Assembly Legislation Introduced to Do Away With Diamond Lanes
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SACRAMENTO — Special diamond traffic lanes to promote carpooling would be banned in California by Jan. 1, 1989, under legislation that has been introduced in the Assembly.
“Diamond lanes don’t alleviate congestion--they perpetuate it,” Assemblyman Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks), said Friday in a statement announcing the proposal. “Diamond lanes increase the risk of accidents.”
McClintock cited state Department of Transportation figures showing that the car-pool lane on the Costa Mesa Freeway in Orange County carries only 9% of the traffic while taking up 25% of the freeway.
He also said a U.S. Department of Transportation study showed that diamond lanes increased the accident rate by 204% in San Francisco and by 256% in Santa Monica.
The lawmaker said most commuters cannot take advantage of the lanes because their work places are scattered over too wide an area for car pools.
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