I got a new Honda Hybrid, I love it. Sips the gas like a little old lady drinking a mint julip. Unlike the early Toyota Prius I test drove a couple of years ago, this car feels solid and has some pep. I've also got a Honda CRV for bad weather and freight hauling.
The bigger issue is single occupany drivers that flaunt the law. HOV is not being enforced.
Anything else is a joke. A big part of the problem is that most highway money in Va. goes to Tidewater and Richmond and not to Northern Va. where all the traffic congestion is.
"Since September, usually the regular lanes have less traffic"
Well, then, by golly, they better start ticketing car-poolers who use the regular lanes! They got their own lane, they can use it, damit!
This same problem has been going on at I-66 eastbound to the inner loop of the Beltway Beltway for many years. People who want to get off at Rt. 7 start moving over right away despite the fact that there is 1 1/2 miles to get over. Traffic backs up to Annandale Rd, Rt-236.
I've noticed that whenever HOV is lifted due to some problem on I-95, traffic on I-66 flows so smoothly. It's like night and day.
Now, the powers the be want to add HOV lanes to the Beltway. No doubt these lanes will be added to the leftmost lanes instead of the outer, or rightmost lanes.
Lets not forget the State Police who enforce the HOV laws while other traffic laws are neglected.
HOV lanes need to be decomissioned on I-66 outside the Beltway ASAP!
Nyaaah! Nyaah!
The whole point of HOV lanes is to increase the flow of traffic (cars passing per unit time). In CA the HOV lanes are meant for multiple passengers only, although their usage is debatable.... quite often they're completely empty and the remaining lanes are overloaded and clogged. Its an imperfect system in any case.