OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – Michigan now has its first-ever high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on I-75 in Oakland County.
The HOV lanes are open along a 14-mile stretch of I-75 between 12 Mile Road and South Boulevard in Oakland County.
MDOT senior manager Mark Dubay spoke to Local 4′s Christy McDonald on Local 4+. Dubay said the lanes will be enforced by Michigan State Police.
Dubay said drivers may not have seen a lot of enforcement yet, but that’s because they were giving drivers an opportunity to learn about the lanes before they start citing people. Drivers should expect enforcement to begin soon.
What is an HOV lane?
An HOV lane is a high-occupancy vehicle lane. It’s a traffic lane reserved for buses or vehicles with several occupants. HOV lanes are designed to reduce congestion and improve safety, air quality, and travel time.
Dubay said they have already seen an improvement in traffic flow. He said HOV lanes have been around for 40+ years and there are over 300 HOV facilities across the country. The goal is to move vehicles more efficiently throughout the corridor.
Who can use an HOV lane?
The lanes will operate as HOV lanes during peak travel times: 6 a.m. - 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Outside of peak travel times, anyone can use the lanes, no matter how many people are in the vehicle.
During those times, vehicles must have at least two human occupants to legally use the lanes. Anyone who violates will be issued a civil infraction. State and local police will monitor HOV lanes.
Motorcycles, transit buses, first responders, and emergency vehicles can use the lanes even if there is only one human on board.
Can you use the HOV lane to pass?
The HOV lanes cannot be used to pass during peak travel times. That means between 6 a.m. - 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. on weekdays that lane cannot be used as a passing lane.
The lane can be used to pass outside of those designated hours.