Volume 1, Number 4

I feel very lucky in the fact that I don't have to hassle rush hour traffic on this Island. I can't lie, I do find myself having to schedule my travels around those dreaded times, if I can work it out that way. Therefore my comments will be biased based on the fact that I haven't had to deal with the real rush hour issues. I have traveled on the Long Island Expressway, along the area of the famous HOV lane, and have come away with some strange readings.

It seems to me that when I am riding in the regular passing lane, the outside lane(HOV) is going slower than I am. I must admit that I tend to drive at the upper limits of the speed range at times, yet still believe that my observations are valid. I always seem to be able to move faster in the old passing lane than the people in the new HOV lane. I don't understand it. I wonder if the inconvenience we LI'ers had to endure for over a year while the HOV was under construction, is really worth the final result. I haven't met a person who has shared a positive story about the special lane. I know my survey results are not statistically sound yet I must place some value in the results.

I would have to believe that there was lots of time and money spent in deciding that this was an answer to a problem. I can just imagine a bunch of people sitting around a big conference table and after many hours of tests and deliberations, all standing up and agreeing, "yeah, this is the answer". I know it's Monday morning quarterbacking, yet I don't think they quite got it right. Granted my conclusions are based on limited observation times.

I want to believe that during the real rush hours the HOV lane is doing what it was supposed to do. Help speed traffic and lessen congestion. I can just see it now. It's 7:30am and all the lanes of the regular highway are jammed with cars while the HOV people are gloating as they pass everyone. There seems to be developing an unconscious competition between the 'have's' (HOV'ers) and the have not's(Single Passenger Vehicles). It's like the same feeling when I find out that I picked the right horse, stock, team or whatever. Another example is when when I'm right behind someone as we approach a busy toll plaza. You know, when you finish paying your toll and you notice the other car is still way back there in the line. It's knowing I made the right decision. It can happen from as simple an event as finding out that I picked the right lane. The problem is that I can't know I'm right until after the fact. Nothing seems to help in making the decision. Boy, I'd love to always know that the lane I pick is going to be the fastest lane there is. What an expectation of myself. I thought the HOV lane system would eliminate the need for the decision. Instead it seems to have just added to those real tough choices... HOW COME?...