Editing High-occupancy vehicle lane

{{short description|Restricted traffic lane}}
{{redirect2|HOV|HOV Lane|the song by Nicki Minaj|Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded|other uses|HOV (disambiguation)}}
[[File:Interstate 5 northbound near Shoreline, WA - HOV and VMS.jpg|thumb|A high-occupancy vehicle lane on [[Interstate 5 in Washington|Interstate 5]] in [[Seattle]]]]
A '''high-occupancy vehicle lane''' (also known as an '''HOV lane''', '''carpool lane''', '''diamond lane''', '''2+ lane''', and '''transit lane''' or '''T2 or T3 lanes''') is a restricted [[traffic lane]] reserved for the exclusive use of vehicles with a driver and at least one passenger, including [[carpool]]s, [[vanpool]]s, and [[public transit|transit]] buses. These restrictions may be only imposed during [[rush hour|peak travel times]] or may apply at all times. There are different types of lanes: temporary or permanent lanes with concrete barriers, two-directional or reversible lanes, and exclusive, concurrent, or contraflow lanes working in peak periods.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Encyclopedia of the City|last=Caves|first=R. W.|publisher=[[Routledge]]|year=2004|pages=339}}</ref>

The normal minimum occupancy level is two or three occupants. Many jurisdictions exempt other vehicles, including motorcycles, charter buses, emergency and law enforcement vehicles, low-emission and other [[green vehicle]]s, and/or [[high-occupancy toll lane|single-occupancy vehicles paying a toll]]. HOV lanes are normally introduced to increase average vehicle occupancy and persons traveling with the goal of reducing [[traffic congestion]] and [[air pollution]].<ref name=DefCAN>{{cite web|url=http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/programs/environment-utsp-hovlanescanada-886.htm|title=High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes in Canada – Overview|publisher=[[Transport Canada]]|date=2010-08-26|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419031447/http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/programs/environment-utsp-hovlanescanada-886.htm|archive-date=2012-04-19}}</ref><ref name=DefFHWA>{{cite web|url=https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop09029/sec1_introduction.htm|title=A Review of HOV Lane Performance and Policy Options in the United States – Section 1: Introduction|author=[[Federal Highway Administration]]|publisher=FHWA Tolling and Pricing Program|date=2009-07-27|access-date=2012-04-25}}</ref><ref name=rta>{{cite web| url=http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/usingroads/buses/transitlanes.html| title=Transit Lanes| publisher=[[Roads & Traffic Authority]], NSW| access-date=2012-04-25}} Budapest 29–31 October 2003.</ref>

==History==
===United States===
[[File:VA 07 2012 I395 HOV 3854.JPG|thumb|The first HOV freeway, which opened in 1969, was on [[Shirley Highway]] in [[Northern Virginia]]; as of 2012, the [[Interstate 95 in Virginia|I-95]]/[[Interstate 395 (District of Columbia–Virginia)|I-395]] HOV facility operates as a two-lane barrier-separated [[reversible lane|reversible]] HOV 3+ facility (center lanes) with access through elevated on- and off-ramps.]] 
[[File:Interstate 405 Carpool Lane Sign.jpg|thumb|For 50 years, from 1970 to 2020, the [[California Department of Transportation]] preferred to use the term "carpool", as seen on [[Interstate 405 in California|I-405]] in [[Los Angeles]], as opposed to "HOV".]]
The introduction of HOV lanes in the United States progressed slowly during the 1970s and early 1980s. Major growth occurred from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s.<ref name=1stHOVs/> The first freeway HOV lane in the United States was implemented in the [[Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway]] in [[Northern Virginia]], between Washington, DC, and the [[Capital Beltway]], and was opened in 1969 as a [[bus lane|bus-only lane]].<ref name=1stHOVs/><ref name=FHWA2>{{cite web|url=https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop09029/sec2_operational.htm|title=Section 2: Operational Description of the Nation's HOV Lanes  |author= Federal Highway Administration|publisher=FHWA Tolling and Pricing Program|date=December 2008|access-date=2012-04-24|author-link=Federal Highway Administration }}</ref><ref name=Caltrans1>{{cite web|url=http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/systemops/hov/|title=Managed Lane |author=[[California Department of Transportation]] (Caltrans)|publisher=Caltrans|year=2007|access-date=2012-04-26}}</ref> The busway was opened in December 1973 to [[carpool]]s with four or more occupants, becoming the first instance in which buses and carpools officially shared a HOV lane over a considerable distance.<ref name=HistUS1>{{cite web|url=http://ntl.bts.gov/DOCS/retk.html|title=Re-Thinking HOV – High Occupancy Vehicle Facilities and the Public Interest|author1=Christopher K. Leman|author2=Preston L. Schiller|author3=Kristin Pauly|publisher=[[National Transportation Library]]|access-date=2012-04-30|archive-date=2010-12-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204025344/http://ntl.bts.gov/DOCS/retk.html|url-status=dead}} ''Research funded partly by the [[Chesapeake Bay Foundation]] and the [[Bullitt Foundation]], pp. 3–5.''</ref><ref name=HistUS2>{{cite web|url=http://ridesharechoices.scripts.mit.edu/home/histstats/|title=Selective History of Ridesharing – The 1970s Energy Crises|author=MIT "Real-Time" Rideshare Research|publisher=[[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]|date=2009-01-24|access-date=2012-04-30}}</ref>

In 2005, the two lanes of this HOV 3+ facility carried during the morning peak hour (6:30 am to 9:30 am) a total of 31,700 people in 8,600 vehicles (3.7 persons/veh), while the three or four general-purpose lanes carried 23,500 people in 21,300 vehicles (1.1 persons/veh). Average travel time in the HOV facility was 29 minutes, and 64 minutes in the general traffic lanes.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/972|title=HOV lanes clogged with hybrids-complicate toll plan|author=Peter Samuel|work=Toll Roads News|date=2005-01-12|access-date=2012-04-25|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120912170357/http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/972|archive-date=2012-09-12}}</ref> As of 2012, the [[Interstate 95 in Virginia|I-95]]/I-395 HOV facility is {{Convert|30|mi|abbr=on}} long, extends from [[Washington, D.C.]], to [[Dumfries, Virginia]], and has two [[reversible lane|reversible]] lanes separated from the regular lanes by barriers, with access through elevated on- and off-ramps. Three or more people in a vehicle (HOV 3+) are required to travel on the facility during rush hours on weekdays.<ref name=VDOTHOV>{{cite web|url=http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/hov-novasched.asp|title=High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Systems|publisher =[[Virginia Department of Transportation]] (VDOT)|date=4 December 2017}}</ref>

