O.C. officials seek to ease car-pool rules statewide

To keep traffic moving on Orange County freeways, officials there propose opening car-pool lanes to all drivers during nonrush-hour travel times and want the plan to expand statewide.

Making high-occupancy-vehicle lane rules consistent across county lines would speed traffic flows throughout Southern California, transit authorities argued as they presented the plan to Metro's board of directors Thursday.

"There are now more people commuting from Los Angeles to Orange County for work," said Carolyn Cavecche, chairwoman of the Orange County Transportation Authority. "Having a system that is consistent throughout would be a benefit to all of those commuters."

Easing restrictions on car-pool lanes began as a pilot program a few months ago on the 22 Freeway, and Orange County transit officials want to broaden the plan to include the 405, 57 and 91 freeways.

Whether the idea will catch on in Los Angeles remains to be seen. Metro's board on Thursday did not endorse the proposal, but is interested in studying the issue. Read the story HERE.

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