This post was originally published on this site.
Caltrans wants to coordinate carpool hours on highways across the Bay Area. That might seem reasonable from a 30,000-foot perspective or from a desk at the Caltrans regional office in Oakland, but on the ground in the North Bay, it is a mess.
Officials in Marin and Sonoma counties, reflecting the frustrations of their constituents, have asked Caltrans to reconsider. The agency should heed their request.
The new lane restrictions took effect on Sept. 8. From 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in both directions, only cars with two or more people in them may use one of the precious few lanes through Marin and Sonoma counties.
In Marin, the old HOV hours were 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. southbound and 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. northbound. In Sonoma they were 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in both directions.
Predictably, the change has caused congestion because a lot of people still drive to work solo. The expiration of a federal waiver allowing electric vehicles in the carpool lanes compounded the problem by pushing thousands more single-occupancy vehicles into regular lanes.
The slow, aggravating grind of stop-and-go traffic consumes precious minutes, even hours, of commuters’ time. Navigation apps have begun to direct drivers to shortcuts through school zones and side streets, infuriating neighborhoods.
The Transportation Authority of Marin warned about such consequences back in April with a traffic analysis suggesting longer HOV lane hours would worsen morning commutes through San Rafael and afternoon commutes in Corte Madera. Now, the chair of that agency, Marin County Supervisor Eric Lucan, is keeping track of the impact on his commute. Many days it takes him 35 minutes to go 4 or 5 miles past the Highway 37 interchange.
Maybe congestion is what Caltrans wants. The extended hours beyond prime rush hour times encourage commuters to carpool or find other modes of transportation like train or bus. If people do change, that will mean fewer cars, which is good for overall traffic flow and for the planet.
Commuters and homebuyers made life decisions about where to live based in part on their expectations of traffic patterns. Upending them now undercuts consistency. That is not to say nothing should ever change, but officials should have anticipated these problems. Congestion and longer commutes were predictable outcomes.
The new HOV restrictions coincided with the completion of a long-delayed widening of Highway 101 in September. That project took a quarter century to finish and was planned at a time when traffic volumes were vastly different from today’s. It would behoove Caltrans to pause its new carpool hours at least until the impacts of widening have a chance to shake out. Taxpayers spent $1.5 billion on the widening project only to see it immediately restricted.
Caltrans officials say that they will not consider changes for at least six months, time for traffic patterns to adjust. In the meantime, the agency suggests activating new ramp meters to help reduce backups.
So to be clear: Caltrans will not wait for new traffic patterns to develop in response to widening, but it will wait for them when it comes to congestion-causing expanded carpool hours, and it will even create more impediments. Is it any wonder that drivers are angry and Californians grow frustrated with unchecked bureaucracy?
Rather than trying to harmonize HOV lane hours across the sprawling Bay Area, Caltrans should consider a more tailored approach, responsive to local needs. In short, listen to the people who actually drive on the roads.
You can send letters to the editor to letters@pressdemocrat.com