The second freeway HOV facility, which opened in 1970, was the [[contraflow lane|contraflow]] [[bus lane]] on the [[Lincoln Tunnel Approach and Helix]] in [[Hudson County, New Jersey]].<ref name=1stHOVs>{{cite web |url=http://www.hovworld.com/page6/page6.htm |title=History of HOV Facilities |author=Katherine F. Turnbull |publisher=[[Federal Highway Administration]] (FHWA) |access-date=2012-04-26 |archive-date=2012-03-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314224451/http://www.hovworld.com/page6/page6.htm |url-status=dead }} Complete account published in Katherine F. Turnbull (1992),  "''HOV Project Case Studies: History and Institutional Arrangements''"</ref>  According to the [[Federal Highway Administration]] (FHWA), the [[Lincoln Tunnel XBL]] is the country's HOV facility with the highest number of peak hour persons among HOV facilities with utilization data available, with 23,500 persons in the morning peak,<ref name=FHWA2/> and 62,000 passengers during the four-hour morning peak.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/APTABrochure_v28%20FINAL.pdf |title=Public Transportation: Moving America Forward |author=[[American Public Transit Association]] (APTA) |publisher=APTA |access-date=2012-04-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130102221405/http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/APTABrochure_v28%20FINAL.pdf |archive-date=2013-01-02 |url-status=dead }} ''See p. 6''</ref>

The first permanent HOV facility in [[California]] was the bypass lane at the [[San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge]] toll plaza, opened to the public in April 1970.<ref name=Caltrans1/> The [[El Monte Busway]] ([[Interstate 10 in California|I-10 / San Bernardino Freeway]]) in [[Los Angeles]] was initially only available for buses when it opened in 1973. Three-person carpools were allowed to use the bus lane for three months in 1974 due to a strike by bus operators, and then permanently at a 3+ HOV from 1976. It is one of the most efficient HOV facilities in North America<ref name=Texas2002>{{cite web|url=http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/jpodocs/repts_te/13679.html|title=Executive Report. Effects of Changing HOV Lane occupancy requirements: El Monte Busway Case Study|author=Texas Transportation Institute|publisher=[[Federal Highway Administration]]|date=September 2002|access-date=2012-04-27|author-link=Texas Transportation Institute|archive-date=2017-06-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170617121144/https://ntl.bts.gov/lib/jpodocs/repts_te/13679.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> and was converted into a [[high-occupancy toll lane]] operation in 2013 to allow low-occupancy vehicles to bid for excess capacity on the lane in the [[Metro ExpressLanes]] project.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metro.net/projects/expresslanes/|title=Metro Express Lanes}}</ref>

Beginning in the 1970s, the [[Urban Mass Transportation Administration]] recognized the advantages of exclusive bus lanes and encouraged their funding. In the 1970s the FHWA began to allow state highway agencies to spend federal funds on HOV lanes.<ref name=HistUS1/> As a result of the [[1973 oil crisis|1973 Arab Oil Embargo]], interest in [[Carpool|ridesharing]] picked up, and states began experimenting with HOV lanes. In order to reduce [[crude oil]] consumption, the 1974 [[Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act]] mandated maximum speed limits of {{convert|55|mph|abbr=on}} on public highways and became the first instance when the U.S. federal government provided funding for ridesharing and states were allowed to spend their highway funds on rideshare demonstration projects. The 1978 Surface Transportation Assistance Act made funding for rideshare initiatives permanent.<ref name=HistUS2/>

Also during the early 1970s, ridesharing was recommended for the first time as a tool to mitigate air quality problems. The 1970 [[Clean Air Act Amendments]] established the [[National Ambient Air Quality Standards]] and gave the [[Environmental Protection Agency]] (EPA) substantial authority to regulate air quality attainment. A final control plan for the [[Los Angeles Basin]] was issued in 1973, and one of its main provisions was a two-phase conversion of {{convert|184|mi|abbr=on}} of freeway and arterial roadway lanes to bus/carpool lanes and the development of a regional computerized carpool matching system. However, it took until 1985 before any HOV project was constructed in [[Los Angeles County]], and by 1993 there were only {{convert|58|mi|abbr=on}} of HOV lanes countywide.<ref name=HistUS2/>

A significant policy shift took place in October 1990, when a memorandum from the FHWA administrator stated that "''FHWA strongly supports the objective of HOV preferential facilities and encourages the proper application of HOV technology.''" Regional administrators were directed to promote HOV lanes and related facilities.<ref name=HistUS1/> Also in the early 1990s, two laws reinforced the U.S. commitment to HOV lane construction. The [[Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990]] included HOV lanes as one of the transportation control measures that could be included in state implementation plans to attain federal air quality standards. The 1990 amendments also deny the administrator of the EPA the authority to block FHWA from funding 24-hour HOV lanes as part of the sanctions for a state's failure to comply with the Clean Air Act, if the secretary of transportation wishes to approve the FHWA funds.<ref name=HistUS1/>

On the other hand, the [[Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act]] (ISTEA) of 1991 encouraged the construction of HOV lanes, which were made eligible for Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds in regions not attaining federal air quality standards. CMAQ funds may be spent on new HOV lane construction, even if the HOV designation holds only at peak travel times or in the peak direction. ISTEA also provided that under the Interstate Maintenance Program, only HOV projects would receive the 90% federal matching ratio formerly available for the addition of general purpose lanes. ISTEA, in addition, permitted state authorities to define a high occupancy vehicle as having a minimum of two occupants (HOV 2+).<ref name=HistUS1/>

As of 2009, California was the state with the most HOV facilities in the country, with 88, followed by [[Minnesota]] with 83 facilities, [[Washington (state)|Washington]] with 41, [[Texas]] with 35, and [[Virginia]] with 21. By 2006, HOV lanes in California were operating at two-thirds of their capacity, and these HOV facilities carried on average 2,518 persons per hour during peak hours, substantially more people than the congested general-traffic lanes.<ref name=DefCAN/>[[File:HOT Capital Beltway Panorama 5.jpg|thumb|337x337px|left|The [[Interstate 495 (Capital Beltway)|I-495 Capital Beltway]] in the [[Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area]]. The facility is located in the [[Central reservation|median]], has two HOV lanes in each direction with elevated on/off ramp access with a total of {{cvt|224|mi}} of lanes.]]

