nevada Highway Patrol troopers can pull over motorists they observe breaking the rules and if they do, they give them a verbal warning and alert them to the pending enforcement that kicks in June 20.

NHP doesn't have a record of how many drivers have been warned about breaking HOV lane laws, but NHP spokesman Jason Buratczuk said HOV enforcement is not at the top of NHP's priority list, since no tickets are being issued yet and there are other tasks to worry about.
<...>
After the 30-day grace period ends June 20, NHP troopers are going to be working overtime to cite HOV lane violators, as NDOT, through Project Neon general contractor Kiewit Infrastructure West, will provide the department at least $10,000 to pay for concentrated effort on the new carpool lanes.

"There will be some heavy enforcement going on,"  Buratczuk said.

Tony Illia, Nevada Department of Transportation spokesman, said the amount being provided to NHP for HOV lane enforcement could grow ahead of June 20 to allow for additional enforcement.

"We will consider augmenting it, based upon NHP feedback,"  Illia said.

The article also mentions the City of Las Vegas' opposition to the HOV lanes and their plan to reduce tickets, and a little loophole to the city's plan.

Quote
The NHP has a possible workaround to the city's plan, as state regulations allow troopers to write a ticket to whatever court they choose, no matter what jurisdiction the violation occurs.

So, if a motorist gets an HOV ticket in Las Vegas' jurisdiction, troopers could assign the ticket to the Clark County Court, which would limit the city's ability to reduce HOV tickets.

I was in Las Vegas from Memorial Day weekend to this past Monday. I had occasion to be in the HOV lanes three times, and they were all off-peak. However, there were few people using the HOV lanes when I was in them.

NDOT did install signage to denote when to leave the HOV lanes to reach a particular standard exit (For example: "TO Cheyenne 1/2 mile" followed by "Cheyenne [exit arrow]" where the double solid turns to broken.) Interestingly, "HOV Lane Entrance" signs are not posted at the point where double solid turns to broken line, but a little further downstream, perhaps to manage weaving. Also somewhat interestingly, "HOV Lane Entrance" signs on US 95 are not mounted overhead, but they are on I-15.

Broken line merging distance seems to be longer than what I can recall seeing in southern California. It's maybe 1/4 to 1/2 mile.

At present, it seems a bit difficult to determine where the broken line turns back to double solid. (This might be a temporary phenomenon–several stretches of US 95 and I-15 are getting a resurfacing as part of Project Neon, so the lines might stand out more in some areas.) It might be nice to have some kind of sign indicator where the double solid begins again.

Overall, a decent job in the implementation. Still not sure that 24/7 was the way to go though.

The first day of actual HOV enforcement was Thursday, June 20th. In less than one day, NHP cited several drivers for HOV-related violations.

Nevada Highway Patrol issues 31 citations for HOV lane violations (https://www.reviewjournal.com/traffic/nevada-highway-patrol-issues-31-citations-for-hov-lane-violations-1692656/), Las Vegas Review-Journal 6/21/19

Quote
The initial period of enforcement on new high occupancy vehicle lanes in the Las Vegas Valley yielded dozens of citations.

The Nevada Highway Patrol said it handed out 31 HOV violation tickets as of 2 p.m. Friday, after it began policing the lanes Thursday following a 30-day grace period.

Aside from the initial saturation, the NHP will begin targeted enforcement on the U.S. Highway 95 and Interstate 15 carpool lanes on July 1, according to spokesman Jason Buratczuk.

HOV rule clarification...lol

HOV lane rules don't count dead person as passenger in Nevada (https://www.reviewjournal.com/traffic/hov-lane-rules-dont-count-dead-person-as-passenger-in-nevada-1699475/), Las Vegas Review-Journal, 7/1/19

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A hearse carrying a dead person was pulled over Monday in the HOV lane by the Nevada Highway Patrol on southbound Interstate 15 near Spring Mountain Road.

When NHP Trooper Travis Smaka explained to the driver why he was stopped, the driver asked, "He doesn't count?"  referring to the deceased individual.

"The driver was dead serious,"  NHP Trooper Jason Buratczuk said in a news release.

Smaka chuckled, gave the driver a break and advised him to move out of the HOV lane, according to Buratczuk.

I could see why that happened. When you're dead you no longer exist. ;-)

Quote from: roadfro on July 02, 2019, 10:06:00 AM
HOV rule clarification...lol

HOV lane rules don’t count dead person as passenger in Nevada (https://www.reviewjournal.com/traffic/hov-lane-rules-dont-count-dead-person-as-passenger-in-nevada-1699475/), Las Vegas Review-Journal, 7/1/19

Quote
A hearse carrying a dead person was pulled over Monday in the HOV lane by the Nevada Highway Patrol on southbound Interstate 15 near Spring Mountain Road.

When NHP Trooper Travis Smaka explained to the driver why he was stopped, the driver asked, “He doesn’t count?” referring to the deceased individual.

“The driver was dead serious,” NHP Trooper Jason Buratczuk said in a news release.

Smaka chuckled, gave the driver a break and advised him to move out of the HOV lane, according to Buratczuk.

The purpose of HOV lanes is to encourage people to carpool to take fewer cars off the road. 

While it does accomplish the same result, they are not to encourage people to die.

Las Vegas City Councilman Stavros Anthony is still on a crusade to put a stop to 24/7 HOV enforcement in Las Vegas. He's gotten the city council to support a resolution on the matter.

Las Vegas City Council urges stop to 24/7 HOV lane enforcement (https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/politics-and-government/las-vegas/las-vegas-city-council-urges-stop-to-24-7-hov-lane-enforcement-1754328/), Las Vegas Review-Journal, 7/17/19

Quote
Anthony presented a resolution, which the council passed unanimously, to end the 24/7 regulation of the carpool lanes that run on portions of Interstate 15 and U.S. Highway 95.

The resolution calls for returning HOV lane enforcement to 6 a.m.-10 a.m. and 2 p.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday, as the hours were on the original stretch of carpool lanes on U.S. 95 when they were opened to traffic a decade ago.

Only the Nevada Department of Transportation board, chaired by Gov. Steve Sisolak, or NDOT director Kristina Swallow can change HOV regulations. City officials previously were told NDOT wants at least three years to evaluate the lanes' effectiveness.
<...>
Anthony said the intent of the new lane regulations is to change driver behavior and remove some vehicles from the road by promoting carpooling. Despite the push by NDOT, he said, motorists in the Las Vegas Valley are set in their ways, and carpooling can't be forced upon them.

"That's not going to happen in Las Vegas,"  he said. "People like to drive in their own cars by themselves to get where they are (going)."

City Attorney Jeff Dorocak pointed out that Las Vegas cannot change state HOV lane laws. The resolution will be sent to the NDOT board in hopes of encouraging a change back to peak hour enforcement.
<...>
NDOT spokesman Tony Illia said it doesn't have meaningful data yet on the new lanes. "We continue to closely monitor HOV lane usage, which is gradually increasing since being introduced less than two months ago."

Though the 24-hour regulations are new to Las Vegas, they have been in place in other parts of the country, including California, Utah, Washington and Georgia, Illia said.

"Las Vegas is a non-traditional 24-hour town where traffic counts along I-15 and U.S. 95 show that morning commutes begin at 5 a.m. with volumes continuing to grow throughout the day,"  he said. "However, traffic volumes fall to pre-commute/off-peak levels between 10 p.m. and midnight."

The traffic volumes on the two freeways are so low during off-peak hours that an additional lane isn't needed for mobility, Illia said.

"As such, converting the HOV lanes to general traffic usage only increases vehicle weaving and speed variability, thereby reducing motorist safety and increasing the likelihood of crashes,"  he said.

My view on HOV lanes is that they really should only be used at times when carpooling/transit is most possible.  Even in a city with nightlife like Las Vegas, there is still a traditional rush hour.  So HOV lane restrictions should be limited to rush hours, and in corridors where there is centralized employment.

