Slow carpool lanes draw complaints from commuters, DOT

Orange County Register ^ | December 15, 2014 | Kellie Mejdrich

[EveningStar]

... Carpool lanes are so clogged in California, the state could lose federal funding and approval for projects if it doesn’t fix the problem.

Under federal law, carpool lane drivers in California must be able to go an average of 45 miles per hour or faster during peak hours. Additionally, over a six-month period, traffic has to go that fast 90 percent of the time. Caltrans explains that means the lane’s average speed can drop below 45 no more than two days a month ...

[EveningStar]

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[dfwgator]

Carpool lanes - dumbest idea, ever.

[Jack Hydrazine]

Leftists constantly say that that building more roads just makes traffic worse.

What’s Up With That: Building Bigger Roads Actually Makes Traffic Worse
http://www.wired.com/2014/06/wuwt-traffic-induced-demand/

The “fundamental rule” of traffic: building new roads just makes people drive more
http://www.vox.com/2014/10/23/6994159/traffic-roads-induced-demand

Why building new roads doesn’t ease congestion
http://bicycleuniverse.info/transpo/roadbuilding-futility.html

[Paladin2]

30 mph gets the most vehicles past a given point over time.

[Celtic Conservative]

Solution? M79 grenade launcher. (bloop)....bang! lane’s clear.

CC

[morphing libertarian]

Here’s a clue, if the cars to your right are passing you, you don’t belong in the car pool, lane.

[C210N]

How come the deep end has no diving board?

[molson209]

Better be careful ,the crazies will build Barracks at your Work Place and move you and your family there

[Charles Henrickson]

“It takes you 10 minutes to get over to the carpool lane, and then you’re just stopped,”

Carpool Funnel Syndrome.

[rockinqsranch]

“.................Otherwise, the state must do something to free up the lanes, such as taking out the non-carpoolers or raising tolls for single drivers in high-occupancy toll lanes.”

Reeks of another Democrat setup to me. I smell a California Democrat campaign coming on to boost Jerry Brown’s train. They’ll stop at nothing no matter how ridiculous to get their way. Just look at Global Warming, Climate Change, or whatever it is this week as an example.

[PTBAA]

This is the first time I’ve read this statement. Will you please expand on why this is true? Thanks

[ChicagahAl]

Carpool lanes - dumbest idea, ever.

They're great for us motorcyclists. Everyone else should just stay out of them. ;-)

[Paladin2]

It's a question of vehicle speed and following distance.

As speeds increase the following distance increases non-linearly. The optimum for "full" lanes is measured at around 30 mph.

[Half Vast Conspiracy]

The carpool lane isn’t simply a fast lane. I’m not sure what you are saying.

[PTBAA]

Very interesting, thanks.

[morphing libertarian]

I’m saying the purpose of the car pool lane is to provide a faster ride to those with more than 1 person in the car. If you are driving with the flow of traffic to your right, you shouldn’t be in the car pool lane. If you want to move at that pace get into a lane moving at that pace.

[NY.SS-Bar9]

Huh?

Can you cite a reference for this?

[Half Vast Conspiracy]

Carpool lanes in California are controlled access. You can’t just move right at any time. There are sections of the road that I drove each day where the regular lanes move faster. Overall, though, the HOV lanes move faster.

[vette6387]

Carpool lanes - dumbest idea, ever.

No, they are right behind commuter toll lanes where the price varies according to the time of day. Another California first.
But the dangerous part of Diamond Lanes is when the do move at 45 mph right next to a fast lane that is stopped or nearly so. When that occurs (which is most of the time) you have to worry about Jose the Gardner pulling into the Diamond lane with Miguel riding shotgun (you gotta have two up) in his Sandford & Son’s era pickup loaded down with lawnmowers and bags of leaves. The CHP will tell you that the Diamond Lanes cause a disproportionate share of accidents as a consequence.