As of October 2016, the longest continuous HOV facility in the U.S. is on [[Interstate 15 in Utah|I-15]] in [[Utah]], extending approximately {{cvt|72|mi}} from [[Layton, Utah|Layton]] to [[Spanish Fork, Utah|Spanish Fork]] with a single HOV lane in each direction for a total of {{cvt|144|mi}} of HOV lanes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blog.udot.utah.gov/2016/10/udot-and-uhp-launch-express-lane-education-and-enforcement-blitz/|title=UDOT and UHP launch Express Lane education and enforcement blitz – Transportation Blog|website=blog.udot.utah.gov|language=en-US|access-date=2017-12-31|archive-date=2017-12-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227232726/http://blog.udot.utah.gov/2016/10/udot-and-uhp-launch-express-lane-education-and-enforcement-blitz/|url-status=dead}}</ref>  While the Utah facility is the longest, the I-495 Capital Beltway in the [[Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area|Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area]] extends {{cvt|56|mi}} but has two HOV lanes in each direction for a total of {{cvt|224|mi}} of HOV lanes.<ref name="FHWA2" />

On October 24, 2023, [[Michigan]] opened its first-ever HOV lanes on a portion of [[Interstate 75 in Michigan|I-75]] in [[Oakland County, Michigan|Oakland County]] from South Boulevard in [[Bloomfield Township, Oakland County, Michigan|Bloomfield Township]] to 12 Mile Road in [[Madison Heights, Michigan|Madison Heights]] as part of a freeway modernization project. One lane in both directions is restricted to HOV use from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, while all other drivers regardless of the number of occupants in their vehicle can freely use the lanes outside of those hours.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.modernize75.com|title=I-75 Modernization Project}}</ref> 
<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.modernize75.com/HOV|title=Project Highlights - HOV Edition}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last = Braddock |first = Tiara |date = October 25, 2023 |title = Carpool lanes now open along I-75 in Oakland County; here's when they're active |url = https://www.wxyz.com/news/carpool-lanes-now-open-along-i-75-in-oakland-county-heres-when-theyre-active |access-date = October 25, 2023 |location = Southfield, Michigan |publisher = [[WXYZ-TV]] |language = en-US }}</ref>

===Canada===
[[File:404HOV lane.png|thumb|The HOV lanes on [[Ontario Highway 404]] in [[Southern Ontario]] are separated by a striped buffer zone that breaks occasionally to allow vehicles to enter and exit the HOV lane.]]

The first HOV facilities in Canada were opened in [[Greater Vancouver]] and [[Toronto]] in the early 1990s, followed shortly by facilities in [[Ottawa]], [[Gatineau]], [[Montreal]], and later [[Calgary]]. As of 2010 there were about {{Convert|150|km|abbr=on}} of highway HOV lanes in 11 locations in [[British Columbia]], [[Ontario]], and [[Quebec]], and over {{Convert|130|km|abbr=on}} of arterial HOV lanes in 24 locations in Greater Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, and Gatineau.<ref name="DefCAN" /> The [[Ontario Ministry of Transportation]] (MTO) in 2006 estimated that commuters in Toronto using the HOV facilities on [[Ontario Highway 403|Highways 403]] and [[Ontario Highway 404|404]] were saving 14–17 minutes per trip compared to their travel time before the HOV lanes opened. The MTO also estimated that almost 40% of commuters were carpooling on Highway 403 eastbound in the morning peak hour, compared to 14% in 2003, and 37% of commuters were carpooling on Highway 403 westbound in the afternoon peak hour, compared to 22% in 2003. The average rush hour speed on the HOV lanes is {{Convert|100|kph|abbr=on}}, compared to {{Convert|60|kph|abbr=on}} in general-traffic lanes on Highway 403.<ref name=DefCAN/>
Temporary HOV lanes were added to selections of [[400-series highways]] in the [[Greater Toronto Area]] for the [[2015 Pan American Games]] and [[2015 Parapan American Games]].

===Europe===
{{see also|Bus lane}}
As of 2012, there are a few HOV lanes in operation in Europe. The main reason for this is that, in general, European cities have better [[public transport]] services and fewer high-capacity multi-lane urban motorways than do the U.S. and Canada.{{Cn|date=July 2024}} However, at around 1.3 persons per vehicle, average car occupancy is relatively low in most European cities.<ref name=HOVUK>{{cite web|url=http://www.etcproceedings.org/paper/britain-s-first-high-occupancy-vehicle-lane-the-a647-leeds|title=Britain's first high occupancy vehicle lane – the A647, Leeds|vauthors=Quinn DJ, Gilson DR, Dixon MT|publisher=ETC Proceedings|year=1998|access-date=2012-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016173615/http://etcproceedings.org/paper/britain-s-first-high-occupancy-vehicle-lane-the-a647-leeds|archive-date=2012-10-16|url-status=dead}}</ref> The emphasis in Europe has been on providing bus lanes and on-street bus priority measures.<ref name=HOVEurope/>

The first HOV lane in Europe was opened in the [[Netherlands]] in October 1993 and operated until August 1994. Its facility was a {{Convert|7|km|abbr=on}} barrier-separated HOV 3+ on the [[A1 motorway (Netherlands)|A1]] near [[Amsterdam]]. The facility did not attract enough users to overcome public criticism and was converted to a reversible lane open to general traffic after the judge in a [[test case (law)|legal test case]] ruled that Dutch traffic law lacked the concept of a [[car pool]] and thus that the principle of equality was violated.<ref name="HOVEurope">{{cite web|url=http://www.mccormickrankin.com/pdf/UrbanTrans2006.pdf|title=High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes – Worldwide Lessons for European Practitioners|author=S. Schijns|publisher=McCormick Rankin Corp|year=2006|access-date=2012-04-25|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100613133750/http://www.mccormickrankin.com/pdf/UrbanTrans2006.pdf|archive-date=2010-06-13}} ''See Section 3.1''</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statengeneraaldigitaal.nl/thema_carpoolstrook.html |title=Dutch parliamentary record on the carpooling lanes experiment (archived) |language=nl |publisher=Statengeneraaldigitaal.nl |access-date=2012-04-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724170748/http://www.statengeneraaldigitaal.nl/thema_carpoolstrook.html |archive-date=July 24, 2011 }}</ref>

[[Spain]] was the next European country to introduce HOV lanes ({{langx|es|Vehículos de Alta Ocupación, VAO}}), when median reversible Bus-VAO lanes were opened in [[Madrid]]'s [[A-6 motorway (Spain)|A-6]] in 1995. This facility is Europe's oldest HOV facility that is still in operation.<ref name="HOVEurope" />

The first HOV facility in the [[United Kingdom]] opened in [[Leeds]] in 1998. The facility was implemented on [[A647 road]] near Leeds as an experimental scheme, but it became permanent. The HOV facility is {{Convert|1.5|km|abbr=on}} long and operates as a HOV 2+ facility.<ref name="HOVUK" /><ref name="HOVEurope" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.konsult.leeds.ac.uk/private/level2/instruments/instrument029/l2_029c.htm|title=Experience in Europe: Leeds, UK|author=Institute for Transport Studies, [[University of Leeds]]|publisher=Konsult Leeds|access-date=2012-04-27|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120222144319/http://www.konsult.leeds.ac.uk/private/level2/instruments/instrument029/l2_029c.htm|archive-date=2012-02-22}}</ref>

A {{convert|2.8|km|abbr=on}} HOV 3+ facility opened in [[Linz]], [[Austria]], in 1999.

