Question: “Recently I have become aware of and annoyed by double white lines separating the HOV lanes from the regular lanes of traffic on Highway 167.
Accompanying these lines are a large number of signs along the roadside, telling drivers it is against the law to cross over them.
So what the user winds up doing is traveling relatively long distances before they can move in or out.
Why is the state making the HOV lanes so much more restrictive, when I thought their original purpose was to help relieve congestion in the regular driving lanes?”
Dallas Chestnut, Milton
Answer: According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, the HOV lanes on state Route 167 are unique because they serve two purposes.
In addition to being HOV lanes, they’re also “HOT” (high-occupancy-toll) lanes, in which solo drivers have the option to pay a toll to drive there.
The toll rates are adjusted electronically, and, for solo drivers, a Good To Go pass is required to use the lane.
Claudia Cornish, an HOV communications manager for the Transportation Department, says the double white lines regulate traffic merging in and out of the lane, which helps traffic flow more efficiently.
They also ensure that Good To Go passes are read correctly and drivers are charged accordingly, Cornish says.
It is indeed illegal to cross the double white lines. Doing so could result in a $124 ticket from the State Patrol.
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