New, streamlined Highway 101 carpool lane hours take effect in North Bay

"HOV lanes are intended to provide relief during the most congested times of day as well as short time blocks before and after. Our analysis showed that the hours that we had set were broader than the congestion period on US-101."

"For the second time in six months, crews for California's transportation department recently finished updating signs displaying a new set of carpool lane hours for that 52-mile corridor. As of Monday, revised signs announced that the latest high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane hours are 6 to 9 a.m. in the morning and 3 to 6:30 p.m. in the evening, in both counties, in both directions, Monday through Friday."

"The September switch blindsided motorists, many of whom suddenly faced much longer commutes. Such was the subsequent outpouring of outrage that Caltrans, under pressure from irate commuters and their elected officials, announced in December that it was backtracking."

California's transportation department made two significant changes to carpool lane hours on a 52-mile stretch of Highway 101 in Sonoma and Marin counties within six months. In September, Caltrans nearly doubled HOV lane hours, extending morning hours from 5 to 10 a.m. and evening hours from 3 to 7 p.m., causing widespread commuter outrage and longer travel times. Following public pressure and a January traffic analysis, the agency reversed course in December, restoring carpool lane hours to 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6:30 p.m. Caltrans determined the expanded hours exceeded actual congestion periods and that a new third lane south of Petaluma had shifted traffic downstream, making the broader restrictions unnecessary.

Read at The Mercury News