The first HOV lane in [[Norway]] was implemented in May 2001 as an HOV 3+ on Elgeseter Street, an undivided four-lane [[arterial road]] in [[Trondheim]]. This facility was followed by HOV lanes in [[Oslo]] and [[Kristiansand]].<ref name="HOVEurope" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.etcproceedings.org/paper/evaluation-of-hov-lanes-in-norway|title=Evaluation of Hov-lanes in Norway|author=T Haugen|publisher=ETC Proceedings|year=2004|access-date=2012-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017062256/http://etcproceedings.org/paper/evaluation-of-hov-lanes-in-norway|archive-date=2012-10-17|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===New Zealand and Australia===

The first HOV lane (known as a Transit Lane T2 or T3<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/trafficinformation/trafficfacilities/trafficsigns/r7/r7-223.html |title=TRANSIT LANE T2 (24hrs) |access-date=2015-01-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150121231519/http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/trafficinformation/trafficfacilities/trafficsigns/r7/r7-223.html |archive-date=2015-01-21 }}</ref>) in [[Australia]] opened in February 1992, located on the [[Eastern Freeway, Melbourne|Eastern Freeway]] in [[Melbourne]] travelling inbound.<ref name="OECD02">{{Cite book|author=Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development|title = Road Travel Demand – Meeting the Challenge |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AZNrNqqcB6sC&q=san+francisco+hov+lane+1973&pg=PA133|year=2002|publisher=[[OECD Publishing]]|isbn = 978-92-64-17551-8|pages=134|author-link = Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development }}</ref> In May 2005, T2 Transit lanes were opened on [[Hoddle Highway|Hoddle Street]] in Melbourne.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/news/National/New-lane-to-ease-Hoddle-Street-blues/2005/05/16/1116095905932.html|title=New lane to ease Hoddle Street blues - National - theage.com.au|website=[[The Age]]|language=en|access-date=2018-06-11|date=2005-05-17}}</ref> As of 2012, there were also T2 and T3 facilities in [[Canberra]], [[Sydney]] and [[Brisbane]].

In [[Auckland]], [[New Zealand]], there are several short HOV 2+ and 3+ lanes throughout the region, commonly known as T2 and T3 lanes.<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://www.aucklandtransport.govt.nz/moving-around/bus-and-transit-lanes/WhereAreTheBusAndTransitLanes/Pages/Transit-Guides.aspx 
 |title=Transit Guides 
 |publisher=Auckland Transport 
 |access-date=2010-05-06 
 |date=2011-10-28 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111125112141/http://www.aucklandtransport.govt.nz/moving-around/bus-and-transit-lanes/WhereAreTheBusAndTransitLanes/Pages/Transit-Guides.aspx 
 |archive-date=2011-11-25 
}}</ref>  There is a T2 transit lane in [[Tamaki Drive]], in a short stretch between [[Tamaki Drive#Okahu Bay Reserve|Okahu Bay Reserve]] and downtown Auckland.<ref name=AuckandT2>{{cite web|url=http://www.aucklandtransport.govt.nz/moving-around/bus-and-transit-lanes/WhereAreTheBusAndTransitLanes/Documents/Priority_Lanes_for_Carpooling-print.pdf |title=Priority lanes for carpooling |author=Auckland Transport |publisher=Auckland Transport |access-date=2012-05-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130209104855/http://www.aucklandtransport.govt.nz/moving-around/bus-and-transit-lanes/WhereAreTheBusAndTransitLanes/Documents/Priority_Lanes_for_Carpooling-print.pdf |archive-date=2013-02-09 }}</ref> There are also T2 priority lanes on Auckland's [[Auckland Northern Motorway|Northern]], [[Auckland Southern Motorway|Southern]], [[Northwestern Motorway|Northwestern]], and [[New Zealand State Highway 20|Southwestern Motorway]]s. These priority lanes are left-side on-ramp lanes heading towards the motorway, where vehicles with two or more people can bypass the [[ramp meter]] signal. Priority lanes can also be used by trucks, buses, and motorcycles, and the priority lanes can be used by carpoolers at any time.<ref name=AuckandT2/> Eleven lanes were opened to electric vehicles in a one-year trial from September 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.drivingtests.co.nz/resources/what-is-an-ev-lane/|access-date=2017-09-27|title=What is an EV lane |date=2017-09-18}}</ref> There are also several short T2 and T3 facilities in [[North Shore City]] operating during rush hours.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aucklandtransport.govt.nz/moving-around/bus-and-transit-lanes/WhereAreTheBusAndTransitLanes/Documents/North_Shore_Transit_Lanes-print.pdf |title=North Shore transit lanes |author=Auckland Transport |publisher=Auckland Transport |access-date=2012-05-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203182059/http://www.aucklandtransport.govt.nz/moving-around/bus-and-transit-lanes/WhereAreTheBusAndTransitLanes/Documents/North_Shore_Transit_Lanes-print.pdf |archive-date=2013-02-03 }}</ref>

===Indonesia===
[[File:3 in 1-sudirman.jpg|thumb|A large green signage indicates the HOV 3+ (Three in One) implementation zone in [[Jakarta]], [[Indonesia]].]]
In Jakarta, HOV 3+ is known as "Three in One" (''Tiga dalam satu'') and was first implemented by governor [[Sutiyoso]]. HOV 3+ is implemented on weekdays in existing roads of Sisingamangaraja Road (fast and slow lane), [[Jalan Jenderal Sudirman]] (fast and slow lane), [[Jalan M.H. Thamrin]] (fast and slow lane), Medan Merdeka Barat Road, Majapahit Road, and sections of [[Jalan Jenderal Gatot Subroto]]. The policy was originally implemented only between 7:00 am and 10:00 am. Since the introduction of [[TransJakarta|Jakarta's bus rapid transit]] in December 2003, the policy was extended to 7:00 am – 10:00 am and 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm. In September 2004, the evening time was changed to 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm.<ref>{{Citation |title=SEHARI JELANG PERESMIAN TRANS JAKARTA | date=13 September 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlgENdWDWLc |language=en |access-date=2022-10-17}}</ref> [[Car jockey]]s are paid by drivers to ride on vehicles, so that those vehicles would bypass the three in one restriction.<ref>[http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/jakarta/jockeys-and-ojeks-more-of-a-problem-than-a-solution/516499 Jockeys and Ojeks: More of a Problem Than a Solution | The Jakarta Globe<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130318023620/http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/jakarta/jockeys-and-ojeks-more-of-a-problem-than-a-solution/516499 |date=March 18, 2013 }}</ref><ref>[http://mg.co.za/article/2006-03-06-car-jockeys-cash-in-on-jakartas-traffic-snarl 'Car jockeys' cash in on Jakarta's traffic snarl | News | Mail & Guardian<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> On August 30, 2016, an [[odd–even rationing]] (''ganjil-genap'') system began to replace "3-in-1" rule, after a successful trial. Odd plate numbers can enter former "3-in-1" areas on odd days and even plate numbers on even ones.<ref name="antaranews.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.antaranews.com/berita/581613/pemberlakuan-ganjil-genap-pukul-1600-kawasan-sudirman-tersendat |title=Pemberlakuan ganjil-genap pukul 16.00, kawasan Sudirman tersendat |date=August 30, 2016}}</ref>

===China===
In [[Shenzhen]], HOV 2+ has been implemented on Binhai Avenue since 25 April 2016. The policy was then extended to 7:30 am – 9:30 am and 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm.

