Dear Street Smart:Most car-pool lanes require two...
Dear Street Smart:
Most car-pool lanes require two passengers, but the car-pool lanes on the San Bernardino Freeway east of Downtown Los Angeles require three passengers. Consequently, it is usually empty. I am not aware of any other car-pool lanes that require this many passengers. Why was it done?
Philip Gutentag
North Hollywood
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Dear Reader:
The answer to your question lies in the very name of the 22-mile El Monte Busway. Built in 1972, the lane was intended to be used only by buses. In 1976, it was opened to car pools as well. But not wanting to defeat the purpose of the busway by clogging it with cars, Caltrans required three passengers in a vehicle before it could be considered a car pool.
Although you write that it appears empty most days, Caltrans statistics show that it is the most efficient lane on the freeway. That lane alone carries about 39% of morning rush-hour commuters while the other lanes only carry about 15% each.
In other words, the lane is working as it should by moving more people from place to place with less congestion. The carrot to car-pool is a relatively hassle-free drive. Most of us are all too familiar with the stick for driving alone.
Dear Street Smart:
On almost all freeway on-ramps with car-pool lanes, the left lane is designated for high-occupancy vehicles. Once in a while, though, I encounter a ramp where the car-pool lane is on the right.
This confuses me. Why is Caltrans playing this game?
Boby Austin
North Hollywood
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Dear Reader:
Like the drivers that use them, all freeway on-ramps are unique. According to Caltrans spokeswoman Margie Tiritilli, engineers examine the traffic patterns on surface streets around freeways before deciding how best to design on- and off-ramps.
Car-pool lanes on on-ramps are designed to make life easier for car-poolers. They are placed on the right or the left depending on the most common turning patterns at a particular location.
In other words, if the most common way to get on the freeway on-ramp is by making a left turn, the car-pool lane will be on the left side of the on-ramp. That way, it will be easier for car-poolers making the left turn and just a little more difficult for solo drivers.
It’s back to the old carrot and stick.
Street Smart appears Mondays in The Times Valley Edition.
