Washington State has invested more than 1.5 billion of state and federal dollars in freeway HOV lanes and ramps over the past 40 years.


WSDOT map of the HOV system in the central Puget Sound area. Approximately 225 lane-miles of a planned 320 mile freeway system have been built since 1970. See the larger interactive HOV webmap.

What are HOV lanes?
How do freeway HOV lanes work?
How well is the freeway HOV system working?
What is in the future for freeway HOV lanes?
How can I get more information?   

What are HOV lanes?

HOV lanes are high occupancy vehicle lanes, also known as carpool or diamond lanes.  HOV lanes are reserved for people who share the ride in buses, vanpools, or carpools.  Motorcycles and emergency vehicles are also allowed.

Freeway HOV lanes are generally inside (left) lanes and are identified by signs along the freeway and diamond symbols painted on the pavement. They are typically separated from the other lanes on the freeway by a solid white line.

HOV and HOT lanes are a key component in Moving Washington, a program to fight congestion and improve performance of the entire transportation system.

The freeway HOV system

The HOV system consists of a network of special-use freeway lanes which connect major population and employment centers. The HOV system forms a crucial part of the central Puget Sound area's highway system, carrying more than 1/3 of freeway travelers during rush hours.  Approximately 225 lane-miles of a planned 320-mile freeway system have been built.

Freeway HOV lanes currently exist only in the central Puget Sound area.  The location of these lanes is shown on the HOV webmap. 

Why do we have freeway HOV lanes?

HOV lanes increase freeway efficiency by moving more people in fewer vehicles than the full lane next to them.  They save time for bus riders and carpoolers by enabling them to bypass areas of congestion. They enable commuters to get to work more quickly and provide an incentive to take the bus, carpool, or vanpool anytime during the day. They help buses stay on schedule and provide access for emergency vehicles when needed. 

HOV lanes add fewer car trips and greenhouse gas emissions than new general purpose lanes, helping to lessen the area’s contribution to global warming.   

How do freeway HOV lanes work?
 

How do I use freeway HOV lanes?

Vehicles carrying the required number of people may enter or exit an HOV lane wherever there is a single line separating the HOV lane from the lane next to it. Vehicles may not cross double lines.
  
The required number of people on most HOV lanes is two, including the driver. There are only three exceptions:

• SR 520, west of I-405. This is the one place on the HOV system where three or more people are currently required. The 3+ occupancy requirement on this segment has to do with safety concerns.
• I-90 Reversible Express Lanes, west of Island Crest Way. Single occupant vehicles traveling between Seattle and Mercer Island (and vise versa) are allowed to use the I-90 HOV Reversible Express Lanes in the center roadway. Solo drivers may use the I-90 HOV Reversible Express Lanes between Rainier Avenue S (Exit #3) and Island Crest Way (Exit #7) in either direction. They cannot use the HOV lanes east of Island Crest Way on Mercer Island, or the lanes west of Rainier Avenue S in Seattle. Note that the new I-90 westbound HOV lane between Bellevue and Mercer Island on the outer roadway is restricted to HOV-only at all times.
• SR 167 between Renton and Auburn. These HOV lanes were converted to high occupancy toll or HOT lanes in 2008. Single occupant vehicles with a transponder may use these lanes for a toll when there is room. See the project page for more information.

The definition of “people” is not limited by age or driver’s license status.

What hours do freeway HOV lanes operate?

HOV lanes on the west side of Lake Washington operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  HOV lanes on eastside freeways are open to all drivers at night.

Direct access ramps are restricted to carpools, vanpools, buses, and motorcycles all the time, even when HOV lanes are open to other traffic at night.  Direct access ramps at Ash Way are restricted to buses-only for safety reasons.

The following HOV operating hours are in effect seven days of the week unless otherwise noted:

• I-5:  24 hours a day.  See special hours of operation in the I-5 Reversible Express Lanes between Northgate and downtown Seattle.
• I-90 (east of I-405):  5 am – 7 pm.
• I-90 (west of I-405):  24 hours a day. This applies to the westbound HOV lane on the outer mainline roadway, from Bellevue Way SE in south Bellevue to 80th Avenue SE on Mercer Island. See special hours of operation for the I-90 Reversible Express Lanes in the center roadway between Bellevue and Seattle.
• I-405:  5 am – 7 pm.
• SR 16: 24 hours a day.
• SR 167:  5 am – 7 pm.  HOV lanes on SR 167 have been converted to HOT lanes between Renton and Auburn, but the operating hours remain the same. Between 7 pm and 5 am, the lanes are open to all toll-free.
• SR 520 (east of I-405):  5 am – 7 pm. Note that unlike the rest of the system, HOV lanes on SR 520 are on the right side of the general purpose lanes.
• SR 520 (west of I-405): 24 hours a day. The SR 520 HOV lane requires three or more people west of I-405. Note that unlike the rest of the freeway HOV system, HOV lanes on SR 520 are on the right side of the general purpose lanes.
• Direct access ramps (all):  24 hours a day, even when HOV lanes are open to all traffic. Note that direct access ramps at Ash Way are restricted to buses-only.

