Are HOV Lanes Really Better?
Joy Dahlgren
Public policy currently promotes high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lanes and discourages construction of general-purpose lanes. HOV lanes supposedly reduce congestion and harmful emissions because they encourage ridesharing and transit use. Just add a few passengers, and you can be rewarded with a fast, pleasant drive to work. That's the ideal behind HOV lanes. But the reality is not so simple.