METRO Police to Increase HOV Lane Enforcement

Metro Transit Authority of Harris County sent this bulletin at 10/01/2018 04:55 PM CDT
2016 press release

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Release Date: 
Oct. 1, 2018
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The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) is the region’s largest public transit provider, offering safe, reliable and affordable transportation services about 370,000 times per day. Besides operating more than 1,200 buses on METRO’s network, METRORail's system includes the Red Line (Main Street and Northline), Green Line (East End) and Purple Line (Southeast). METRO’s services also include: STAR Vanpool, METROLift, HOV/HOT lanes, Bike & Ride program, Park & Ride, and road improvement projects. Learn more about METRO services at ridemetro.org where you will also find useful tools like the RideMETRO app where you can plan your trip and even pay your fare from your phone.

HOV Lane Violators: Be Warned

Police Increasing Enforcement 

HOV Map

Drivers traveling on HOV lanes need to make sure they are following the law. Starting this week, METRO Police will increase enforcement activities along North Freeway (Interstate 45 N) HOV lanes in an effort to discourage violators and improve travel speeds. 

MPD Ticket

"We've received complaints from customers on the North Freeway HOV that have noticed a reduction in travel speeds since school started. As traffic increases, commutes get longer. We want to help fix that," said Tim Kelly, METRO Executive Vice President of Operations, Public Safety and Customer Service.

Carpools, vanpools and motorcyclists ride for free. Carpools of two or more people qualify to enter the lanes with the exception of the Northwest Freeway from 6:30-8 a.m. During those hours carpools on U.S. 290 West HOV must have at least three people. Solo drivers have the option of paying a toll to use them during certain times. A complete HOV/ HOT lane schedule can be found at this link. 

METRO Police patrol HOV lanes during all hours of operation. While they focus primarily on HOV lane safety and occupancy requirements, all state motor vehicle laws are enforced. Violators receive warnings or fines, which can range up to $200.00 per violation.