In [[Chengdu]], from January 23, 2017, HOV 2+ has been implemented on Kehua Road South, Kehua Road Middle, and Tianfu Avenue Section 1 and 2, during 7:00 am-9: 00 am and 5:00 pm-7: 00 pm.

In [[Dalian]], an expressway (Northeast Expressway, or Dongbei Expressway) linking old town and new town had one lane in both outbound and inbound directions set to HOV 2+. Starting from September 20, 2017, commuters can opt to drive in HOV lane on Northeast Expressway during the morning peak hours of 06:30-08:30, and evening peak hours of 16:30-19:00. A fine of  CNY100 (about USD15) will be enforced for first violators. For a second violation, the fine will double.

==Design and operations==
[[File:Inherently Low Emission Vehicles (33572121981).jpg|thumb|An HOV lane on [[Interstate 65 in Tennessee|I-65]] in [[Franklin, Tennessee]]. The split [[jersey barrier]]s are designed to allow police to enforce these lanes from the left shoulder. ]]
HOV lanes may be either a single [[traffic lane]] within the main [[roadway]] with distinctive markings or a separate [[roadway]] with one or more traffic lanes either parallel to the general lanes or [[grade-separated]], above or below the general lanes. For example, [[Interstate 110 (California)|Interstate 110]] in California has four HOV lanes on an upper deck.

HOV bypass lanes are intended to allow carpool traffic, busses and police to bypass areas of regular congestion in many places. An HOV lane may operate as a [[reversible lane]], working in the direction of the dominant traffic flow in both the morning and the afternoon. All lanes of a {{convert|10|mi}} section of the [[Interstate 66]] in the suburbs of [[Washington, D.C.]], are treated as an HOV during the [[rush hour]] in the primary direction of flow.<ref name=VDOTHOV/>

The traffic speed differential between HOV and general-purpose lanes creates a potentially dangerous situation if the HOV lanes are not separated by a barrier. A [[Texas Transportation Institute]] study found that HOV lanes lacking barrier separations caused a 50% increase in injury crashes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tti.tamu.edu/publications/catalog/record/?id=25946|title=CRASH ANALYSIS OF SELECTED HIGH-OCCUPANCY VEHICLE FACILITIES IN TEXAS: METHODOLOGY, FINDINGS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS|publisher=Texas Transportation Institute|date=September 2004|quote=Dallas corridors with buffer-separated concurrent flow HOV lanes did show a change in crash occurrence with an increase in injury crash rate. The IH-35E North corridor experienced a 56 per cent increase in the injury crash rate. The IH-635 corridor experienced a 41 per cent increase in the injury crash rate. A closer look at the crash data indicates that the higher injury crash rates were primarily due to the crashes occurring on the HOV lane and on the inside general-purpose lane which is adjacent to the HOV lane.}}</ref>

==Variants==
===Business access and transit lane===

A business access and transit (BAT) lane is a type of HOV lane that allows for all traffic to enter the lane for a short distance in order to access other streets and business entrances.<ref>{{cite news |last=Murakami |first=Kery |date=October 17, 2008 |title=Answers to BAT lane questions |url=http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2008/10/17/answers-to-bat-lane-questions/ |work=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]] |access-date=September 26, 2017 |archive-date=May 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523172316/https://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2008/10/17/answers-to-bat-lane-questions/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===High-occupancy toll lane===
{{Main|High-occupancy toll lane}}
Because some HOV lanes were not utilized to their full capacity, users of low- or single-occupancy vehicles may be permitted to use an HOV lane if they pay a toll. This scheme is known as [[high-occupancy toll lane]] (or HOT lanes), and it has been introduced mainly in the United States. The first practical implementation was [[California]]'s formerly private toll [[91 Express Lanes]], in [[Orange County, California]], in 1995, followed in 1996 by [[Interstate 15 in California|Interstate 15]] north of [[San Diego]].<ref>{{cite news |author = Dave Downey | date= 2007-01-07|url=http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/01/08/news/top_stories/1707192359.txt|title = The HOT lane hype |newspaper= The North County Times| access-date=2008-07-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Metropolitan Transportation Commission |url=http://www.mtc.ca.gov/planning/hov/faq.htm |title=High-Occupancy-Vehicle (HOV) and High-Occupancy/Toll (HOT) Lanes: Frequently Asked Questions |access-date=2008-03-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080603081534/http://www.mtc.ca.gov/planning/hov/faq.htm |archive-date=2008-06-03 }}</ref> According to the [[Texas A&M University|Texas A&M]] Transportation Institute, by 2012 there were 294 corridor-miles of HOT/Express lanes and 163 corridor-miles of HOT/Express lanes under construction in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uli.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/When-the-Road-Price-is-Right_web_F.pdf|title=When the Road Price Is Right – Land Use, Tolls, and Congestion Pricing|author=[[Urban Land Institute]] (ULI) |publisher=Urban Land Institute|year=2013|access-date=2013-04-09}} See Figure 2, pp.6</ref>

[[File:FasTrak Orange County.jpg|thumb|FasTrak RFID station in Orange County, California]]

Solo drivers are permitted to use the HOV lanes upon payment of a [[fee]] that varies based on demand. Tolls change throughout the day according to real-time traffic conditions, which is intended to manage the number of cars in the lanes to maintain good journey times.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nvta.org/content.asp?sl=459&contentid=468|title=Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151003220739/http://www.nvta.org/content.asp?sl=459&contentid=468|archive-date=2015-10-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.planetizen.com/node/29851|title=Golden Gate Bridge for variable toll|last = Dawid|first = Irwin|date= 26 February 2008|website = Planetizen}}</ref>

Proponents claim that all motorists benefit from HOT lanes, even those who choose not to use them. This argument applies only to projects that increase the total number of lanes.<ref name=i495>{{cite web|url=http://www.vamegaprojects.com/about-megaprojects/i495-hot-lanes/|title=About I-495 HOT Lanes|access-date=31 August 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213101805/http://www.vamegaprojects.com/about-megaprojects/i495-hot-lanes/|archive-date=13 February 2010}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=November 2023}} Proponents also claim that HOT lanes provide an incentive to use transit and ridesharing.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} There has been controversy over this concept, and HOT schemes have been called "[[Lexus]]" lanes, as critics see this new pricing scheme as a perk for the rich.<ref>{{cite news|date= 2007-04-08|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/06/AR2007040601602.html|title=Not Such a HOT Idea: 'Lexus Lanes' Could Ruin Virginia's Highly Successful HOV System|author=Bob Hugman|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=2012-05-06}}</ref>