To the extent that an extra lane creates safety hazards due to additional speeding or weaving or the like, there is always the option of closing the lane during the extreme off-peak.*   In most cities, this would mean (1) HOV restrictions for rush hour, (2) traffic use mid-day, weekends, and nights prior to midnight, and (3) closure of the extra lane during the wee hours (midnight to 5 am).   Times of course could vary based on local circumstances, perhaps in Las Vegas, due to the nighttime economy, wee hours is more like 3 am to 6 am, instead of midnight to 5 am.

The point is that during times when restrictions would cause congestion in the other lanes, outside of the traditional rush hour, the lane should be open to all traffic.  During times when there is excessive capacity and excessive speeding, the lane can close without adverse affect.  In some areas, lane closure is done with electronic red X over the lane, similar to what is done on reversible lane setups.

Here is an example on the Delaware Memorial Bridge.  This bridge is not reversible on a regular basis, but one or more lanes are frequently closed due to construction.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.6919485,-75.5291517,3a,75y,119.93h,92.2t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sJnEO53nBozHDMWA1xyIvmQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Another example is the old setup along I-66 in Fairfax Co, VA.  Shoulder use is permitted during rush hours only.  I see this as a similar issue, provide extra shoulder and not  a driving lane during times when there is very little traffic.

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.8751384,-77.2829861,3a,75y,241.98h,96.31t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sfjeQuc9xQh8jtakGLixZ8w!2e0!7i3328!8i1664

* As an aside, I highly doubt that there is an actual safety concern with opening the lane, even in off-peak hours, unless the lane is somehow substandard, like it is narrower than the standard 12 foot.  This is the excuse for the 24 hour HOV lane along US 50 here in MD, to my knowledge the only 24 hour HOV lane in all of the DC area.

Quote from: mrsman on July 21, 2019, 03:09:30 PM
My view on HOV lanes is that they really should only be used at times when carpooling/transit is most possible.  Even in a city with nightlife like Las Vegas, there is still a traditional rush hour.  So HOV lane restrictions should be limited to rush hours, and in corridors where there is centralized employment.

Not gonna lie, as I'm in a HOV most of the time I'm driving, I'd be beyond pissed if I had to sit in traffic just because a jam happened outside of rush hour.

I'm no expert on Vegas traffic patterns, but I do know that I-15 especially is prone to congestion pretty much anytime of the day or night, especially during the winter months when tourism is at a peak.

Quote from: Techknow on April 16, 2019, 07:23:12 PM

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on April 16, 2019, 04:13:22 PM
Thanks for the correction. I paused when I typed SF Bc I couldn't remember exactly what their rules were like.

For the curious, SF itself has no HOV freeway lanes, I only recall a HOV entrance for Interstate 80 that is 3+ but only on rush hour (3PM to 7:30PM) on Bryant Street and 2nd.

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.7830424,-122.3937612,3a,51.2y,50.67h,94.63t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sbhmQPFsMrHcbv5kaV1hRhw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I think there was one on Sterling Street entering the Bay Bridge, the site of the infamous "Elmo Shirt Guy" video in 2011.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4PTERtmxOE

Information on Vegas' HOV enforcement stats after the first full month of issuing citations for violations:

Nevada troopers give out 518 citations for HOV lane violations (https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/nevada-troopers-give-out-518-citations-for-hov-lane-violations-1808985/), Las Vegas Review-Journal, 7/23/19

Quote
Between June 20 and July 20, Nevada Highway Patrol troopers gave out 518 HOV lane violation citations, the department announced Tuesday. The NHP carried out multiple HOV lane saturation enforcement events during that time.
<...>
NHP didn't provide a breakdown of the violations drivers were cited for, which can include driving with less than two occupants, having a vehicle with more than two axles or crossing the solid white lines, among other violations.

And some stats for citations issued specifically in the City of Las Vegas' jurisdiction.

Quote
The Las Vegas City Council has been adamant it would reduce HOV violation citations processed in its court.

The Municipal Court has received 254 HOV violation-related cases since the carpool lane enforcement began on June 20, according to Jace Radke, city spokesman. Of those, eight HOV tickets have been dismissed, 159 are pending disposition, and 87 saw guilty pleas from the cited party, Radke said.

NDOT has been getting some backlash about HOV lanes, especially since there's not currently a strong carpool culture in the Vegas area. But NDOT is hopeful that it will gain more acceptance in the long term.

Quote
Although the HOV lanes were not well-received early on, [NDOT spokesperson Tony] Illia urges motorists to give the department time as it collects and studies data and usage of the lanes.

"Although carpooling is nothing new to the millions of visitors and transplants that now make Southern Nevada home, it's still unfamiliar for many local motorists,"  he said. "As such, a period of gradual driver orientation and acclimation is expected before gaining widespread acceptance. However, we are encouraged by the slow but steady uptick in HOV usership since first being introduced two months ago."

Re: 24/7 HOV:

Most of the HOV lanes in WA are in effect from 5am to 7pm, except I-5, which is 24/7. This seriously threw off a few friends we had visit us a couple summers ago from Ohio, who had never heard of such a thing.

In my experience, I-5 handles large amounts of traffic during all times of the day. It's obviously quieter at night, but as a major corridor, it sees more night traffic than most roads.

Because Seattle-area traffic can get really bad, the HOV lanes are great, even during off-peak hours, for when a sudden traffic jam may occur. It is especially helpful for night buses, and their passengers, as they can comfortably sit in the HOV lane at around 68-70mph, without having to get in the way of merging traffic. Normally I'm for KRETP, but as those rules don't apply to HOV lanes, it's easy enough to "undertake" in the #1 lane.

I've also noticed, spending some time in the DMV area, that part-time HOV lanes seem to suffer from serious disobedience issues: a lot of drivers don't seem to use the lanes at all. I can think of numerous occasions in the DC area, driving in some of the part-time HOV lanes, where vehicles were stacked up in the #2 lane, even though the "HOV" lane wasn't in-effect. I've experienced the same phenomenon in the Seattle area, although only at night (as there is no midday off-peak period).

NDOT has been listening to some of the complaints from Vegas-area motorists. And while they aren't budging on the 24/7 enforcement (for now), they are reexamining the entry/exit points for the HOV system.

New HOV access points to be added following motorists' complaints (https://www.reviewjournal.com/traffic/new-hov-access-points-to-be-added-following-motorists-complaints-1916630/), Las Vegas Review-Journal, 12/17/19

Quote
Despite initially saying there would be no changes to the carpool lane system in Las Vegas for three years, state transportation officials are changing course.

The Nevada Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that it will add six new entry/exit locations to the high occupancy vehicle system that stretches from Silverado Ranch Boulevard on Interstate 15 in the south valley to Elkhorn Drive on U.S. Highway 95 in the northwest valley.

Since the 22-mile HOV lanes were completed and new regulations governing them went online June 20, one of the biggest complaints to NDOT has been the number and location of the entry/exit points, according to Kristina Swallow, Transportation Department director.
<...>
The new entry points will be added in the next six to seven months, Swallow said.

I'm glad they've reevaluated this aspect. I'm only in Vegas a few times a year anymore, but my last couple trips down I was able to use the HOV lanes. I've noticed that there is a significant lack of entry/exit points near the Spaghetti Bowl–for example, currently if you're taking the northbound I-15 to US 95 HOV flyover, the first exit you can access is Jones, so you can't legally exit at Rancho, Valley View, or Decatur (about 3 miles). This lack of access results in HOV vehicles with origins/destinations closer to the center of the valley being unable to use the lanes as much as they could. This adjustment should result in a bit more utilization of the lanes. Just disappointing that it's taken this long to figure out, and that it will be several months before it can be fixed.

Quote from: roadfro on December 18, 2019, 11:12:14 AM
NDOT has been listening to some of the complaints from Vegas-area motorists. And while they aren't budging on the 24/7 enforcement (for now), they are reexamining the entry/exit points for the HOV system.