Hours are shown graphically on the HOV webmap. When HOV lanes are open to all traffic, they should be treated as a regular left-side freeway lane.  Left-side freeway lanes are normally reserved for passing.   

Who can use freeway HOV lanes? 

Drivers can use HOV lanes whenever there are two or more people (including the driver) in their vehicle.  Three exceptions to this rule are noted above. 

The definition of "people" is not limited by age or licensing status.  Hybrid and other green vehicles are required to have the same number of occupants as other vehicles in the HOV lanes. Trucks are limited to 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, but there is no weight limit for recreational vehicles or buses. Towing is allowed in the HOV lanes as long as an adequate speed can be maintained and the combined weight does not exceed 10k.

Buses, emergency vehicles, and motorcycles can use freeway HOV lanes, regardless of how many people are on board. 

Who cannot use freeway HOV lanes?

Vehicles in the HOV lanes during operating hours without the required number of people, or trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds, are subject to a $124 fine from the Washington State Patrol. Citizens may report HOV lane violators through the HERO Program at 1-877-764-HERO or online.

The above restrictions are in place to help maintain the reliability and safety of the lanes.

How are freeway HOV lanes enforced?

Enforcement of freeway HOV lanes is the responsibility of the Washington State Patrol. Although safety-related activities take priority, the State Patrol enforces the HOV lanes as much as possible. The State Patrol issued almost 10,000 tickets for HOV violations in 2008. An HOV lane violation ticket costs $124.

In order to assist HOV lane integrity, we also rely on citizens to report HOV lane violators through the HERO program. You can help the HOV system by reporting the license plate number, vehicle description, time of day, and location of any violators you see by calling 1-877-764-HERO or reporting online.

Although violations vary by location, the average violation rate on Washington State freeway HOV lanes is less than five percent. This is one of the lowest rates in the nation.      

How well is the freeway HOV system working?

HOV lanes move about 35 percent of the people who use this area’s freeways in only 19 percent of the vehicles. The average HOV lane carries more than 1½ times as many people as the average “regular” lane, and is saving users time on each freeway. (Averages based on 2007 peak commuting periods and directions.)

Puget Sound enjoys one of the lowest HOV lane violation rates in the nation. In fact, HOV lanes are so popular and well-used that they are crowded. Most of our HOV lanes are congested during rush hours and no longer maintain the WSDOT 45 mph performance standard. Conversely, a few HOV lanes show growing volumes but still have space available during peak periods. WSDOT is working to address both over- and under-use of freeway HOV lanes through conversion of HOV lanes to HOT lanes.  

What are the benefits of freeway HOV lanes?

• Efficiency. HOV lanes increase freeway efficiency by moving more people in fewer vehicles than the full lane next to them.
• Travel Time Reliability. HOV lanes help express buses stick to their schedules. Carpools, vanpools, motorcycles, and emergency vehicles also receive a quicker trip.
• Speed, Ease & Money. Users cite saving time and money, reduced stress, and convenience as the main reasons they use the HOV system.
• Freeway Demand. HOV lanes reduce competition for a limited amount of space on the freeway during rush hours.
• Fewer Cars Area-Wide. HOV lanes add fewer car trips to the transportation system than new general purpose lanes.
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions. If we add fewer car trips, we help to decrease new greenhouse gas emissions and place less of a burden on the environment.
• Sustainability. HOV lanes play a crucial role in helping to support more sustainable transportation choices by providing an incentive to carpool, vanpool, or take the bus. 

Is there public support for freeway HOV lanes?

The freeway HOV system enjoys a high level of popularity with the majority of freeway users in the central Puget Sound area. A public opinion poll (pdf 84 kb) done in 2007 by the University of Washington showed that 76% of freeway drivers who do not usually use the HOV lanes still thought HOV lanes were a good idea. 66% of this same non-user group felt that HOV lane construction should continue, and 62% disagreed with the idea of opening the HOV lanes to everyone all the time.

