Though most of us in Northeast Ohio enjoy a short average commute time (just 26 minutes), not all communities have that luxury.  To cope, regions with high populations and high outward migration have adopted the use of High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes, otherwise known as the Carpool Lane.  These forms of traffic infrastructure keep more vehicles off the road, but is it really doing much for smart growth and regional development?  This author wants to weigh out the options.
 
HOV Lanes are a great alternative for suburban commuters to band together and shorten their commute times, while shrinking their carbon footprint.  HOV Lanes are restricted to vehicles carrying two or more passengers.  In some regions, HOV Lanes are only available during periods of high traffic (rush hour), but most keep the lanes open at all times.  In theory, HOV Lanes are to encourage a smaller amount of vehicles on the road to prevent traffic jams, long commute times, while improving regional air quality.  Large urban areas that frequently enjoy the availability of an HOV Lane include Los Angeles, Seattle, Houston, and Washington, D.C.
 
The Pros:
 

• HOV Lanes encourage carpooling and reducing the amount of vehicles on the road
• Decrease commute times per capita for individuals in a city center
• Decrease harmful CO2 and other green house gases, while increasing regional air quality
• Increase the observed necessity for carpooling and other regional smart-growth initiatives
• Generally increase the daily quality of life for regional commuters

 
The Cons:
 

• Costly infrastructure development and the problems that occur with large-scale civic/regional planning  Funding Resources?  Actual Cost?  Benefits?  Real estate issues (Room?  Eminent Domain?  Engineer's Reports?)
• Encourages outward migration from the city center  (Loss of tax revenue for cities and inner-ring suburbs)
• Potential increase in large vehicle sales (The same $30k goes a long way with an Explorer vs. a Prius)
• Building more freeway space has an adverse affect on soil, ground-water, and wildlife
• Encourages growth at the "fringe" without regard to real smart growth and land use patterns

 
HOV Lanes are a great solution for metropolitan areas with a large numbers of suburban commuters looking for inexpensive real estate on the fringe with employment in the city center.  Potential is there to decrease the overall carbon footprint and commute times of the region while increasing air quaility and general quality of life.  However, HOV Lanes tend to be under-utilized.  This is just a hunch, but this author believes if numbers were involved, the regional pay-off of commuter savings would not equal the tax-increase, grants, loans, and bonds it took to put in the additional development.  Though the freeway's accessability increases the availability of lower real estate costs on the fringe, it often leaves the city center and inner-ring suburbs for dead.
 
Are HOV Lanes worth it?  If major metropolitan regions (L.A., Houston, D.C.) increase the incentive and qualifications for the ability to travel in the HOV Lane, it might be worth it.  These regions might want to employ increasing the occupancy rate to 3 per vehicle; reducing associated fees for vehicles that register as a carpool vehicle; tracking what vehicles are using the HOV Lanes with tags on the vehicle windshield (like E-Z Pass); and so on.  Until that data can be captured, analyzed, and recorded to a typical cost/benefit analysis, this author does not believe the HOV Lanes are worth public expenditures.  HOV Lanes are great in theory, but the actual practice is a bit disconcerting.