New HOV access points to be added following motorists’ complaints (https://www.reviewjournal.com/traffic/new-hov-access-points-to-be-added-following-motorists-complaints-1916630/), Las Vegas Review-Journal, 12/17/19

Quote
Despite initially saying there would be no changes to the carpool lane system in Las Vegas for three years, state transportation officials are changing course.

The Nevada Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that it will add six new entry/exit locations to the high occupancy vehicle system that stretches from Silverado Ranch Boulevard on Interstate 15 in the south valley to Elkhorn Drive on U.S. Highway 95 in the northwest valley.

Since the 22-mile HOV lanes were completed and new regulations governing them went online June 20, one of the biggest complaints to NDOT has been the number and location of the entry/exit points, according to Kristina Swallow, Transportation Department director.
<...>
The new entry points will be added in the next six to seven months, Swallow said.

I'm glad they've reevaluated this aspect. I'm only in Vegas a few times a year anymore, but my last couple trips down I was able to use the HOV lanes. I've noticed that there is a significant lack of entry/exit points near the Spaghetti Bowl—for example, currently if you're taking the northbound I-15 to US 95 HOV flyover, the first exit you can access is Jones, so you can't legally exit at Rancho, Valley View, or Decatur (about 3 miles). This lack of access results in HOV vehicles with origins/destinations closer to the center of the valley being unable to use the lanes as much as they could. This adjustment should result in a bit more utilization of the lanes. Just disappointing that it's taken this long to figure out, and that it will be several months before it can be fixed.

You mean people actually enter and exit the lane where they're supposed to? I wish we had more of those people in Salt Lake, where the average driver treats the double white line no differently from any other lane line.

Quote from: US 89 on December 18, 2019, 12:52:16 PM
You mean people actually enter and exit the lane where they're supposed to? I wish we had more of those people in Salt Lake, where the average driver treats the double white line no differently from any other lane line.

Well, I can't say that everyone obeys the double solid lines... My brother in law crossed them two or three times in one outing with me in the car (I didn't inform him of the law at the time). But generally speaking, there didn't seem to be too much crossing of the double lines–but my observational sample is small and of limited duration.

NDOT was frequently advertising the regulation on DMS displays as well, and I've read that NHP has also been ticketing illegal double line crossings in addition to HOV violations. I do think there is a significant portion of population in the area that hails from SoCal that are used to a similar setup, such that many area transplants are aware of the regulation.

The new HOV access points mentioned in December are due to be installed beginning next week.

Changes coming to HOV lanes in Las Vegas Valley[/ur], Las Vegas Review-Journal, 4/26/2020
(https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/news-columns/road-warrior/changes-coming-to-hov-lanes-in-las-vegas-valley-2015663/)

Quote
After nearly a year of motorist complaints about the high occupancy lane system that went live in 2019, changes are on the way.

Crews are set to begin restriping the HOV lanes along Interstate 15 and U.S. Highway 95 on May 4, creating additional carpool entrance and exit points, the Nevada Department of Transportation announced Friday.
<...>
The new entry/exit points will be added after the restriping efforts are completed.

A new access point is being added along I-15 northbound, just south of Sahara Avenue, with another between Sahara Avenue and Charleston Boulevard. Meanwhile, I-15 southbound will get another access point, just south of Sahara, with another just south of the 215 Beltway.

U.S. 95 northbound will get another access point between the Spaghetti Bowl interchange and Martin Luther King Boulevard, with two more access points at Craig Road – one for northbound traffic and another for southbound motorists.

All the new access points seem like logical additions (not sure how they were overlooked previously), except one: Uncertain if the article is wrong or information provided to the R-J wasn't clear, since MLK Blvd is part of the Spaghetti Bowl interchange and the HOV flyover from I-15 to US 95 touches down well west of MLK...an access between the interchange/flyover and Rancho Dr or Valley View Blvd would be quite beneficial though.

Quote from: Junkie on April 16, 2019, 03:55:08 PM

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on April 13, 2019, 04:36:14 PM
I think they need to take a look at how it goes and see if there is really such a demand for off peak usage. In cities like SF and LA I can understand 24 hour HOV lane enforcement, but Las Vegas doesn't seem like it should be enforced at night.

SF doesn't have 24 hour HOV lanes.

The Bay Bridge has some Bus Only lanes that can be used by carpools during carpool hours, but carpool lanes on freeways (and I believe all other bridge toll plazas) are all peak only AFAIK.

24-hour HOV lanes don't even make sense in So Cal but it has become a political thing (starting with Brown) to refuse to consider change to part-time.  Brown flatly refused a request by Democrat legislators in the 2010s to switch the CA-134 HOV lanes to part-time.  No way our current governor - who is farther Left than Brown - will consider it either.

I'll steer carefully on politics but let me offer my opinion that as Nevada continues its march towards being more of a blue state, I am not surprised to see things like more HOV lanes and even this switch to 24 hour.  Really not necessary though.  Other than the Las Vegas Strip during normal times, roadways and freeways in Las Vegas are not heavily congested outside of rush hours.

Quote from: roadfro on April 27, 2020, 09:24:16 AM
The new HOV access points mentioned in December are due to be installed beginning next week.

Changes coming to HOV lanes in Las Vegas Valley[/ur], Las Vegas Review-Journal, 4/26/2020
(https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/news-columns/road-warrior/changes-coming-to-hov-lanes-in-las-vegas-valley-2015663/)

Quote
After nearly a year of motorist complaints about the high occupancy lane system that went live in 2019, changes are on the way.

Crews are set to begin restriping the HOV lanes along Interstate 15 and U.S. Highway 95 on May 4, creating additional carpool entrance and exit points, the Nevada Department of Transportation announced Friday.
<...>
The new entry/exit points will be added after the restriping efforts are completed.

A new access point is being added along I-15 northbound, just south of Sahara Avenue, with another between Sahara Avenue and Charleston Boulevard. Meanwhile, I-15 southbound will get another access point, just south of Sahara, with another just south of the 215 Beltway.

U.S. 95 northbound will get another access point between the Spaghetti Bowl interchange and Martin Luther King Boulevard, with two more access points at Craig Road – one for northbound traffic and another for southbound motorists.

All the new access points seem like logical additions (not sure how they were overlooked previously), except one: Uncertain if the article is wrong or information provided to the R-J wasn't clear, since MLK Blvd is part of the Spaghetti Bowl interchange and the HOV flyover from I-15 to US 95 touches down well west of MLK...an access between the interchange/flyover and Rancho Dr or Valley View Blvd would be quite beneficial though.

I looked at one of the articles showing the signs.  The up arrows on the BGS are interesting but after thinking about it, I much prefer the down arrows.  I've seen few up arrow signs in California but I seem to remember one or two in the HOV lanes on I-5 in and around Santa Ana, where there was a left HOV exit.

It's been some time since I've come across any news about Las Vegas's HOV lane rules. Turns out, NDOT is actually doing more research on the matter and changes could be coming as soon as this fall...

Changes to HOV lane restrictions could be on the way (https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/news-columns/road-warrior/changes-to-hov-lane-restrictions-could-be-on-the-way-2595040/), Mick Ackers, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 6/20/2022

Quote
A pilot program with varying hours of HOV lane restrictions could come to Las Vegas Valley freeways as soon as this fall.

Sensors that can detect how many occupants are in a vehicle in HOV lanes that stretch along 22 miles on Interstate 15 and U.S. Highway 95 are set to be installed, according to the Nevada Department of Transportation.

This week, 17 sensors are being installed on various portions of the two highways, which will lead to some overnight lane closures. Once those are in place, the department and engineering firm CA Group, which is leading the study, can track vehicle volume and occupants using the HOV lanes.

The department will be able to accumulate about two and half months' worth of data once the sensors are in place, along with other information that's been collected over the past few years, before they look at recommending changes in August.