HOT tolls are collected by staffed [[Toll house|toll booth]]s, [[automatic number plate recognition]], or [[electronic toll collection]] systems. Some systems use [[RFID]] transmitters to monitor entry and exiting of the lane and charge drivers depending on demand. Typically, tolls increase as traffic density and congestion within the tolled lanes increase, a policy known as [[congestion pricing]]. The goal of this pricing scheme is to minimize traffic congestion within the lanes.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.expresslanes.com/faqs|website = 495-95 Express Lanes |title = FAQs }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brook.edu/views/op-ed/downs/20020510.htm|title=Brookings Institution economic study on HOT Lanes|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828202556/http://www.brook.edu/views/op-ed/downs/20020510.htm|archive-date=2008-08-28}}</ref>

==Qualifying vehicles==
[[File:Slug Line.gif|thumb|A [[slugging]] area, where solo drivers find a passenger to use the HOV]]  
Qualification for HOV status varies by scheme, but the following vehicles may be included:
* Private cars and taxis with a minimum number of human occupants (often two or three), including babies of any age (but only after birth).<ref name=viginiarules>{{cite web|url=http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/hov-rulesfaq.asp|title=High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes – Rules and FAQs|quote=I'm pregnant. Do I count as one person or two? In the HOV world, you're one person. Babies of any age, however, count as a person.}}</ref> 
* Single-occupant [[green vehicle]]s, such as [[hybrid electric vehicle]]s, [[plug-in hybrid]]s, and [[battery electric vehicle]]s<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hybridcars.com/local-incentives/carpool-hov-lanes.html|title=Carpool (HOV) Lanes|publisher=HybridCars.com|date=2010-07-08|access-date=2012-02-27|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120228152136/http://www.hybridcars.com/local-incentives/carpool-hov-lanes.html|archive-date=2012-02-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/carpool/carpool.htm|title=Eligible Vehicles – Single Occupant Carpool Lane Use Stickers|publisher=California Air Resources Board|date=2012-04-12|access-date=2012-04-16}}</ref>
* Motorcycles<ref name=bike/> - motorcycles are allowed via federal [[United States]] HOV lane law (Title 23, Section 166).<ref name="nydailynews.com">{{Cite web|url = http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/local-biker-stands-ride-hov-lane-article-1.286236|title = Local biker stands up for right to ride in HOV lane|website = [[New York Daily News]]|access-date = 2014-05-02|archive-date = 2018-10-03|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181003182109/http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/local-biker-stands-ride-hov-lane-article-1.286236|url-status = dead}}</ref> They can use HOV lanes in [[Ontario]] even if they only have a single passenger.<ref name="www.ontario.ca">{{cite web|url = https://www.ontario.ca/page/high-occupancy-vehicle-hov-lanes|title = High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes|website = Ministry of Transportation|publisher = Government of Ontario|date = 18 March 2022|access-date = 30 May 2023}}</ref>
* [[Bus]]es designed to transport sixteen or more passengers, including the driver<ref name=viginiarules/>
* Public utility vehicles when responding to emergency calls<ref name=viginiarules/>
* Bicycles<ref name=bike>{{cite web|url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/factsheets/hov.htm|title=Fact Sheets on Highway Provisions |website = SAFETEA-LU|publisher = US Department of Transportation}}</ref>
* Police are allowed to use the HOV lanes in Ontario.<ref>{{cite web |title=High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes |url=https://www.ontario.ca/document/official-ministry-transportation-mto-truck-handbook/high-occupancy-vehicle-hov-lanes |website=Ontario.ca |access-date=22 September 2021}}</ref>

[[New York City]] HOV lane codes prior to 2008 did not allow motorcycles leading to ticketing of motorcycle drivers and complaints from the [[American Motorcyclist Association]], but have since been revised to comply with the federal regulations listed above.<ref name="nydailynews.com"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dealernews.com/dealernews/article/ama-statement-motorcycles-hov-lanes-nyc |title=AMA Statement On Motorcycles in HOV Lanes in NYC |website = Dealernews |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502231634/http://www.dealernews.com/dealernews/article/ama-statement-motorcycles-hov-lanes-nyc |archive-date=2014-05-02 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url =  http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/carpool.shtml|title = HOV Lanes|website = NYC DOT|publisher = The City of New York}}</ref>

In some jurisdictions such as [[Ontario]], [[Canada]], [[taxicab]]s and airport limousines are allowed to use HOV lanes even when no passenger is present because that vehicle "will be able return to duty faster after dropping off a fare or arrive sooner to pick up a fare, thereby moving more people to their destinations in fewer vehicles".<ref name="mto.gov.on.ca">{{cite web|url = http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/ontario-511/hov-lanes.shtml|title = High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes|website = Ministry of Transportation|publisher = Government of Ontario|date = 18 October 2016|access-date = 10 April 2018}}</ref>

In Virginia, the San Francisco Bay Area, Houston, and other HOV lane locations, commuters form [[Slugging|sluglines]] where drivers pick up one or more passengers from a designated "casual carpool" or "slug lines" to drive on HOV lanes; the driver pulls over near the sluglines and shouts out their destination, and people in the line going to that destination enter the car on a first-come, first-served basis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sluglines.com/|title=Sluglines assists the driver by reaching the two or three person HOV requirement, and the passenger in getting a free ride to their destination.|publisher=Sluglines.com|date=2010-01-27|access-date=2010-06-01|archive-date=2013-07-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130722151545/http://sluglines.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
{{clear}}

==Compliance, enforcement, and avoidance==
{{Excessive examples|date=August 2024|section}}[[File:Interstate 279.JPG|thumb|Dedicated [[reversible lanes|reversible]]  HOV lanes on [[Interstate 279]] outside [[Pittsburgh]]]]
[[fine (penalty)|Fine]]s are usually imposed on drivers of non-qualifying vehicles who use the lanes.<ref name="NewsChannel 8">{{cite web |url=http://www.kgw.com/news/Blow-up-doll-flunks-Seattle-HOV-lane-ploy-121329989.html |title=Blow-up doll flunks Seattle HOV lane ploy |publisher=NewsChannel 8 |date=2011-05-05 |access-date=2012-07-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616015258/http://www.kgw.com/news/Blow-up-doll-flunks-Seattle-HOV-lane-ploy-121329989.html |archive-date=2013-06-16 }}</ref>

Following the introduction of HOVs, some drivers placed inflatable dolls in the passenger seat, a practice that persists today, even though it is now illegal.<ref name="NewsChannel 8"/> Cameras that can distinguish between humans and mannequins or dolls were tested in the United Kingdom in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2005/11/29/cyclops-cam-can-distinguish-between-humans-and-blow-up-dolls/ |title=Cyclops cam can distinguish between humans and blow-up dolls |date=30 November 2005 |publisher=Engadget |access-date=2010-06-01}}</ref>

