Letter of the Day (March 31): HOV lanes

It doesn't make sense to pack 'em in but leave one lane mostly empty.

March 28, 2014 at 11:34PM
Photo illustration for HOV lanes graphic by Mark Boswell. ORG XMIT: MIN2014032716102458
Photo illustration for HOV lanes graphic by Mark Boswell. ORG XMIT: MIN2014032716102458 (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Regarding the March 26 article "Scott County lays out transport needs": One of the ideas being considered is a high-occupancy lane for Hwy. 169.

These lanes are a waste of asphalt. What system would add capacity for use in high-volume times, then limit access during high-volume times? Any commuter sitting in the center lane on Interstate 35W, crawling along bumper to bumper, sees an HOV lane mostly empty. At the intersection with I-494, there's a mess with merging traffic, while the HOV lane is wide open — but, wait, it has restricted access.

The Legislature should step up and fund transportation and forget about these pay-as-you-go funding options such as HOV lanes.

Dave Greening, Shakopee
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