"We can get an idea of how many people are actually two-plus in the HOV lanes, how many are violating the HOV rules out there,"  Chad Anson, CA Group partner said June 9 during a presentation at a Regional Transportation Commission board meeting. "We're also looking at a lot of other data available, such as (Freeway and Arterial System of Transportation) data and all the sensors that the FAST system has out there."

The sensors cannot be used for enforcement purposes, Transportation Department spokesman Justin Hopkins said.
<...>
If the data suggests changing the restriction times of the current 24-hour HOV lane regulations – to, say, only during peak rush hours – then those changes will go into effect in late October or early November.

"Through this process we're going to develop what we call the initial concept of operations report,"  Anson said. "That's kind of how we anticipate or recommend the how the HOV system should be operated."

From there, any time changes made will be in place for an 18-month pilot program, to which that data will be reviewed for potential permanent changes to the HOV lane system. During that pilot program modifications to the HOV lanes could be made on a quarterly basis, as data warrants.
<...>
With I-15 seeing higher traffic than U.S. 95, any possible changes to the HOV lane hours will be dictated on the valley's busier freeway. Having different enforcement hours on the two highways would likely be problematic for motorists and law enforcement officials, Anson said.
<...>
Eliminating HOV lanes is not a potential outcome of the pilot project. If it is determined that most motorists using the lanes are doing so without passengers, the department will look to its partners to address that.

"If we find a lot of single occupants in the HOV lanes, we're actually gong to work with our partners, law enforcement, RTC and others to see what the strategies are to encourage carpooling and to discourage single occupancy,"  said department Director Kristina Swallow. "The HOV lanes are actually required as a greenhouse gas mitigation. So, therefore we need to be sure we're working on ensuring they're being used for that purpose."

BUMP.  NDOT announced today a reduction of HOV enforcement hours from the current 24/7 policy.

New Pilot Hours of Operation for HOV System: HOV lanes to operate between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. beginning October 24 (https://www.dot.nv.gov/Home/Components/News/News/7612/395), NDOT Press Release, 10/10/2022

Quote
Today, Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) Director Kristina Swallow announced modified high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) hours of operation as part of a pilot program based on preliminary data from a multi-year study in Southern Nevada.  The modified HOV hours will change from 24/7 operation to 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, beginning Monday, October 24, and will be evaluated over a period of 18 months.

Preliminary data collected from the HOV study has confirmed that traffic volumes on I-15 increase rapidly at around 5 a.m. every day of the week and stay consistently high until dissipating between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. each evening.  Accordingly, NDOT's team of subject-matter experts determined that this data support changing the HOV hours of operation to permit single-occupant vehicles from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., seven days per week.

The multi-year HOV study utilizes data on traffic volumes, speeds, and HOV violation rates from RTC FAST, NDOT traffic counters, third-party data collection, and new sensors at 15 locations monitored by a third party.  Over the next 18 months, the study team will continue to review the pilot hours of operation and evaluate the collected data, as well as crash rates, to determine if an adjustment to the hours, including potentially reverting back to 24/7 operation, is warranted.  Once the evaluation is complete, the team will provide final recommendations on permanent hours of operation.

"The pilot hours of operation are one way NDOT has worked hard to listen to the public and find ways to improve the HOV lanes in Southern Nevada,"  said NDOT Director Kristina Swallow, "These modified hours are based on data collected from cutting-edge traffic system technology, and we look forward to evaluating the effectiveness of this pilot over the next 18 months."  
<...>

I'm glad they reduced the enforcement times. After having am and pm peak enforcement times on the initial US 95 HOV lanes (ISTR it being 6am-10am & 2pm-7pm, weekdays if not 7 days), going to 24/7 seemed a bit much. Hopefully NDOT will get some good data over the pilot study and fine tune this further. Going back to 24/7 will cause an outcry.

Some additional insights as to the future of Las Vegas HOV in this article announcing the HOV changes from the LVRJ Road Warrior:

24/7 HOV lane regulations set to change this month (https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/traffic/24-7-hov-lane-regulations-set-to-change-this-month-2654732/), Mick Ackers, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 10/10/2022

Quote
<...>
"We found Southern Nevada does not have the typical commuting bump that most communities do,"  Swallow said. "Anyone that's driven in Southern Nevada knows that the traffic at 3 p.m. can be just as bad as traffic at 7 a.m., and our data shows that."

NDOT decided to keep the times the lanes will be open to all users the same on weekdays and weekends to avoid any confusion among motorists.
<...>
A stretch of the carpool lanes on both sides of I-15 between Warm Springs Road and Tropicana Avenue are already open to all motorists due to road work tied to the I-15/Tropicana interchange project. Those will be used as general purpose lanes for over a year, as traffic on the freeway is set to be heavily impacted by the $305 million project.

The 24/7 regulations were instituted in 2019 when Project Neon was completed. That massive yearslong project added HOV lanes on I-15, which connected to those already located on U.S. 95. There are now 22 continuous miles of HOV lanes between the two freeways, stretching from Silverado Ranch on I-15 to Elkhorn on U.S. 95.

Many motorists were irked when the new regulations went live in 2019 because they changed the hours of enforcement. Previously, the regulations were enforced only along U.S. 95 during peak morning and evening traffic hours on weekdays.
<...>
NDOT will continue to monitor the HOV lanes during the pilot study and said it will make any changes that data proves will benefit motorists.

"We're going to get reports roughly every three months on how it's working,"  Swallow said. "If we see a significant degradation in the safety of the network, we will roll it back (to 24/7 regulations). If we see there might be opportunities to adjust further, we may adjust further. But we're working on making sure we're consistent and we're providing a network that meets the goals of the system as a whole."

Part of the pilot study involves the installation of sensors that can detect how many occupants are in a vehicle in the HOV lanes to determine how often they're being used by single occupant vehicles. Those sensors were recently installed but have yet to begin tracking vehicles to collect data for the study.

"The new sensors are still being calibrated to ensure the most accurate count,"  said Justin Hopkins, NDOT spokesman. "Based on previous data collected, we believe an average of around 15 percent of vehicles are not meeting HOV requirements inside those lanes."
<...>

I will be really interested to see what the occupancy data ends up showing. In the few times a year that I'm in Vegas, I see plenty of single occupant violations.

It would also be good to clarify signage for HOV to potentially reduce violations. "Do Not Cross Double White Line" signs should be used to mark the end of every designated entry/exit weave point. And HOV-only ramp entrances should make it abundantly clear about the HOV policies–for example, approaching the US 95 south HOV entrance from Elkhorn Road, it's clear that you're approaching an HOV lane entrance ramp, but not clear that the entrance is to be used only by HOV vehicles...

Sorry to beat a dead horse but just widen the freeway and add another lane and convert two of the left most lanes back to free express lanes like they were. It worked good for the most part.

Looks like they might go away entirely. I personally hope they are eliminated and ideally the old configuration with the inner two lanes being free to use express lanes brought back.

https://news3lv.com/news/local/ndot-to-discuss-potential-ending-of-hov-lanes

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on April 10, 2023, 09:46:28 AM
Looks like they might go away entirely. I personally hope they are eliminated and ideally the old configuration with the inner two lanes being free to use express lanes brought back.

https://news3lv.com/news/local/ndot-to-discuss-potential-ending-of-hov-lanes

Every time I roll into Vegas on a weekday afternoon lately, the traffic starts backing up at Russell Road.  Would reinstating the express lanes fix this?  Or is this somehow all related to the Spaghetti Bowl work?

And per an announcement today, they are keeping the HOV lanes  (https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/traffic/its-official-hov-lanes-soon-will-be-open-to-all-drivers-for-more-hours-2759566/) but reducing the hours the restrictions are in effect

Quote from: Occidental Tourist on April 10, 2023, 10:06:07 PM
And per an announcement today, they are keeping the HOV lanes  (https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/traffic/its-official-hov-lanes-soon-will-be-open-to-all-drivers-for-more-hours-2759566/) but reducing the hours the restrictions are in effect

Isn't the second time they've reduced effective hours? And I thought the new initiative was from the state legislature?

