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SALT LAKE CITY -- State lawmakers soon will consider a plan to open high occupancy vehicle lanes on Interstate 15 to all drivers at certain times. A new poll shows motorists are split on whether that's a good idea.
A recent poll by Dan Jones & Associates for KSL TV and the Deseret News shows 51 percent of those surveyed say all vehicles should be able to drive in the HOV lane during non-rush hour times. Forty-five percent disagree. Three percent didn't know.
The poll surveyed 419 Utahns on Jan. 12 and 13. The margin of error is plus or minus 5 percent.
Drivers who spoke with KSL Friday morning also appeared split on the idea.
"I don't think it's the best idea," Garrett Nielson said.
"Keep it the way it is," Tyler Faulkner told KSL Newsradio. "It's too confusing."
"That's probably not a bad idea," Kim Smith said. "I know I don't use it even when I do have people in my car because it's like a one-lane road -- you can only go as fast as the slowest person."
Sen. Karen Morgan, D-Salt Lake City, is sponsoring SB 38, which would open the lanes outside of 6-9 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. Those rush hour times would be reserved for motorists who pay $50 a month to use the lane.
Morgan tells the Deseret News she's proposing this because of public sentiment. She says she's received a number of e-mails and calls from people upset that they paid taxes for the HOV lane, yet they can't use it without paying a monthly fee.
Currently drivers must wait for dotted lines to enter the HOV lane. Morgan's bill would make the lane open for traffic to enter or leave at any point.
Morgan also has requested that the state halt a $14 million electronic tolling system because the project is too expensive.
The system will allow a solo driver to purchase a transponder for their vehicles. The transponder then will be monitored for HOV lane use, and drivers will be billed accordingly, paying more for using the lane during times of heavier traffic.
