Collin County legislators released a statement calling for an end to HOV lanes along US 75, asking that they be opened to all commuters to help mitigate traffic congestion.
According to recent study by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, US 75 is the 12th most congested roadway in the state. Opening the largely unused lanes would be a welcome start to help relieve congestion for local citizens.
The six member legislative delegation referred to HOV lanes as “…ineffective, a legitimate safety hazard, and a waste of roadway that could be much better utilized.”
The same criticism can be made regarding some bus lanes, bike lanes and government-run trains, all of which are being aggressively pushed by regional planners to help “induce” riders out of their cars and into “multi-modal” alternatives.
Regional planners heavily influenced by anti-car agendas sourced in Washington D.C. have been slow to open up HOV lanes elsewhere—they’d prefer to toll them.
Politicians and bureaucrats at the Regional Transportation Council want to convert existing HOV lanes into tolled or “managed” lanes across North Texas. But Collin County lawmakers have relentlessly opposed efforts to do so, and are waiting to hear back from RTC officials on whether or not the lanes will be opened up.
For now, commuters stuck in traffic will have to suffer until something is done.
Currently, US 75 is the only major roadway in Collin County without tolled lanes.