Don't know.  Looks like NDOT went ahead with commissioning an EIC to eliminate the lanes entirely as an alternative. The hours reduction may be a temporary step on the way to a more permanent solution.

Seems crazy wasteful to build all of those HOV lanes and HOV-specific infrastructure just to get rid of the lanes.

Quote from: jakeroot on April 11, 2023, 12:49:36 AM
Seems crazy wasteful to build all of those HOV lanes and HOV-specific infrastructure just to get rid of the lanes.

Not really if they go back to the free to use express lane setup.

It makes sense that HOV lanes don't really seem to work in Southern Nevada. If the casinos there are anything like the ones here, the shifts are staggered around when everyone else is getting to work just because that's the most efficient way to not have shift change fall during peak hours. The day shift at the last one I worked at was 6am to 3pm, for instance. That means that the entire city isn't all commuting at the same time (which would normally be good for congestion, but it means that HOV lanes aren't a very good solution).

Converting the lanes to an express/local setup seems like the most sensible plan of action. 

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on April 11, 2023, 01:44:22 AM

Quote from: jakeroot on April 11, 2023, 12:49:36 AM
Seems crazy wasteful to build all of those HOV lanes and HOV-specific infrastructure just to get rid of the lanes.

Not really if they go back to the free to use express lane setup.

I would support that idea if they instituted some flexi-posts in the the buffer area, like I-95 north of Miami.

Quote from: Scott5114 on April 11, 2023, 02:48:57 AM
It makes sense that HOV lanes don't really seem to work in Southern Nevada. If the casinos there are anything like the ones here, the shifts are staggered around when everyone else is getting to work just because that's the most efficient way to not have shift change fall during peak hours. The day shift at the last one I worked at was 6am to 3pm, for instance. That means that the entire city isn't all commuting at the same time (which would normally be good for congestion, but it means that HOV lanes aren't a very good solution).

Not everyone in Vegas works in the casinos, you know... That said, the rationale is valid. While there is a considerable population that works "8 to 5" types of jobs, the 24/7 nature of the casinos/hospitality industry in Vegas does result in a larger-than-average number of people employed in jobs working outside those hours. So there is a typical rush hour in Vegas, but that gets prolonged due varying shifts.

Another factor is just how spread out and decentralized Vegas can be. It doesn't make carpooling super efficient.

Quote from: jakeroot on April 11, 2023, 02:50:02 AM

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on April 11, 2023, 01:44:22 AM

Quote from: jakeroot on April 11, 2023, 12:49:36 AM
Seems crazy wasteful to build all of those HOV lanes and HOV-specific infrastructure just to get rid of the lanes.

Not really if they go back to the free to use express lane setup.

I would support that idea if they instituted some flexi-posts in the the buffer area, like I-95 north of Miami.

That's what they did before. I-15 was a 3 GP + 2 Express setup, with flexible posts dividing, in both directions from just south of Russell Rd to just south of Sahara Ave. I rather liked this arrangement.

Quote from: roadfro on April 12, 2023, 11:23:32 AM

Quote from: Scott5114 on April 11, 2023, 02:48:57 AM
It makes sense that HOV lanes don't really seem to work in Southern Nevada. If the casinos there are anything like the ones here, the shifts are staggered around when everyone else is getting to work just because that's the most efficient way to not have shift change fall during peak hours. The day shift at the last one I worked at was 6am to 3pm, for instance. That means that the entire city isn't all commuting at the same time (which would normally be good for congestion, but it means that HOV lanes aren't a very good solution).

Not everyone in Vegas works in the casinos, you know...

True, and not everyone in a casino works swing shift either (no reason to have accounting there at 9pm, for instance). But this effect is strong enough that several political pollsters are on record that polling Southern Nevada is difficult because it's hard to reliably catch people while they're at home and have time to answer questions. If the effect is that pronounced in that industry, I would expect it to affect other aspects of life there, including traffic, and even other industries (someone will want to be open to serve those swing-shift folks just getting off of work and needing to buy groceries, after all).

Quote from: Scott5114 on April 12, 2023, 11:43:00 PM
polling Southern Nevada is difficult

I thought the entire state had casinos (roughly proportional to the population of the area), not just Clark County. There's even an unincorporated place named Jackpot.

Are there any plans to convert the carpool lanes into toll lanes? I wouldn't be surprised if toll lanes were eventually implemented in the Las Vegas Area.

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on April 13, 2023, 03:52:04 PM
Are there any plans to convert the carpool lanes into toll lanes? I wouldn't be surprised if toll lanes were eventually implemented in the Las Vegas Area.

I don't see toll lanes happening in Nevada. I'd expect that to happen in Phoenix before Vegas.

Quote from: 1 on April 13, 2023, 11:26:17 AM

Quote from: Scott5114 on April 12, 2023, 11:43:00 PM
polling Southern Nevada is difficult

I thought the entire state had casinos (roughly proportional to the population of the area), not just Clark County. There's even an unincorporated place named Jackpot.

I doubt the traffic forcing all the staggered shifts isn't as bad in Jackpot as it is in Clark County

Quote from: 1 on April 13, 2023, 11:26:17 AM

Quote from: Scott5114 on April 12, 2023, 11:43:00 PM
polling Southern Nevada is difficult

I thought the entire state had casinos (roughly proportional to the population of the area), not just Clark County. There's even an unincorporated place named Jackpot.

By state law, gambling and casinos can and do exist statewide in Nevada. But there are areas of the state that don't have casinos. Boulder City (just south of Las Vegas and in Clark County) infamously does not have any casinos as gambling was made illegal in the city's charter–the two casinos commonly associated with Boulder City (Railroad Pass Casino and what is now the Hoover Dam Lodge) are both outside Boulder City limits. Additionally, I don't think there are any active casinos (and possibly not any active gaming whatsoever) in Esmeralda County.

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on April 13, 2023, 03:55:21 PM

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on April 13, 2023, 03:52:04 PM
Are there any plans to convert the carpool lanes into toll lanes? I wouldn't be surprised if toll lanes were eventually implemented in the Las Vegas Area.

I don't see toll lanes happening in Nevada. I'd expect that to happen in Phoenix before Vegas.

No. The Nevada Constitution and/or state law would need to be changed first, which is why there are currently no toll roads in Nevada to begin with. There was talk about a potential toll road demonstration project in the late 2000s/early 2010s, but that fizzled out in part due to tolls being prohibited by law.

Quote from: roadfro on April 15, 2023, 03:22:28 PM

Quote from: 1 on April 13, 2023, 11:26:17 AM

Quote from: Scott5114 on April 12, 2023, 11:43:00 PM
polling Southern Nevada is difficult

I thought the entire state had casinos (roughly proportional to the population of the area), not just Clark County. There's even an unincorporated place named Jackpot.

By state law, gambling and casinos can and do exist statewide in Nevada. But there are areas of the state that don't have casinos. Boulder City (just south of Las Vegas and in Clark County) infamously does not have any casinos as gambling was made illegal in the city's charter–the two casinos commonly associated with Boulder City (Railroad Pass Casino and what is now the Hoover Dam Lodge) are both outside Boulder City limits. Additionally, I don't think there are any active casinos (and possibly not any active gaming whatsoever) in Esmeralda County.

And obviously there's Reno in the northern part of the State as well.

A place of gambling in Nevada doesn't necessarily need to be a full-fledge casino.  Gas stations, convenience stores and such can have slot machines.

Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 15, 2023, 03:57:12 PM

Quote from: roadfro on April 15, 2023, 03:22:28 PM

Quote from: 1 on April 13, 2023, 11:26:17 AM

Quote from: Scott5114 on April 12, 2023, 11:43:00 PM
polling Southern Nevada is difficult

I thought the entire state had casinos (roughly proportional to the population of the area), not just Clark County. There's even an unincorporated place named Jackpot.