In the [[United States]], law enforcement officials have documented a variety of methods used by drivers in attempts to circumvent HOV occupancy rules:
*Placing store mannequins, blow-up dolls, kickboxing dummies, or cardboard cut-outs in the passenger seat;
*Taping styrofoam wig stands with wigs or balloons with faces drawn on them to the passenger seat headrest; 
*Buckling the passenger-side seat belt and pretending to talk to someone reclining in that seat;
*Tinting the front windshield and/or lowering the passenger side visor in an effort to obstruct the view into the passenger seat;
*Covering an empty infant seat with a blanket and/or placing a doll in it;
*Strapping dogs, cats, or other pets into the passenger seat.<ref name=Snopes>{{cite web|url = http://www.snopes.com/autos/law/carpool.asp |title = Diamond Lanes Aren't a Pregnant Girl's Best Friend|website =  Snopes.com|last = Mikkelson|first = Barbara|date = 8 May 2014}}</ref>

In early 2006, an Arizona woman asserted that she had been improperly ticketed for using the HOV lane because the unborn child she was carrying in her womb justified her use of the lane, while noting that Arizona traffic laws do not define what constitutes a person. However, a judge subsequently ruled that to qualify as an "individual" under Arizona traffic laws, the individual must occupy a "separate and distinct" space in a vehicle.<ref name=Snopes/> Likewise, in California, in order to use HOV lanes, there must be two (or, if posted, three) separate individuals occupying seats in a vehicle, and an unborn child does not count towards this requirement.<ref>[http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/answers.html#04 Frequently Asked Questions of the Highway Patrol] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090411011850/http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/answers.html |date=2009-04-11 }}.</ref>

In 2009 and 2010 it was found that non-compliance rates on HOV lanes in Brisbane, Australia, were approaching 90%. Enhanced enforcement led to increased compliance, average bus journey times dropped by about 19%, and total person throughput increased by 12%.<ref>{{cite web|author=Lyndon, S. Marinelli, P.A. Macintosh, K. and McKenzie, S.|title=High occupancy vehicle lane enforcement: a successful trial in Brisbane by adding a splash of magenta. Proceedings of the 34th Australasian Transport Research Forum|date=28–30 September 2011|url=http://www.atrf11.unisa.edu.au/Assets/Papers/ATRF11_0150_final.pdf|access-date=1 May 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130419101215/http://www.atrf11.unisa.edu.au/Assets/Papers/ATRF11_0150_final.pdf|archive-date=19 April 2013}}</ref>

In February 2010, a 61-year-old woman tried to pass off a life-sized mannequin as a passenger in order to use the HOV lane in New York State. A police officer on a routine HOV patrol became suspicious when he noticed that the so-called passenger was wearing sunglasses and using the visor on a cloudy morning. When the officer approached the vehicle, he discovered that the "passenger" was, in fact, a mannequin wearing lipstick, designer shades, a full-length wig, and a blue sweater. The driver was issued a traffic ticket for using the HOV lane without a human passenger, which carries a fine of $135 in 2010 and two points on a driver's license.<ref>[http://www.wpix.com/news/wpix-hov-mannequin-lie-020310,0,6854750.story Driver Busted Using HOV Lane With Mannequin Passenger]{{dead link|date=October 2015 }}, WPIX Newsroom (PIX 11), February 3, 2010. (see also: [http://www.wpix.com/news/wpix-hov-dummy-passenger-photo,0,1007506.photo Driver busted using HOV lane with 'dummy' passenger] {{cbignore|bot=medic}}.</ref><ref>[http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-hov-mannequin,0,7690860.story Driver Busted Using Carpool Lane With Mannequin]{{dead link|date=October 2015}}, WPIX, February 4, 2010.</ref>

In January 2013, a motorist tried to claim that the [[Articles of Incorporation]] of his business, which had been placed unbuckled on the passenger’s seat, constituted a person, citing the principle of [[corporate personhood]] and California's state Vehicle Code, which defines a person as "natural persons and corporations". This argument was rejected in traffic court, where the presiding judge commented, "Common sense says carrying a sheaf of papers in the front seat does not relieve traffic congestion."<ref>{{cite magazine|author=David Kravets|title=Motorist Claims Corporation Papers Are Carpool Passengers|url=https://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/01/corporation-carpool-flap/|magazine=Wired|access-date=29 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130516161741if_/http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/01/corporation-carpool-flap/|archive-date=2013-05-16}}</ref>

In March 2015, a motorist tried to use a cardboard cutout of actor [[Jonathan Goldsmith]] to access an HOV lane in Fife, [[Washington (state)|Washington]]. The officer noted that other drivers had used sleeping bags in earlier attempts to access the HOV lane.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Drivers-most-interesting-way-to-cheat-the-HOV-lane-fails-297446171.html|title=Driver's 'most interesting' way to cheat the HOV lane fails|author=KOMO Staff|publisher=KOMONews.com|date=March 25, 2015|access-date=June 16, 2015|archive-date=June 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150616190256/http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Drivers-most-interesting-way-to-cheat-the-HOV-lane-fails-297446171.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In July 2022, a [[pregnant]] woman in [[Texas]] argued that her [[fetus]] counted as a passenger for the purpose of using the HOV lane following the ''[[Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization]]'' decision and Texas law subsequently considering fetuses people.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Assuncao |first1=Muri |title=Pregnant woman ticketed for driving on carpool lane in Texas says unborn baby should count as passenger |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-texas-woman-fined-unborn-baby-counted-second-person-ticket-carpool-lane-hov-20220709-afwcdaekuzbvdgmm3o3242jo2q-story.html |website=New York Daily News |date=9 July 2022 |publisher=Daily News, L.P. |access-date=11 July 2022}}</ref>

==Effectiveness==
According to 2009 data from the U.S. census, 76% drive to work alone and only 10% rideshare. For suburban commuters working in a city, the solo driving rate is 82%.<ref name=NYT022012>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/26/automobiles/hov-access-to-the-car-pool-lane-for-a-price.html?_r=2&pagewanted=2&ref=automobiles|title=Access to the Car Pool Lane Can Be Yours, for a Price
 |author=JOSIE GARTHWAITE |work=[[The New York Times]]|date=2012-02-24|access-date=2012-02-27}}</ref>

Some underused HOV lanes in several states have been converted to [[high-occupancy toll lane]]s (HOT), which offer solo drivers access to HOV lanes after paying a toll.<ref name=NYT022012/>

HOV lanes are also an effective way to manage traffic after natural disasters, as seen in New York City after [[Hurricane Sandy]] in October 2012. At the time Mayor Bloomberg banned passenger cars with fewer than three occupants from entering Manhattan. The restriction affected all bridges and tunnels entering the city except the George Washington Bridge.<ref>{{cite web|last=Egan|first=Matt|url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/nyc-restricts-manhattan-inbound-traffic-to-high-occupancy-vehicles|title=NYC Restricts Manhattan Inbound Traffic to High-Occupancy Vehicles|date = 3 March 2016|website = Fox Business}}</ref>

