High Occupancy Vehicles

What are direct access ramps?
Direct access ramps allow buses, carpools and vanpools to directly access the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes in the center of the freeway. They come down from above the mainline and merge into the HOV lane from inside the median.

An aerial view of the Bellevue HOV direct access ramps.

Why are we building direct access ramps?
By enabling carpools, vanpools and buses to connect directly with HOV lanes, these drivers avoid the need to weave across the other traffic. High occupancy vehicles often have a hard time merging left through general-purpose lanes to gain access to the HOV lane during congested periods. This also creates a safety problem. When buses, particularly articulated (extra-long) buses attempt this merge, they cause congestion in the lanes they pass through for quite a distance back. Direct access ramps improve safety, reduce congestion, save time, and increase reliability for both HOVs and general-purpose traffic.




Where are we building direct access ramps?
WSDOT and Sound Transit’s current plans include direct access facilities in 20 locations. Click on the map to the left to view an enlarged map of HOV projects in the Puget Sound Region. The map is interactive and by clicking on each dot, you can visit individual ramp Web sites.

An interactive map of HOV projects in the Puget Sound area

How do direct access ramps work?
Direct access ramps work much like other left side on- and off-ramps, except that they are restricted to HOVs. Vehicles access the ramps from an adjacent park-and-ride facility or surface street. They merge into the left side of the HOV lane. As with other left side on- and off-ramps, drivers are entering traffic that is to their right; therefore visibility is more limited and ramp users need to use extra caution when merging onto a freeway HOV lane from direct access ramps.

When using a direct access ramp to exit the freeway, HOV drivers should watch for signs and then exit to the left when indicated. This will take them up the direct access ramp and into the park-and-ride or onto a local street.

Direct access ramps are open to carpools, vanpools, buses, and motorcycles twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. This is true even when HOV lanes are open to general purpose traffic. Eastside freeway HOV lanes are open to all traffic between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., but Eastside direct access ramps are still restricted to HOVs during all hours. This restriction stems from a Memorandum of Understanding between WSDOT and Sound Transit. Note that the direct access ramps at the Ash Way Park-and-Ride in north Lynnwood are always restricted to transit-only for safety reasons.

Who can use direct access ramps?
Six of the seven direct access ramps currently operating are open to vehicles with two or more people. They are generally subject to the same eligibility and limitations that apply to HOV lanes.  However, direct access ramps remain HOV-only ramps 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Although other freeway HOV lanes may open to general traffic at certain times of the day, direct access ramps are still restricted to HOVs during all hours.

Carpools, vanpools, buses, single-occupant motorcycles, and emergency vehicles are also permitted on direct access ramps. Trucks that weigh over 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight are prohibited, regardless of the number of occupants. Buses and recreational vehicles (RVs) are exempt from this weight limit.

One location is open to transit only: the Ash Way transit access ramps. That location is restricted to transit-only due to safety concerns unique to that location.

How have drivers benefited from direct access ramps?
We have been monitoring the direct access ramps that opened since late 2004. The results have been quite positive. Vehicles are merging smoothly and safely from the ramps to the HOV lanes, and HOV users are saving up to six minutes per trip. Find out how many vehicles are using the direct access ramps at each location and how much time they're saving in our direct access ramps update (pdf 300 kb).

How much do direct access ramps cost, and where does the funding come from?
The cost of constructing direct access ramps can be quite substantial because they require structures to be built above the freeway. Sound Transit is providing a large share of the funding for many of the Puget Sound region’s direct access ramps. Other transit agencies, cities, the Federal Highway and Transit Administrations, WSDOT, and other local agencies are pitching in as well. This table shows the funding partners for each location. For more information, visit the Sound Transit Web site.

How can I find out more about specific direct access ramp projects?
Visit specific project Web sites from the list below or from the dots on this map of HOV projects, or contact:

Annie Johnson
WSDOT Communications
206-716-1165
johnsan@wsdot.wa.gov

Projects completed and open to traffic:

• Downtown Everett HOV Access: I-5 at Broadway Avenue SE in Everett (opened June 2008).
• Lynnwood HOV Access (Lynnwood Transit Center): I-5 at 44th Avenue West in Lynnwood (opened Nov. 2004).
• Downtown Bellevue HOV Access (Bellevue Transit Center): I-405 at NE 6th Street in Bellevue (opened Dec. 2004).
• Ash Way Transit Access (Ash Way Park-and-Ride): I-5 at 164th Street SW in South Snohomish County (opened Sep. 2005 - transit only).
• Federal Way HOV Access (Federal Way Transit Center): I-5 at S. 317th Street in Federal Way (opened Feb. 2006).
• Eastgate HOV Access (Eastgate Park-and-Ride): I-90 at 142nd Place SE in Eastgate (opened Oct. 2006).
• Totem Lake Freeway Station (Kingsgate Park-and-Ride): I-405 at NE 128th Street in the Totem Lake area of Kirkland (opened Nov. 2007).

Projects under construction:

• South Everett Freeway Station: I-5 at 112th Street SE in south Everett (open late 2008).
• I-90 Two-Way Transit and HOV Operations, Stage 1 (Mercer Island and South Bellevue Park-and-Rides): Westbound I-90 at 80th Avenue SE on Mercer Island, and at Bellevue Way in south Bellevue (fall 2008).

Projects in the design stage:

• I-90 Two-Way Transit and HOV Operations, Stage 2 (Mercer Island Park-and-Ride): Eastbound I-90 at 80th Avenue SE on Mercer Island.
• Mountlake Terrace Freeway Station (Mountlake Terrace Park-and-Ride): I-5 at 236th Street SW in Mountlake Terrace.

Projects in the long-term planning stage (Webpages are not yet available for all long-range projects):

• Renton HOV Access: I-405 at N. 8th Street in Renton.
• I-405 Brickyard Direct Access (Brickyard Park-and-Ride): NE 160th Street near Bothell.
• I-405 NE 85th Street Direct Access (SR 908/Kirkland Way Park-and-Ride): NE 85th Street in Kirkland.
• I-405 Newport Hills Freeway Station (Newport Hills Park-and-Ride): 112th Avenue SE in Bellevue.
• I-405 Canyon Park Direct Access (Canyon Park Park-and-Ride): SR 527 in Bothell.
• SR 522 at proposed UW Bothell/Cascadia Campus in Bothell.
• SR 167 at SW 27th Street in Renton.
• I-5 at Industrial Way/E-3 Busway in Seattle.
• I-5 Star Lake Freeway Station (Star Lake Park-and-Ride): I-5 at S. 272nd Street in Kent.