By state law, gambling and casinos can and do exist statewide in Nevada. But there are areas of the state that don't have casinos. Boulder City (just south of Las Vegas and in Clark County) infamously does not have any casinos as gambling was made illegal in the city's charter–the two casinos commonly associated with Boulder City (Railroad Pass Casino and what is now the Hoover Dam Lodge) are both outside Boulder City limits. Additionally, I don't think there are any active casinos (and possibly not any active gaming whatsoever) in Esmeralda County.

And obviously there's Reno in the northern part of the State as well.

A place of gambling in Nevada doesn't necessarily need to be a full-fledge casino.  Gas stations, convenience stores and such can have slot machines.

There were even a couple slot machines in a gay bar I visited in Vegas back in 2000 

Quote from: skluth on April 16, 2023, 11:06:02 AM

Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 15, 2023, 03:57:12 PM

Quote from: roadfro on April 15, 2023, 03:22:28 PM

Quote from: 1 on April 13, 2023, 11:26:17 AM

Quote from: Scott5114 on April 12, 2023, 11:43:00 PM
polling Southern Nevada is difficult

I thought the entire state had casinos (roughly proportional to the population of the area), not just Clark County. There's even an unincorporated place named Jackpot.

By state law, gambling and casinos can and do exist statewide in Nevada. But there are areas of the state that don't have casinos. Boulder City (just south of Las Vegas and in Clark County) infamously does not have any casinos as gambling was made illegal in the city's charter–the two casinos commonly associated with Boulder City (Railroad Pass Casino and what is now the Hoover Dam Lodge) are both outside Boulder City limits. Additionally, I don't think there are any active casinos (and possibly not any active gaming whatsoever) in Esmeralda County.

And obviously there's Reno in the northern part of the State as well.

A place of gambling in Nevada doesn't necessarily need to be a full-fledge casino.  Gas stations, convenience stores and such can have slot machines.

There were even a couple slot machines in a gay bar I visited in Vegas back in 2000

Would one not expect a slot machine in a gay bar in Vegas?

I mean, they're in the airport, so I expect them and have seen them just about everwhere in Vegas.

As an out-of-towner, it's kind of fun to go to various non-casino businesses and guess which one is going to have a bank of slot machines.

Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 15, 2023, 03:57:12 PM
A place of gambling in Nevada doesn't necessarily need to be a full-fledge casino. Gas stations, convenience stores and such can have slot machines.

Non-casino establishments that have gaming typically operate on a "restricted" gaming license, which restricts the operator to a maximum of 15 slot machines and no other table games or other types of gaming.

Quote from: Scott5114 on April 16, 2023, 06:17:47 PM
As an out-of-towner, it's kind of fun to go to various non-casino businesses and guess which one is going to have a bank of slot machines.

You'll most commonly see non-restricted gaming operations at gas stations/convenience stores, bars (often the "in-laid in the bar top" type video poker machines), and grocery stores (certain chains have it frequently, others don't). But you'll see slot machines in other places too–e.g. my local bowling alley in Reno, which is independent and not attached to a casino, has a few slot machines spread around the alley outside of the bar area (which also has a few bar top machines).

Heh, bar-top machines are "fun" to work on. Sometimes getting them open is a challenge because of a dried crust of spilled drink residue gluing them shut.

Quote from: roadfro on April 16, 2023, 08:27:43 PM

Quote from: jeffandnicole on April 15, 2023, 03:57:12 PM
A place of gambling in Nevada doesn't necessarily need to be a full-fledge casino. Gas stations, convenience stores and such can have slot machines.

Non-casino establishments that have gaming typically operate on a "restricted" gaming license, which restricts the operator to a maximum of 15 slot machines and no other table games or other types of gaming.

Quote from: Scott5114 on April 16, 2023, 06:17:47 PM
As an out-of-towner, it's kind of fun to go to various non-casino businesses and guess which one is going to have a bank of slot machines.

You'll most commonly see non-restricted gaming operations at gas stations/convenience stores, bars (often the "in-laid in the bar top" type video poker machines), and grocery stores (certain chains have it frequently, others don't). But you'll see slot machines in other places too–e.g. my local bowling alley in Reno, which is independent and not attached to a casino, has a few slot machines spread around the alley outside of the bar area (which also has a few bar top machines).

In my observations, the only supermarkets and convenience stores that reliably lack slot machines are Walmart and Maverik. Truck stops tend to have a little "casino" that allows smoking, as do most supermarkets. 7-Eleven may have 1-2 machines next to the door. Chain restaurants rarely have them, but every independent bar or local chain seems to have them.

https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/news-columns/road-warrior/crusade-to-end-hov-lanes-in-las-vegas-gathers-speed-3090983/

HOV news out of Las Vegas. Looks like the lt. gov might just get his way.
My biggest thing is what would be the plan with all the existing and future HOV infrastructure once the lanes are eliminated. Because it'll definitely cost money to restripe the lanes and remove the HOV ramps.

Quote from: US 395 on July 17, 2024, 11:42:42 AMhttps://www.reviewjournal.com/news/news-columns/road-warrior/crusade-to-end-hov-lanes-in-las-vegas-gathers-speed-3090983/

HOV news out of Las Vegas. Looks like the lt. gov might just get his way.
My biggest thing is what would be the plan with all the existing and future HOV infrastructure once the lanes are eliminated. Because it'll definitely cost money to restripe the lanes and remove the HOV ramps.

Paywalled

Quote from: vdeane on July 17, 2024, 12:55:23 PM

Quote from: US 395 on July 17, 2024, 11:42:42 AMhttps://www.reviewjournal.com/news/news-columns/road-warrior/crusade-to-end-hov-lanes-in-las-vegas-gathers-speed-3090983/

HOV news out of Las Vegas. Looks like the lt. gov might just get his way.
My biggest thing is what would be the plan with all the existing and future HOV infrastructure once the lanes are eliminated. Because it'll definitely cost money to restripe the lanes and remove the HOV ramps.

Paywalled

Here's the article. If you have an Apple device, use the reader function before it fully loads the page to bypass the paywall.


Crusade to end HOV lanes in Las Vegas gathers speed
Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony is still pursuing the removal of high occupancy vehicle lanes from Las Vegas Valley freeways.

"We are moving forward with trying to eliminate them altogether," Anthony told the Las Vegas Review-Journal last week in a phone interview. "We're going through the process with the federal government. It's going to take a little bit of time. It is what it is, but we're going to keep moving forward until we get some kind of final action."

Anthony, who in 2019 started his crusade against HOV lanes while he was a Las Vegas city councilman, was a major player in the HOV lane regulation hours being shortened by the state. Last year the regulations went from being in effect 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to being limited to between 6 a.m.-8 a.m. and 4 p.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Friday and open to all on weekends.


Challenging process

That change was made after Anthony brought the subject to the attention of the Nevada Transportation Board of Directors, for which he serves as vice chairman, something he had been working at for several years.

"The process to get here has been long and a lot of people standing in the way," Anthony said. "Especially when I was on the Las Vegas City Council and the Regional Transportation Commission (of Southern Nevada). There were just a lot of people who would just not listen to me and basically wanted HOV lanes all the time. Once I was able to become lieutenant governor and the vice chair of the Nevada Board of Transportation, I was in a position where I could actually get something done with the approval of the board, which approved it unanimously when I brought the motion to them."

The carpool lanes were added to Interstate 15 in 2019 as part of Project Neon — adding to the existing HOV lanes on U.S. Highway 95 at the time — new regulations went into effect limiting the use of the lanes to vehicles with two or more people and were in place for 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Once that occurred many motorists complained about the round-the-clock regulations and the lack of entry/exit points, which was addressed in mid-2020, nearly just nearly six months after the lanes went live.