What problems is the freeway HOV system experiencing?

The freeway HOV system is very well utilized during the seven hours per weekday that are considered peak commuting periods:  6-9 am and 3-7 pm. These typical peak hours often spread into the early morning, mid-day, and evening hours, when HOV volumes can be high as well. In many locations there is high demand for HOV lanes in both directions, not just the “main direction” of travel during each peak period.

The HOV lanes on I-5, I-405, and westbound SR 520 are so well utilized that they are usually congested during the peak periods and no longer meet our established performance standard of 45 mph. This makes it difficult for express buses to stick to their schedules, impedes speed and travel time reliability for vanpoolers and carpoolers, and reduces the incentive for all users to share rides.       

What is in the future for freeway HOV lanes?

Population in the Puget Sound area is expected to increase by about 1.7 million, and the number of jobs by about 1.2 million, over year 2000 levels by 2040. Our general purpose lanes, and most of our HOV lanes, are congested during the peak periods, and those peak periods are becoming longer all the time.

New approaches, like active traffic management, tolling, innovative technology, and other congestion management tools will be necessary to help keep everyone moving. For a list of solutions by corridor, see the Moving Washington program. Meanwhile here are some other measures being taken:

New HOV Lanes
Approximately 225 miles of a planned 320 mile freeway system are complete. About two miles of new HOV lanes are currently under construction on SR 520, expanding the system east to SR 202.  Six miles of new HOV lanes are currently under construction on I-5 and SR 16 in Pierce County.  The SR 167 southbound HOT Lane is also being extended a short distance north to I-405. 

HOV lanes opened in the last five years include:

• A westbound HOV lane on I-90 between Bellevue and Mercer Island on the outer roadway (Oct 2008).
• HOV lanes on I-5 in Everett between SR 526 and SR 2 (Jun 2008).
• HOT lanes on SR 167 between Renton and Auburn (May 2008).
• HOV lanes on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (July 2007).
• HOV lanes on I-5 between Federal Way and the Pierce/King County line (May 2007).
• HOV lanes on SR 16 between Union Avenue in Tacoma and Olympic Drive NW in Gig Harbor (Jan 2007).
• Ten direct access ramps at various locations.

New HOV Ramps
Up to 21 possible locations have been identified for construction of direct access ramps to improve freeway travel time and safety. Direct access ramps drop HOV traffic directly into the HOV lane, removing the need for HOVs to weave across the freeway. They improve travel time, safety, and reliability for all freeway users by providing a more direct way for HOVs to get in and out of the center lanes.

Ten of these ramps have already been built. These ramps are being planned and constructed in partnership with Sound Transit and other agencies. They are producing travel time savings of up to ten minutes per trip and creating smoother driving conditions for both HOVs and surrounding traffic.   

Conversion of HOV Lanes to HOT Lanes
HOV lanes can become inefficient if they are too congested. Likewise, HOV lanes that aren’t full are not being used as effectively as possible. To ensure optimum efficiency, WSDOT is looking at conversion of HOV lanes to HOT lanes.

"HOT lanes" are high occupancy toll lanes. HOT lanes allow single occupant vehicles to drive in the HOV lane for a toll when there is room. Tolls are collected electronically with the use of a transponder. Toll price varies by congestion level; the less space, the higher the toll. In this way, the optimum number of vehicles is allowed in the lane.

The State’s first HOT lanes pilot project opened on SR 167 between Renton and Auburn in May 2008. For HOVs, use of the HOT lanes is very similar to use of the HOV lanes before the conversion. HOVs do not pay a toll on these lanes, nor do they need transponders. The main difference for HOVs is that access for all vehicles in and out of the lanes is now restricted to areas where the double-white line changes to dashed. 

Some drivers may wish to use the HOT lanes as a carpool at some times, and as a single-occupant vehicle at others.  These drivers will need to obtain a shield for their transponder.  This will prevent automatic toll withdrawals from their account when there are two or more people in the car. Please see the on-line user guide for more information on SR 167 HOT lane operations.
 
More conversions of HOV to HOT lanes or express toll lanes are coming. These conversions may involve changing the minimum occupancy requirement for HOVs.  For a list of planned projects by corridor, see the Moving Washington program.     

How can I get more information?

Many questions can be answered by checking the HOV Common Questions page. For further questions, please contact:


Leslie Forbis
HOV Operations Engineer
Northwest Region
PO Box 330310
Seattle, WA  98133-9710
(206) 440-4456
Email:  hov@wsdot.wa.gov