==Criticism==
Critics have argued that HOV lanes are underused. It is unclear whether HOV lanes are sufficiently used to compensate for delays in the other mixed-use lanes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1997-02-17/news/1997048013_1_hov-lanes-occupancy-vehicle-lanes-high-occupancy|title=HOV lanes could be History|website=The Baltimore Sun|date=17 February 1997|access-date=2011-12-06|archive-date=2016-03-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064308/http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1997-02-17/news/1997048013_1_hov-lanes-occupancy-vehicle-lanes-high-occupancy|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lao.ca.gov/2000/010700_hov/010700_hov_lanes.html|title=HOV Lanes in California: Are They Achieving Their Goals?|website = Legislative Analyst's Office|date = 7 January 2000|publisher = Government of California}}</ref>

The situations have caused social problems in Indonesia, where some people become "[[car jockey]]", people who make their living by offering drivers to fill their car in order to meet the occupancy limit. Reportedly, the situation caused people stay in unemployment for doing so, increased congestion, and let parents profit from their babies.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.theworld.org/2011/09/poor-indonesians-make-money-in-jakartas-traffic-as-jockeys/|title = Poor Indonesians Make Money in Jakarta's Traffic as Jockeys|publisher = PRI|work = The World|last1 = Hausman|first1 = Sandy|last2 = Werman|first2 = Marco|date = 8 September 2011|access-date = 4 November 2017|archive-date = 27 January 2023|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230127081745/https://theworld.org/2011/09/poor-indonesians-make-money-in-jakartas-traffic-as-jockeys|url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.smh.com.au/world/jakartas-jockeys-in-demand-as-gridlock-drives-city-to-despair-20120203-1qxpn.html| title = Jakarta's jockeys in demand as gridlock drives city to despair| date = 3 February 2012}}</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/04/end-of-the-road-jakartas-passengers-for-hire-targeted-by-carpooling-crackdown End of the road: Jakarta's 'passengers for hire' targeted by carpooling crackdown April 4, 2016] ''[[The Guardian]]'' Retrieved July 13, 2016</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35975521 Passenger for hire: Dying profession of the Jakarta Jockey April 7, 2016] ''[[BBC]]'' Retrieved July 13, 2016</ref><ref name="antaranews.com"/><ref>[http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/jakarta/jockeys-and-ojeks-more-of-a-problem-than-a-solution/516499 Jockeys and Ojeks: More of a Problem Than a Solution | The Jakarta Globe<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130318023620/http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/jakarta/jockeys-and-ojeks-more-of-a-problem-than-a-solution/516499 |date=March 18, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = http://mg.co.za/article/2006-03-06-car-jockeys-cash-in-on-jakartas-traffic-snarl |title = 'Car jockeys' cash in on Jakarta's traffic snarl |website =  Mail & Guardian|date = 6 March 2006| last = Tjahjadi |first = Victor}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Camp |first1=Janey |last2=Chimba |first2=Deo |date=January 31, 2023 |title=Comprehensive analysis on the conversion of existing HOV Lanes to HOT Lanes in Tennessee |url=https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/long-range-planning/research/final-reports/res2021-final-reports/RES2021-01-HOT%20Study%20FINAL%20REPORT%20Approved.pdf |website=Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) |access-date=August 12, 2023 |archive-date=August 11, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811231739/https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/long-range-planning/research/final-reports/res2021-final-reports/RES2021-01-HOT%20Study%20FINAL%20REPORT%20Approved.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{Excessive citations inline|date=August 2024}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:MUTCD R3-10.svg|Standard restrictive traffic sign in the United States. The [[lozenge (shape)|diamond]] symbol (◊) indicates a preferential-only lane restriction, in this case an HOV with two or more occupants.
File:California sticker for HOV access front and back location.jpg|California HOV sticker for [[hybrid electric vehicle]]s (The benefit for non-plug-in hybrids expired on 1 July 2011.)
File:HOV Lane.jpg|A permanent, separated HOV lane on [[Interstate 91|I-91]] near [[Hartford, Connecticut]]
File:Nissan Leaf HOV sticker WAS 2012 0766.jpg|[[Nissan Leaf|Nissan Leaf electric car]] with [[Maryland]]'s sticker to identify [[plug-in electric vehicle]]s eligible to use HOV lanes with solo drivers
Cal Red sticker Chevy Bolt EV SDQ 02 2020 2465.jpg|California's red Clean Air Vehicle sticker to allow solo access for [[electric car]]s to HOV lanes
Cal green sticker CMax Energi 04 2015 SFO 2530.JPG|California's green Clean Air Vehicle sticker used to allow solo access for [[plug-in hybrid]]s to HOV lanes
File:Voie réservée Saint-Nicolas, Qc.jpg|A T3 HOV/bus lane on [[Quebec route 116|route 116]], in [[Lévis, Quebec]]
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Bus rapid transit]]
* {{Annotated link|Crush load}}
* {{Annotated link|Headway}}
* [[Local-express lanes]]
* {{Annotated link|Passengers per hour per direction}}
* {{Annotated link|Platoon (automobile)}}
* {{Annotated link|Route capacity}}
* [[Toll road]]
* [[Transportation Demand Management]]

== Notes and references ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|High-occupancy vehicle lanes}}
* [https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freewaymgmt/faq.htm  Frequently Asked HOV Questions], [[Federal Highway Administration]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120419031447/http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/programs/environment-utsp-hovlanescanada-886.htm High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes in Canada], [[Transport Canada]]
* [http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm19.htm  HOV Priority, TDM Encyclopedia], Victoria Transport Policy Institute
* [http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/carpool/carpool.htm California Eligible Vehicle List – Single occupant carpool lane stickers], [[California Air Resources Board]].
* Information on [https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:hov how to map HOV facilities] within [[OpenStreetMap]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20151029054014/http://www.itoworld.com/map/144#fullscreen&lat=41.41863359628783&lon=-99.13198745756215&zoom=4 HOV lanes mapping] based on data from OpenStreetMap.
* [http://www.ajc.com/news/deal-lowers-tolls-on-1196014.html Deal lowers tolls on I-85 HOT lanes]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110722144436/http://www.tollroadsnews.com/node/2234 VARIABLE PRICING:San Diego's I-15 HOT Lanes Mainstreamed] Article about first variable price toll lane (1998)
* [https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/long-range-planning/research/final-reports/res2021-final-reports/RES2021-01-HOT%20Study%20FINAL%20REPORT%20Approved.pdf Comprehensive analysis on the conversion of existing HOV Lanes to HOT Lanes in Tennessee, by Deo Chimba and Janey Camp.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811231739/https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/long-range-planning/research/final-reports/res2021-final-reports/RES2021-01-HOT%20Study%20FINAL%20REPORT%20Approved.pdf |date=2023-08-11 }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:High-Occupancy Vehicle Lane}}
[[Category:Road traffic management]]
[[Category:Road infrastructure]]
[[Category:Sustainable transport]]