Between April 25, 2023, and July 2 of this year, after the shorter carpool lane hours went into effect, Las Vegas Municipal Court has seen 90 HOV lane violations submitted by law enforcement officials. That equates to about one every five days following the new lane regulation hours went into effect. That compares with Las Vegas Municipal court between Jan. 1, 2021, and April 3, 2023, handling 814 carpool violations, which equated to just under one per day.

There's no study noting what the outcome of lifting the restrictions has been, but Anthony said that he has received overwhelmingly positive reaction from the public. "They said thank you for opening them up," Anthony said.

'They still think it's 24/7'

He also noted that he's also heard from the public that they weren't aware that the regulations had changed. This is despite new signage installed on I-15 and U.S. 95 that notes the change in regulation hours.

"They still think it's 24/7," Anthony said. "Just trying to get the word out that they can enjoy that lane basically 90-95 percent of the time."

One potential impact of removing the carpool lanes could be having to close left-hand exit/entry points on freeways, such as the HOV drop lanes on I-15 at Harmon Avenue and the Neon Gateway farther north on I-15, near Charleston.

Additionally, as part of the ongoing process, the state is looking to figure out whether there would be any financial implications with the federal government if the HOV lanes were removed. A portion of Project Neon's funding was awarded with ties to including the carpool lanes.

What, if any, changes will have to be made clear as the process between the federal government and the state moves forward.

"We put in the application and that's why we're going through the steps the federal government wants us to go through and that's what we're trying to find out," Anthony said. "Obviously if they want millions of dollars in return, we're going to have to find out why that's the case. It's hard to speculate this point. We're going to keep moving forward and the director of NDOT (Tracy Larkin Thomason) is just pushing us along, which I appreciate."

That would be great, honestly. I wouldn't mind if they just went back to the free double Xpress lanes.

Quote from: US 395 on July 17, 2024, 01:20:42 PMIf you have an Apple device, use the reader function before it fully loads the page to bypass the paywall.

This works in Vivaldi too, in case anyone is wondering.

If for some reason you have to get rid of the HOV restrictions (I don't really use the freeways often enough to say whether they help or not) why not just leave the lanes the way they are and do an express/local type setup? It would be really stupid to have to demolish a bunch of brand new on/off ramps just because the Lt. Governor wants to make a point.

Quote from: Scott5114 on July 19, 2024, 05:47:42 AMIf for some reason you have to get rid of the HOV restrictions (I don't really use the freeways often enough to say whether they help or not) why not just leave the lanes the way they are and do an express/local type setup? It would be really stupid to have to demolish a bunch of brand new on/off ramps just because the Lt. Governor wants to make a point.

Did I miss that they're talking about demolishing the new ramps? That would be really dumb, indeed.

I'm on the fence about whether HOV lanes really work that well anyways. It seems like a lot of traffic congestion is caused by people and they're driving habits rather than freeways, simply reaching their capacity. I noticed in LA people will enter the freeway and then just cut people off so they can get all the way to the left side of the freeway to get to the HOV lanes.

Here's a good idea of what I'm talking about. Of course this can happen without HOV lanes. But I feel like HOV lanes in LA cause some of this with people shooting over to the left side of the freeway and the general car lanes having to break for them.

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on July 19, 2024, 02:29:49 PM

Quote from: Scott5114 on July 19, 2024, 05:47:42 AMIf for some reason you have to get rid of the HOV restrictions (I don't really use the freeways often enough to say whether they help or not) why not just leave the lanes the way they are and do an express/local type setup? It would be really stupid to have to demolish a bunch of brand new on/off ramps just because the Lt. Governor wants to make a point.

Did I miss that they're talking about demolishing the new ramps? That would be really dumb, indeed.

I'm on the fence about whether HOV lanes really work that well anyways. It seems like a lot of traffic congestion is caused by people and they're driving habits rather than freeways, simply reaching their capacity. I noticed in LA people will enter the freeway and then just cut people off so they can get all the way to the left side of the freeway to get to the HOV lanes.

Here's a good idea of what I'm talking about. Of course this can happen without HOV lanes. But I feel like HOV lanes in LA cause some of this with people shooting over to the left side of the freeway and the general car lanes having to break for them.

Actually a really good video. 

Most people only see a very limited view:  Themselves, and the car(s) directly in front of them or around them, at the time they are there.

When a crash or incident occurs, the people going by see it.  But once that incident clears up, people are confused why traffic slowed down for no reason. Regardless if the incident was just cleared up, or if it's 10 minutes later, those not actually seeing the incident won't know what happened.

Likewise, people that think they can 'fix' a problem by adjusting their speed will see the effect on the car behind them, but has no clue what's occurring 10 cars behind them, or 30 minutes later when the 'fix' not only didn't work, but it probably made conditions worse.

Unless they have the birds eye view to watch for several hours, they're not really understanding the big picture.

^^^
If you've every played with a Slinky on a slippery floor, you can see longitudinal waves in action. Traffic has longitudinal waves in it all the time, and a line of cars has a resonant frequency. When cars get close enough, that resonance gets so underdamped that it becomes unstable, and oscillates, creating stop-and-go traffic. The only thing that limits the amplitude of the oscillation is that cars never stop and go backwards.

Rubbernecking is one of my biggest pet peeves. About the only thing that makes me mad than that is when people will come to a complete stop underneath the bridge or something like that when there's a rain or a hail storm. If I'm behind somebody that does that that's about the only thing that actually make me get out of my car and confront somebody.

I've also noticed that traffic seemingly just comes to a crawl at Minor curves on freeways that are ordinarily straight.

Quote from: jeffandnicole on July 19, 2024, 03:10:11 PMWhen a crash or incident occurs, the people going by see it.  But once that incident clears up, people are confused why traffic slowed down for no reason. Regardless if the incident was just cleared up, or if it's 10 minutes later, those not actually seeing the incident won't know what happened.

Likewise, people that think they can 'fix' a problem by adjusting their speed will see the effect on the car behind them, but has no clue what's occurring 10 cars behind them, or 30 minutes later when the 'fix' not only didn't work, but it probably made conditions worse.

The solution is variable speed limits, especially if they are followed. There's a few freeways in the Seattle area that have them and it does noticeably help keep traffic moving instead of causing a sudden stop. Also much safer, since I don't trust the distracted drivers behind me to stop in time for a wall of traffic.

Quote from: Scott5114 on July 19, 2024, 05:47:42 AMIf for some reason you have to get rid of the HOV restrictions (I don't really use the freeways often enough to say whether they help or not) why not just leave the lanes the way they are and do an express/local type setup? It would be really stupid to have to demolish a bunch of brand new on/off ramps just because the Lt. Governor wants to make a point.

That's the way I feel.

I really enjoyed the old express lane setup they had on I-15 for several years before the current configuration came into play: Two buffer-separated (by candlestick bollards) express lanes open to any vehicles, running from just north of I-215 and just south of Sahara. Only downside was the mad rush of vehicles cutting over out of the express lanes at the ends (I-15 north around Sahara just past the end of the express lanes was the most accident prone location in the state for years). Reverting to something like that using the HOV infrastructure might be kinda neat.

Quote from: roadfro on July 20, 2024, 07:07:33 PM

Quote from: Scott5114 on July 19, 2024, 05:47:42 AMIf for some reason you have to get rid of the HOV restrictions (I don't really use the freeways often enough to say whether they help or not) why not just leave the lanes the way they are and do an express/local type setup? It would be really stupid to have to demolish a bunch of brand new on/off ramps just because the Lt. Governor wants to make a point.

That's the way I feel.

I really enjoyed the old express lane setup they had on I-15 for several years before the current configuration came into play: Two buffer-separated (by candlestick bollards) express lanes open to any vehicles, running from just north of I-215 and just south of Sahara. Only downside was the mad rush of vehicles cutting over out of the express lanes at the ends (I-15 north around Sahara just past the end of the express lanes was the most accident prone location in the state for years). Reverting to something like that using the HOV infrastructure might be kinda neat.

I would think they have no choice but to do something like this. The only other option is a bunch of redundant ramps, which would be fine but awkward. And unusual, too; not sure I've heard of another example of a state/city building a ton of HOV-specific infrastructure to then throw in the towel on HOV lanes.

Quote from: jakeroot on July 21, 2024, 07:09:50 PM

Quote from: roadfro on July 20, 2024, 07:07:33 PM

Quote from: Scott5114 on July 19, 2024, 05:47:42 AMIf for some reason you have to get rid of the HOV restrictions (I don't really use the freeways often enough to say whether they help or not) why not just leave the lanes the way they are and do an express/local type setup? It would be really stupid to have to demolish a bunch of brand new on/off ramps just because the Lt. Governor wants to make a point.

That's the way I feel.

I really enjoyed the old express lane setup they had on I-15 for several years before the current configuration came into play: Two buffer-separated (by candlestick bollards) express lanes open to any vehicles, running from just north of I-215 and just south of Sahara. Only downside was the mad rush of vehicles cutting over out of the express lanes at the ends (I-15 north around Sahara just past the end of the express lanes was the most accident prone location in the state for years). Reverting to something like that using the HOV infrastructure might be kinda neat.

I would think they have no choice but to do something like this. The only other option is a bunch of redundant ramps, which would be fine but awkward. And unusual, too; not sure I've heard of another example of a state/city building a ton of HOV-specific infrastructure to then throw in the towel on HOV lanes.

In the case of Las Vegas, only one of four HOV-specific ramps facilitates a redundant movement—Summerlin Pkwy & US 95 towards downtown. The others go to completely different streets than the mainline exits: US 95 at Elkhorn (built in part to facilitate easier access to an existing Park & Ride/bus transfer center near the US 95 & Durango interchange), I-15 at "Neon Gateway" (alternate access to downtown, and possible easier bus access to the main bus transportation center downtown), and the I-15 at Harmon currently under construction between the Flamingo & Tropicana interchanges.

But yes, this would be an unusual "throw in the towel" situation if it does come to pass. HOV lanes in Las Vegas are less than 20 years old—I believe the first HOV lanes appeared on US 95 in the mid/late 2000s.

This does seem like a shame if they have to go through the effort of closing down all of the new ramps and other infrastructure.  I guess there may be a bit of a safety factor in having both left side and right side entrances and exits randomly.  At least, when the lanes were restricted, people driving in those lanes would know to expect entrances and exits at the left.

I mean, it's not like left exits don't exist, of course. But the problems with them have been known for long enough that it would be a case of left exits being installed unusually recently.

Quote from: roadfro on July 22, 2024, 11:34:09 AMIn the case of Las Vegas, only one of four HOV-specific ramps facilitates a redundant movement—Summerlin Pkwy & US 95 towards downtown.

The reverse movement (northbound US 95 from downtown to westbound NV 613) also has a redundant HOV ramp.

Stavros Anthony is still on his crusade to eliminate Vegas' HOV lanes...

Push to remove HOV lanes from Las Vegas Valley drives forward (https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/news-columns/road-warrior/push-to-remove-hov-lanes-from-las-vegas-valley-drives-forward-3396092/) - Mick Acker, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 7/14/2025

QuoteThe push to eradicate high occupancy vehicle lanes in the Las Vegas Valley continues, led by one of the state's top transportation figures.

Lt. Gov. Stavros Anthony, who sits as vice chairman of the Nevada Transportation Board of Directors, has been on a yearslong effort to get rid of HOV lanes in Southern Nevada.

Last year, at the urge of Anthony, the state initiated an environmental study on whether converting HOV lanes to general purposes lanes would create any impacts.

"We are continuing to do the study through the federal government to really tell the federal government that we do not need HOV lanes in Southern Nevada," Anthony said this month.

'HOV lanes are useless'

The study began last year and is expected to take two years to complete, Anthony said.

"My hope is a year from now we'll have this study done and we can go to the federal government and basically tell them HOV lanes are useless," he said.

From the feedback he's heard, Anthony said he's under the assumption that the majority of Southern Nevada residents don't support the carpool lanes in the valley.

"They're causing congestion," Anthony said. "Nobody is calling their neighbor to drive in the HOV lane."

Anthony also hopes that the change in presidential administration from Joe Biden to Donald Trump could also help his cause with the federal government for removing the HOV lanes.

"I'm hoping with a Trump administration that they'll see the fallacy of these HOV lanes and they'll allow us to open them up," Anthony said.

HOV lanes brief history

Carpool lanes were added to Interstate 15 in 2019 as part of Project Neon — adding to the existing HOV lanes on U.S. Highway 95 at the time.

At that time carpool regulations in effect limited the use of the HOV lanes to vehicles with two or more people and were in place for 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A pilot program was launched in fall 2022 with HOV regulation hours being reduced from 24/7 to being open to all motorists between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. seven days a week.

Anthony was already successful in leading the charge to reduce the hours that HOV lanes are in effect in Southern Nevada. Last year, the carpool lane regulation hours were further reduced to the current hours with the lanes now being dedicated to carpooling only between 6 and 8 a.m. and between 4 and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and open to all on weekends.

Anthony did that early on into his position of lieutenant governor, continuing a crusade he began while sitting as a member of the Las Vegas City Council.

"Once I became lieutenant governor I think it took me five months to get them down to two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon, because I had more control," Anthony said. "I appreciate the (transportation) board voting for my motion and doing that. NDOT went along with it too. They didn't fight me at all."

Do HOV lanes encourage carpooling?

Regional Transportation Commission spokeswoman Sue Christiansen made the case that the carpool lanes are picking up steam. Christiansen noted that the RTC has seen a steady increase in participants in its carpooling program, RTC Club Ride, outside of 2024, when the program was restructured.

Members of RTC's Club Ride program voluntarily record their commute modes, which include carpooling as an option, Christiansen said.

"While not all carpool trips are HOV system trips, carpool trip reporting consistently rose year-over-year," Christiansen said. "At the mid-mark of 2025, we are already at nearly 120,000 carpool trips recorded."

Between July 3, 2024, and Thursday, 156 HOV lane violation citations were submitted by law enforcement officials to Las Vegas Municipal Court. Of those, 119 were found liable for their violations, 19 are pending judgment, 16 were dismissed and two were found not liable.

With the push to remove the lanes moving forward, Anthony said he's not sure how the potential removal of HOV lanes would affect on- and -off ramps located on the left side of I-15. Some are at the Neon Gateway downtown and at Harmon Avenue, where an HOV half interchange was built as part of the I-15/Tropicana Avenue interchange project.

"I mean, as far as I'm concerned, we could just turn them all into general purpose lanes and it's not going to impact anybody," Anthony said. "It's not going to increase the usage of the HOV lanes philosophy."

I'd would much rather have seen study of the more typical HOV hours (before they were lowered to the current status) along with some better enforcement before they decide what to do. The current 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon on weekdays seems pretty pointless and unlikely to generate much usable data to aid in making a determination on nixing HOV lanes or not.

I'm still hopeful that if they get rid of HOV, they go back to some kind of express setup...again, along with better enforcement—crossing the double white line is way more common than it should be.

I would not like to visit the version of Las Vegas that lives in Stavros Anthony's brain because it sounds like a kind of crappy knock-off of the one I live in.

If I understand the article right, all of these machinations he has going on will be wrapping up just about the time he's up for re-election. I follow Nevada politics fairly regularly and the only time I ever hear out of this guy is when he's bitching about the HOV lanes. I am not sure that I would want to go into a re-election bid with nothing to show for it but an attempt to get rid of HOV lanes, no matter whether he's successful in that or not.

I feel like it's shortsighted to kill HOV lanes without letting them prove themselves their worthiness with all these new HOV interchanges going online.